The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-14

Tn. Immortal john 0alhoun ard tne Lee
compton Constitution
The newspaper correspondents ut Washington
in the interest of the black republicans and the
| Douglas democracy, are ia condition OF pain
sul anxiety as TO the final decision of John CAL
! houn in reference b. the Kansas State Legisla
! ,ure One man writes that Calhoun ha- de-
| clsred that he has decided TO give the said Lee
eisiature 70 the free State party, and tina. this
] decision will emooth the way TO the passage Of
| the Lecompton constitution; but another man,
| with still later news, teleeraphs. 10 great
| hurry, that Calhoun, since the. appointment Of
| the investigating committee, has made up his
| mil d to give no decision whatever upon tie
| Kapsas State Legislature until Congress shalt
have passed upon the Lecompton con.
stituton; aud this resolve on the part
of Calhoun, it appears, chills the hopes
of the Northern democracy. In fact. from
theee newspaper representations, it would
| seem that the terrible John Calhoun carries the
| cestipy o. Kansas, the fate of the aaministr3-
ton and the decision of Congress in ha
breecbes pocket, aud will play the game to suit
himself reckless of any other consequences
Sill improving upon this idea, one Of our
black republican organs suggests that the oh
| ject of the Lecompton constitution IL to make
| Kausas a permanent bona tide slave State-that
il Congress passes it, the provision of said con-
etitution, which cuts OF any amend ment TIL the
| year of grace 1864, will be sustained by the
Supreme Court and backed up by the federal
| army, aud that in the interval Kansas will be
filled with niggers, even if tbey have to be
enugpled in, after Louis Napoleon's fashion
| from the coast of Africa
| This is indeed. e gloomy view Of the subject;
but all these reports Of Cslhcun's changing
and all these representations Of the effects of
the Lecompton constitution in reference to
slavery, are all "weak inventions of the
enemy to frigbten the tender footed Northern
democrats of Congress The latest rews re-
ported in relation to the LecomptOn schedule
fastening that constitution upon Kansas
till the year 1864. is that a proviso
will be appended by Congress, affirming the
right Of the people and the local authorities OF
Kansas at any time to proceed to amend, alter
or abolish this constitution; and this provso, it
is said, will be satisfactory to most Of the Doug
las members of both houses.
But according to Governor Walker Secretary
Stanton, Governor Wise and Mr.. Douglas, the
sovereignty of the people overrides all dele
gated powers: and the sovereign right Of the
people at any time to amend their organic Law
cannot be taken away. Why, then these special
pleadings and technical hobgoblins The sim
| pie truth is that Kansas, /. admitted under the
Lecompton constitution, will be only de jure a
slaye State, for de faso che will be free State.
| But then VIC are told that Calhoun and Cato,
1 two fraudulently elected pro-slavery border
ruflians, will be Struggled into the United States
Senate. How SO. Is it not the privilege
and the duty OF the Senate TO inquire
into all plausible charges of frauds in
the election Of its members and to
report upon the same, according to the law and
the testimony? With this inquisition staring
him in the face, is it not perfectly absurd &c
suppose that John Calhoun, If guilty of the
fraudulent tricks alleged against him, will hav,
the presumption thus to attempt to smuggle
himself into the Senate:
The truth Of the whole matter is that the sd
ministration has accepted this Lecompton con.
stitution as the legal solution Of the Kansas
Nebraska bill, and is anxious to have il passed
Us the shortest possible method OF settling the
question. in this view, if John Calhoun to-day
we're to declare that the Legislature Ct Kansas
is pro-slayery or no slavery, it would not affect
the question OF the legality Of the said consti,u
ton one iota
But here il still another objection. We are
told lhst the passage OF this constitution of Cal
houn and his Lecompton associates will produce
civil war in Kansas-an inevitable civil war
In reply to this we would ask what great har IN
would follow If the graceless yagsbonds, ruff
fans and vagant political emissaries of both
parties in Kansas that have kept the whole
country in state of turmoil and agita
ton for the last four years, should set to aud
shoot and hang each other, or cut each
others throats, until both parties should bc
extcrminated! Are not peace, law and order tc
our thirty millions Of people outside of Kansas
more desirable than peace among those thirty
thousand dieorderly rowdies inside OF Kansas
They want popular sovereignty" Let thea
have il. and If they choose 10 employ their Il
berty in the amiable work Of shooting anC
banging each other, LET them fight il out.
POryIR SOVEREIGNTY IN THE DUgrS-Th'
Rev. George Bancroft and the Rev. George
Butler and company, as ii appears, made a sat
fur PCS The other evening in their attempt t
hold their popular sovereignty" meeting II
the Academy Of Music. But they are deter
mined TO have T. meeting, and that very soon
Very we'll. Go on, gentlemen, with your "p,