Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-05-19
from the Washington Unon.1
Bribes, Frauds, and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
: of State Sovereignty

ana nave 4 rlgDt 10 sue Tor SANDER, lDel ailC
misuse the Republican press, orators, and
statesmen would fare badly on account of the
injuries doue them in this whole territorial
controversy. The very last, by the New
York Times, is certainly the very best illus
tration of the justice of the observations; one
which, perhaps, might be defended upon the
plea of celebrated slander case: That the
defendants character is SO notoriously bad
that no one credits his declarations; that his
habits of lying are SO inveterate and well
known as to render the inference fair that the
truth is to be found in the exact opposite of
his statements; and that, therefore, the plain
tiff hath not been injured in his good name,
fame, and credit.
Speaking of the passage of the Conference
bill, the Times says:
The land bIibe will have no effect for 1t
giUes the people nothing that they tciU not hare
n1 any erent"
What kind of bribe is that which PROMO
ses 20 give the people only what s.they will
have in any eventY' la some countries il i
not IN the power OF the parent to disinherit
his child, but his assent to marriage is reoui-
site in order to rendcc that relation legal And
binding. Then we suppose, should he offer
to-his daughter her portion of his eSta;o ON
the fundamental condition precedent " that
she Will consent to admission into tb,.
Union" on certain personal conditions that
would be a "bribe" Of the grossest cbarscter
1t is true the applicant might reject the con-
diu0ns with absolute assurance that her NOR
ton thereby would in no way be lessepei
There is, too. '.bribe" in all our pre- EN- tion
laws which impose conditions upon the settler.
that be shall improve and cultivate the lands
granted therein. There is '.brlben in every
contract requiring the fulilmeut of conditions
before payment of consideration There is
a 'bribe' IN every land grant to railroad cor
porauons, IN every conveyance to sovereign
States Tor internal Improvement and other
purposes, and especially in grants for common
schools. universities, State buildings, and,
indeed, in all specific conveyances Of the
kind. What is more frightful in the view of
Mr.. Winter Davis, these latter are direct in-
-fringements Of the great doctrines of State
rights!
But the ''bribe'' in this case is of that re
markable nature which gives to people lust
what they are entitled to by the common law
of American politics; the force whereof is in-
terpreted BY the action of Congress in the
Mlnheo. case AMI the principle involved,
settled by the uniform practice of the gov
ernment IN the admission Of all the Western
States into tue Union, But it is objected
that the bill contains this provision, which
Dir. W inter Davis declares lis direct Imi-
tatlon on the sovereign legislative power of
Kansas"
That In no case shall non resident pro
prietors be taxed higher than residents-''
MIR. Winter Davis maintains that this is 4
limitation upon State sovereignty, aud is un-
constitutional and void Granting the ius-
tice of hls conclusion, for the argument. we
do not see the injury which is to result to
Kansas. If it Is void. it certainly can i'm
pair no rights Of soveseigBty; and then does
not Mr.. Winter Davis, on the other hand.
practically deny to the people of Kansas the.
right TO exercise directly that right of sover-
eighty. III denying to them the power to de-
eide whether they will or not tax noa-resi.
dent propretors higher than residents?" A
legislative body in Kansas, after admission.
will assured!y have the right to decide this
question; why should the people themselves.
on Il direct issue, he denied that right? .Nhat
greater OF more offensive Limitation upon the
right OF sclf-government can be conceived
than the suggestion that the people by their
Votes-their bal!ots-shali not be permitted
to determine among other things simple
question of taxation within their own borders?
1t is. then. by this Latter Day illumination,
an infraction of sovereignty to tender a prop
osttt"n declaring it imperative, unless it shall
hrat receive the direct sanction of the people
themselves
We have had occasion to refer, in this con-
nexion, to the debate-and brilliant debate
it was-relief, we may say, from the stolid
rchearsals and joints stock oratory which have
turned the House into a mere recitation room
between the Hon. Alexander H. Stephens
and Mr. Winter Davis
Ii was sharp passage at arms which elec-
trlhed the House; ending in the total discom-
htdre of the assaiant, and in the great tri-
umph of Mr. Stephens
The occasion will not be- regarded as ont
OF place, since we have just closed the great
est political controversy which the country
has ever witnessed, to refer to Mr.. Stephens,
who has occupied throushou the whole ses-
sion most responsible and commanding po-
siton; and to whose labors, to a great extent,
the country is indebted for the brilliant result
achieved. Cool, resoiute, self f-sacri6cing.
vlgllant and able. he has stood the Mentor
of the bedy, equal to every demand upon his
time aud his intellect, the champion of
noble principle, all the more dear to the
people, because, in its proposed application,
It's foundations must be laid beneath the quick
sands of past legislation, and in opposition to
those powerful interests, which errors of le-
gislation on the subject of slavery never fail
to inspire There hove been few instances,
in the history of the Government, which have
shown. in any one individual. higher quail
ties Of statesmanship- ability, frmness, pa
tience, industry and faithful devotion, in
time and out of time, to great principle and
just measure-than have been exhibited by
the Honorable member from Georgia The
occasion, we repeat, is fit one for giving ut
terance to these reflections upon a controversy
which has ended not only in triumph of the
doctrines of self-government, but, as we
Halter ourselves, in the disgraceful overthrow
OF seetionalism. the last and worst enemy of
the Union.