Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1858-06-03
From The Ner York Times.
THE kANZAS BILL PASSED.

will be glad to learn that it has been
disposed of, and that Congress can
now have a chance of attending to
some other business. The bill passed
the House Yesterday by a vote of IL
to l03. AL the Southern Democrats
voted for it.sand enough Of the North
ern Anti-Lecompton Democrats to Sc
cure Its passage. The most surprising
vote given is probably that of Mr..
Cox, of Ohio, who had very strongly
pledged himself to vote for no bill
which did not submit the Lecompton
Constitution to the popular vote, and
who yet did not venture to say that,
in his Judgment, this bill would have
that effect. In fact, no Northern Dem
ocrat seems to have been willing to ex-
press such an opinion. The emphatic
and dictatorial declaration of Stephens.
Shorter, and one or two other Ultra
Southern men, that it did not submit
the question to the popular vote, seems
to have SO terrified these Northern
gentlemen. that none of them ventured
to hint an opposite view of the case
Upon their part, the proceeding, we
must confess, was very humiiating
display of personal and political pusil-
lanimity. We can not doubt their be-
lief that the question is thus submit
ted; and they will certainly take that
ground when they come to face their
constituents at home. What motive
but cowardice, or partisan subservi-
ency still more contemplate, should
prevent their saying so in Congress,
we can not imagine. Our two Repre-
scntatives, Messrs. Haskin and Clark.
maintained their consistency and in
tegrity to the last.
Our opinion of the bill itself has
been frequently expressed. We think
it docs submit the Lecompton Consti-
tuition to the vote of the people of Kan
zas; and when the returns of the vote
upon the land grant are received, we
think the authors of the bill will con-
cur in this opinion. The fact that the
matter is left doubtful, or that there is
room for a cavil or quibble on the sub
ject, condemns the bill and brands its
concoctors as tricksters and gamblers
in politics, rather than men fit to be
intrusted with the management of pub
lie affairs. Persons who, in the ordi-
nary business of life, should resort to
equivocations and phrases of question
able meaning, in order to cntrap those
with whom they are dealing into tran
sactions which they would reject if
fairly and openly presented, would be
stained and distrusted forever after
It-is one of the worst signs of the age,
that different morality prevails in
political life, that the struggles of party
are conducted upon principles which
are despised on the race-course. and
that the lowest resorts of thimble-rig-
gers and patent-safe operators must be
explored to find a fitting parallel to
the ordinary transactions of our high
est National Councils. This bill is a
sneaking, undigniiied, and disgraceful
specimen of the worst kind of legisla-
tive legerdemain; and we have sufii-
cient faith in the instincts of human
nature to believe, that before many
months, both its authors and its dupes
will be heartily ashamed of it.
Asa practical measure Of legislation,
IL will amount to nothing. 1t simply
postponcs the final issue on the Kanzas
question. The land bribc will have
no effect, for it gives the people moth
ing that they will not have in any
event. Whenever, and under what
ever Constitution, the State comcs in,
she will have public lands given her
for her schools. university, and pub
lie buildings This is never refused to
any new State. and will not be refused
to Kanzas. This provision. therefore,
is empty and worthless. IL will not
influence hundred votes in Kanzas.
Nor will the threat Of excluding the
Statefor several years. If they do not
vote for Lecompton, prove whit
more availing II is a mere Jrut,1a
falmen, which blinds nobody and Will
alarm nobody. What will the next
Congress care for such a prohibition?
What will the people of Kanzas care
for it? They have never asked. or de-
sired, an enabling act from Congress
nor will disabling act effect them one
whit more seriously. A new people
are not TO be so easily discouraged in
making Constitutions Ii is sort of
amusement which they will not lightly
forego. The people of Kanzas have a
new one already on hand-and they
will make them good deal faster than
Congress can reject them.
Apart from It's mcanncss, no feature