The Kanzas news., 1858-01-16
Washington Correspondence of tlle n. 7. Tribune.
The Conflict between Fitch and Douglas


WAsHIEeTos, Dec. 22, 1857.
In the Senate this morning, Mr. Stuart of
Michigan, who had the floor, gave way to
Mr. Fitch of Indiana, who began with an
aIlusion to Mr.. Douglass remark yesterday,
that certain men, among them President
Buchanan, were trying 10 read him out of
the Democratic party.
Mr.. Douglas, who was writing letter,
apparently wholly inattentiye to what was
going on, here suddenly turned upon the
gentleman from Indiana and inquired, ..Did
include the President of the United States
in that attempt to read me out of the party?
Did / not expressly except hlm?"
Mr.. Fitch assented and went on to criti-
else the argument of the Senator from Hi
nois. He soon diyerged, however, into
menaces to those who were striving to break
down the Democratic party, that great con-
seryative organization on whose preserva-
ton depended the preservation of the I'm
ion. He held up az terroreHs for the con-
temptation of Mr. Douglas the political fate
of Aaron Burr and Martin Van Buren,, both
Of whom had traitorously attempted to de-
stroy the Democracy and had thus brought
ruin on themselves.
He repeated the charge against Mr.. Doug
las that in conjunction with Mr.. Toombs he
had prepared a permissory act for framing
Constitution for KanZas without any pro-
vision for submitting it to the people. Mr..
Fitch said, however, that he attached little
importance to these charges of inconsisten-
cy; very few of the Senators present could
boast a perfectly consistent record, and IL
was of little consequence in this discussion
what had been the previous sentiments or
declarations of the Senator from Illinois.
Mr.. Fitch continued in an elaborate attack
upon what he termed the Topeka faction,
which he described as rebellious, lawless
set of men, and contrasted them with the
loyal, law abiding citizens who had formed
the Lecompton Constitution. He admitted,
in this connection, that the Lecomplon Con-
stitution contained a clause prohibiting its
amendment prior to 1864; but that clause,
he contended, was of no consequence; it
was dead letter. The people would change
their Constitution whenever they pleased.
His plan was to admit Kanzas with what
ever Constitution she may present herself.
The Senate had no right to inquire how ma
ny votes were given for the delegates to the
Convention who framed the Constitution
Nor had it any right to inquire into the
number of votes that were cast at the rati-
fcation election yesterday. All that could
be required was that the Constitution was
formed by legal body. The Lecompton
Convention was such body, and that was
enough.
He would have preferred that the whole
Constitution should have been submitted to
the people. But the Convention thought
otherwise, and their decision of the matter
was final with him.
Mr.. Fitch spoke without notes and with
much more force and vivacity than either
Senator Bigler or Green. He commanded
the attention of the Senate, and as he pro-
ceeded with his malignant personal innuen-
does against Mr.. Douglas, the countenances
of tie Southern Senators lighted up with a
satisfaction in marked contrast with the
gloom and uneasiness with which they had
watched the process of demolshing the
Pennsylvania Senator in the debate of yes
terday.
During the latter part of Mr. Fitch s
speech the Little Giant had lain perfectly
motionless in his chair with his back to the
orator who was bitterly assailing him. As
the speech went on his interest In it was
manifested only by the angry knitting of his
brows and the increased glowing of his deep
set eyes. When Mr. Fitch sat down and
Douglas slowly rose to his feet, there was a
hushed murmur through the crowded hall
that indicated how deep was the interest and
the expectation of the audience He made
a magnificent rejoinder, compact, forcible
and ingenious, and delivered with proud
fierce energy of gesture and sonorous ring
ing of his fine voice that made it one of the
most impressive displays of oratory I have
ever witnessed. The mere sight of him
was an imposing picture of animal and in
Lellectual strength and power as he walked
slowly to and fro across the Senate floor, tos-
sing his shaggy locks as an angry lion toss
es his name, jerking out his sharp, snewy
sentences, and turning now and then upon
the gentleman from Indiana, and vehement
ly demanding, with a stamp of his foot,
what he meant by comparing him to Aaron
Burr? Or by accusing him of ambitious
schemes TO break down the Democratic par
lty? Or by his vague innuendoes and dark
insinuations? Or By imputing to him as a
crime his dissent from the President on some
particulars relating to Kanzas? What if l
do differ from the President? l have not
become the servile tool of any President to
receive and obey his instructions against my
own judgment and sense of right
He spoke with bitter contempt of the Le-
compton faction in Kanzas, and declared
that but for the protection of the United
States troops, the people would not let them
stay day in the Territory. Again he
warned the Senate that if this attempt 10
force Constitution upon Kanzas against
the wishes of nine teDths of the people were
persisted in, civil war would be the result.
In conclusion referring to these repeate
attacks upon him, he said he asked no meF-
cy, he should shrink from no controversy
If the design were to bring him out and ex-
hibit his strength by repeated assaults, he
would foil that design by making no reply
to them until sufficient number were col