Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-09-11
Kansas and the Opposition.


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Kansas and the Opposition.
Any one reading the structures of tho on.
position press on the Kansas policy of the
present Administration, would be led te
believe that slavery had been arbitrarily leg.
lslated out Of that territory by democratic
Congress, or driven out at the point of the
bayonet, by democratic scldiery. Or
what sort of grounds they base their rea-
sons for this presumption we know not, for
they adduce ne shadow Of proof to sustain
their position, and leave their proposition
to stand or fall on their bare assertion. -
We will not attempt here to refute THEN
arguments on this subject, but will confine
ourselves to comparing the relative guilt Of
the Democratic and opposition parties, and
to do this, we will state in few words,
what line Of policy has been followed by
each respectively, since the question ap-
peared in Congress, and leave our readers
to draw their own conclusions.
The question first entered Congress in
the form Of a simple bill for admitting
Kansas into the Union as slave State,
and to this end all the strength that the Ad-
mnistration could muster was exerted, but
in spite of all it's efforts the measure was
defeated by coalition Of reereant demo-
Gratis, Northern Black Republicans and trail
torous Southern Know Nothings. Does
this look like the Administration was SELL
ing Kansas to the abolitionists, and the
opposition was waging holy pro-slavery
war? Then, compromise was presented
by that arch Know Nothing, Crittenden, in
shape of bill, violating the fundamental
principle of the Kansas Nebraska bill and
of popular sovereignty, and giving Kansas
into the hands of the Black Republicans,
without qualification this the Administra-
ton Democrats rejected without hesitation,
and NO other alternative being left, inaugu-
rated the present measure, called the English
amendment, which is now undergoing such
severe criticism from the opposition press
We support this bill because we see much
in it to admire, and very little to condemn !;
because it superseded and saved us from
the baneful effects of the Infamous Critten-
den compromise, because it eschews the
idea Of Congressional interference and cs-
tablishes on frmer foundation than ever
before, the principles Of the Nebraska bill
and popular sovereignty, and has driven the
Black Republicans by their actions tacitly
to recognize the same, because it has CIV
en- and promises peace to the country, and
leaves room for rational hope that Kansas
may yet, in spite of fana ticism, become a
slave State.
Now, with these facts, which all must
acknowledge and none can deny, before
them, on what principle of reason, honesty
or good sense, can the Know Nothing party
charge the Administration with having
given Kansas into the hands of the abo-
litionists, or arrogate to themselves the
credit of having fought, bled and died in
the defence Of southern honor and southern
rights? They have opposed every measure
to the bitter end, which would leave a
doubt of the issue Of the controversy be-
tween tho North and South, and now with
unheard of impudence and unruf1ed COM
placency, they come before the country and
ask the people to believe that which every
vote, word and act of theirs in the last Con-
gress gives the emphatic lie to-
And now it remains for the next Con-
gress to decide whether the wise policy Of
the Administration shall succeed or not, for
all acknowledge its efficiency and anticipate
its beneficial results should it be kept nvio-
late. 1t is not the English bill that is OBJ
jected to, but the possibility Of its viola
ton, from which the opposition anticipate
strife and the opening up Of the vexed Kan
sas controversy. They assume the proba-
bility of Kansas applying for admission
next winter in spite Of the English bill, and
also that the North, regardless of the obi
cations under which it is placed by that
bill, will use all its power to force the terri
tory on the reluctant South as free State,
and on these premises, both of which we
believe to be false, they conclude that the
English expedient is a miserable swindle.
Now, judging from all the information
which we have been able to obtain from,
Kansas, we do not believe that the people
of that territory are anxious to enter the
union at present, and if they do apply for
admission, the democracy, if true to them
selves, can keep inviolate the contract which
which was the offspring of their own brains,
and which they are bound to sustain.
GS- Our neighbor Of the Spectator, has
very sensible article on the subject of the
gas project which is being SO actively pros
ecuted by some public spirited citizens Of
our town. We fully agree with our neigh
Dor, that if We allow the small sum Of $1,000