The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-19


soilers, 60 as to sbolitioniae Il. the bottle is
ended, and the South is sold agaia In the chains
which traitors have fastened upon her,"
Such is the dreadful indictment, and such
are the specifications Of Southern fire.
eating disorganizer against the administra-
ton. John Calhoun has been persuaded by
the President Of the United States to give
the returns Of the Kansas State Legislature,
elected under the Lecompton programme, in
favor of the free State party, 90 as to save the
President and the democracy of the North.
Could anything be more absurds Undoubtedly,
if John Calhoun has resolved to decide that the
free State party have the Kansas State Legisla-
ture, it is because he could do nothing else
The administration has accepted and urges the
Lecompton constitution upon Congress as the
legitimate offspring of the Kansas Nebraska BILL
1t was framed by Convention legally elected !;
it was ratified with slavery" by the popular
vote of Kansas of the 2lst December; and the
work being thus contaminated, the administra-
ton, in this connection, has had nothing to do
with any subsequent elections constitutional or
Legislative. They are out of the question and
do not affect at all the legality or 6uality of the
LecOmpton constitution.
And thus this horrible conspiracy to "sell
the South again in the chains which traitors
have fastened upon her." dwindles away into
the mere fancy sketch of a rabd fire-eater The
assertion that Calhoun has decided the COM
plexion Of the Kansas State Legislature, upon
an appeal from the administration, is however,
not only prepoNerous invention, but
an infamous calumny, and could have
emanated only from factionist wholly
given up to the desperate scheme of
party discord, sectional confusion and disunion,
let this Kansas imbroglio be settled in any way
whatever. The idea, too, that Calhoun, without
regard to the election returns could give the
Kansas State Legislature to the pro slavery
party is piece Of shameless efirontery; while
the conclusion that decision from him, true or
false, decreeing pro-slavery Legislature would
secure the permanent establishment of slavery
in Kansas is too ridiculous for a moments con-
sideration.
The Lecompton constitution. as whole, is a
very good republican constitution. Its sia-
very clause, over which there is such an up
roar, is mere abstraction; nothing else
Pass it, and the destiny of Kansas will soon be
solved as that of free State. The President
knows this, and every sensible man must be
aware of it. 1t is not because slavery is recog-
nized by this constitution that the President
sustains it, but because it is the legal solution
of the organic law of the Territory. That is
all-but that is enough. Excepting the subject
of slavery, the Lecompton constitution does not
differ materially from the Topeka constitution;
and as the slavery clause of the former is prac-
tically dead letter, is il not fair to presume
that upon the ''sober second thought" it will
be accepted by the people of Kansas until they
can amend it to suit themselves? This is the
policy Of the administration ard it is the
height Of impudence in any political niger
agitator, North or South, to suppose that the
President could stoop to "a bargain and SALE
with Calhoun, either to appease Southern fire.
eaters or Northern dirt-eaters.
II is very remarkable in this connection that
both these sectional factions-Northern dirt
eaters and Southern freeaters-have been
driven to these allegations Of buying and sell:
ing against the administration and John Cal
houn, as the last desperate expedient to keep
alive this Kansas agitation The Northern dirt
eater cries aloud that members of Congress are
being bought up like cattle 10 vote for fasten-
ing slavery upon Kansas, and that Calhoun is
the master spirit Of the conspiracy The South
ern fre-eater bowls with rage that bargain
and sale" has been effected between the admins
tration and Calhoun, whereby the South is to
be dishonored, despoiled and betrayed in the
surrender of the Kansas State Legislature to
the free soilers. But do not these assaults of
Northern and Southern disorganizers 20 very
far to prove with every dispassionatc mind that
the Kansas policy Of the administration il that
intermediate course of even-handed justice
which will meet the approval Of the conserva-
tive masses Of the people, North and South, and
gut an end TO this senseless but mischievous
niger agitation?
We submit to the candid reader that no more
satisfactory evidence can be produced of the
soundnees and justice of The Presidents policy
than these charges Of bribery and corruption
from Northern niger worshippcrs, simulta-
neously With these charges OF bargain and
sale" from Southern Niger drivers.
THE CHARGE AGAINST CHESUNG SMITH ALL
BosH-From the character Of the evidence
ELECTED 30 far in the examination Of Chemung
Smith, il is very unlikely that any criminal
charge, at least TO the extent Of a ten thousand
dollar fraud, will be sustained against him.
IT is well known that Comptroller Flagg is
not a man Of the mos; amiable temper He il
old, cross, and rather i'll natured. To the con-
tractors he has been especially unamiable, con-
tinually refusing to sign warrants for the work
alleged to be done, and blufing them of with
the stereotyped answer, II have no money"
Now, il appears that Mr.. Smith was the conf.
DENTAL clerk Of Mr. Flagg his father was the
Comptroller'a friend aud Tho con on;o~oJ L.,