The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-04-14
The Kansas bill

our llSt ISSUE contained bricf notice OF
the rejection Of the Lrcompton bill, as it
passed the Senate, in the House, AID the
passage OF The bill BY the latter body un-
der the Crittcndon amendment. The i'm.
por,ani point of this amendment is explain
cd in the following section:
Section l. That the State Of Kansas be
and is hereby admitted into III, Union on
an equa! footing with the orignal States
IN ail respects whatever; but innsmuch rs
tits greatly disputed whether the Constitu.
ton with which Kansas is now admitted
was iniEly made, or expresses the will of
the people OF Kansas, this admission Of her
Into the Union rs State is hcrc declared 10
be upon this fun damcntal conditional prece.
dent, namely: That the said cons.itutio nal
instrument shall be first submitted TO vote
Of the people Of Kansas and assented 10
by them, or minority of the voters, at al
election to be held for tho purpose; and
Ms soon rs such assent shall be given and
duly made known to tho President Of the
United States, he shall Announce the same
ty proclamation, and thereafter, and with
out any further proceedings on the part of
Congress, The admission Of the said State
OF kansas into the Union on an equal foot
ing with the origiG:.! States, in all respects
whatever, shall be complete and absolute.
at the said election the voting shall be by
ballot, aud by indoising on his ballot, as
each voter may please, "for the Constitu-
tion, or "against the Constitution" Should
The said Constitution bc rejected at the said
election by n majority Of votes being cast
against It, then, and in that event, ll,e in.
habitanis Of said Territory are hereby nu.
thorizcd and empowered TO form for them
selves Constitution and State Government
by the name of the State OF Kansas, prepur-
atory to its admission into the Union nc
cording to the Federal Constitution, and TO
that cnd may elect delegates TO Conven.
ton rs hereinafter provided.
This amendment, as might have been ex.
pected, was promptly rejected By the Senate
thereby proving that this body, in whom
the only hope Of the South rests, il still
true TO its constitutional responsibility
This matter, therefore, which has for 80
long time disturbed the peace and threat
cned the existence of the Union, seems no
nearer final settlement than it was months
ngo. The Crttcnden amendment exhibits
the same feature of inconsistent which
characterize MI of the leading acts of the
Black Republicans. There is no particle
OF principle involved in this act their oh.
Joct il commotioD and excitement, as a
means of advancing their selfish purposes.
Kansas applies for admission with consti.
tuition regularly and legally adopted by the
people OF the territory, and the Black Re-
publicans desire that Congress, by an au.
thority with which it is not constitutionally
vested, send it back to be again acted upon
by the people. Kansas does not ask the
indu'gence-it is Congress thai would
thrust this evidence of its far.fetched and
injudicious concern upon her. What right
has Congress thus to interfere in the local
affairs of territory and dictate 10 the peo-
pie
The CritteDden amendment exhibits vet
another strange feature Of inconsistency
among the Black Republicans, by an over
turn Of their principles /; that is, allowing
that they are possessed Of anything that
may be invested with this title. In voting
fora matter which proposes TO submit the
internal affairs Of Kansas entirely to the
people, untrammeled by outside influences,
they recognize the right which the South
has long contended namely, that the
people Of territory applying for admission
rs State should have the exclusive right
10 determine the matter of slavery within
ihemselyes-nnd which great principle, the
abSlitionists md free soiIers, upon the other
hand, have ever avoided and pei eitinaciously
opposed. They, IL is presumed, voted for
this measure under the full telief that il
would be killed In tho Senate and thereby
their political principles spared their whole
object being To keep up nm excitement in
the country as auxhiliary 70 an accomplish
meni, Of their selfish designs.
IL has been urged Ia some quarters that
the Senate and the Democratic party accep
The amendment rs Il cane from the House,
and thus rivet the shaekles which the Re-
ppblicans have forged for themselves and,
as II Is conceived, secure triumph which
must silence forever the slavery agitation.
But tho Democrats could not accept il with