The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-05-27

The late Douglas Press in Michigan.
The Douglas papers in this State
have for the past FIVE months, devoted
all the time they could spare from their
labor of hbeIling Sour State officers, to
the glorious task of clarifying /" Popu
lar Sovereignty" 1t has been the only
political principle with them, worth
contending about. For it they had
rebelled:against their party, and for it
they have sworn by all the: devilssin the
border rufiian Calender, they would
live and die. The salvation of the
country-and what was thousand
times more important, the salvation of
their party-depended upon it. Their
declarations of devotion to the princi-
pie were as plenty as lovers oaths; and
that devotion appeared as expansive
as fashionable lady's skirts. Who
would have believed that such firmness
could ever yield? Alas! we guessed
that some ray of sunshine from Wash
ington would dissolve the bubble, some
fair morning, and their devotion would
disappear quicker than the early dew.
The English bill was passed by the
men of their party against whom they
had arrayed themselves, with a few
deserters from their own ranks-but the
bill is just the thing they wanted
they are perfectly satisfied.
: Now what becomes of their little
joker, popular sovereignty? Unless
Kansas consents to slave constitution,
she shall not have any for years to
come and in the mean time slavery is
to be protected in the territory by their
President, in spite of all the popular
sovereignty in the world. And even
the vote which they are permitted to
take, whether they will yield to LIE
compton or to the alternative, is mere
mockery; since their enemies will can
vass the votes, with Cincinnati Direc-
tories, Calhoun's candle boxes, and
Oxford precincts, all ready to appear
again upon the stage. What miser-
able hypocrites! What arch apostates!
What contemplate demagogues!
These editors know, as we'll as they
know the way to their Office, thatthe only
design of the English bill was for one
more desperate effort to force slavery
upon Kansas as State; and failing In
that, to keep it out of the Union, a sldce
territory :, as Buchanan declares it to
be. Is not this popular sovereign
ty? "Heads, ] win-tails, you lose!''
But they are satisfied" it's all fair -
On the 4th of January the people OF
Kansas voted by 10000 majority, that
they would never accept Lecompton.
What a farce then, to ask them to vote
again upon it! Does not this fact
prove conclusively, that the design is
not to get the sentiment OF Kansas,
but to force slavery upon her by a
more unblushing fraud than ever be-
fore attempted? If those who passed
EneIish's bill did not intend to prepare
the way for successful frauds, why did
they add a fifth leg to the canvasslng
committee, so that Buchanan's minions
should have a majority, and can accept
whatever fraudulent returns they
please? 81
Such is the g fairness of English's
bill as passed. 1t is like the robbel
who presents his pistol at your breast
and says-"Don't give me your watch
unless You are willing-but you see
this pistol!' And these late Douglas
editors say-s that's fair, as we under
stand it!n
Poor pitiable creatures! They have
sunk themselves below the contempt Of
the blindest idiot that had any faith in
their loud pretences! Advocates Of
popular sovereignty! and they throw
up their hats and huzza for measure
designed not only to enslave Kansas,
but to do it under the pretence that
Kansas consented to it That is their
popular sovereignty. Accept slavery
as a State, or submit to it as a terrific
ryr' Such is the simple, plain pur-
port of English's bill. "That is per-
fectly fair''-says the Free Press.
EVERY Democrat can heartily sup
port it"Lsays the Lansing Journal
and one half of their followers will cry
<that's it Whoraw for Buchanan,
Democracy, and popular sovereignty,
and slavery in Kansas, with her con-
sent r'--Ldnsigg Republican. e4