The Washington union., 1858-03-02
KANSAS IN CALIFORNIA
INTERESTING LETTER FROM COL b, + WASH
ING1ON.


INTERESTING LETTER FROM COL B, r. WASH
ING1oN
SAN FnANcIsoo, Jan. 20, 1888
DEAR SIR The mention OF my among others In
your leading editorial of Saturday the seeming pur
pose of supporting from the tenor Of my speeches during
the last presidential campaign the position taken 10y you
on what may be termed the Douglas side OF the Kansas
controversy is my excuse and apology ior addressing you
this feel deeply and sensbly the Importance Of the
issue and no one would be rejoced than myself TO
hear that some ground had been discovered upon
which the great national democratic family might har
moniousy meet As view it, however, am chagiined
to believe the issue much serious than you and
many OF our friends inclined to regard it, very
true the President does not AS you say IN WORDS recon
mend the passage of law by Congress Tor the immaculate
admission OF Kansas under the Lecompton constitution
Nevertheless no one can carefully perse his clear able
and elaborate presentation OF the case IN his message anu
mistake his views in this particular II WAS unnecessary
as view it, for him to tell Congress what their duty was
in the premises The question was one familiar 10 the
mind OF every reading in the Union, and an EN-
phatic indication of his own views In communicating the
facts of the case all that was necessary Ihs ne
gave for he distinctly the convention lecomptoh
were not bound by submit any other portion Of
the constitution to election except that which relates
To the domestic institution OF slavery. And again,
speaking Of the passage OF the Kansas Jaw,
there was no question then before Congress nor has
there since any serious question before the people OF
Kansas the country except that which relates TO the
domestic institution of slavery Having thus endorsed
Gates the result which would follow if the matter not
now settled for 'should this opportunity be reject
ed, she (Kansas may be involved for years In domestic
dscord and possibly c before she can again make
up the issue Fortunately rendered, and again reach
the point she has already attained. Under these cir
may well be questioned whether the peace
and quiet of the whole country not OF greater inn
porance than the temporary triumph OF either OF
the political parties of Kansas When therefore, Sen
ator Douglas makes it ulmatum that the whole sub
ect should be referred back to the people Of Kansas and
that he will stand fall by that position it seems to me
that he and the President differ more than slightly,
| as you would term it But again. if there were any
doubts as to the nature of this difference look to your
democratic exchanges throughout the country You Will
there find leader after leader and essay after essay upon
the all-absorbng topic. Gould "a courteous difference
| of Opnion" upon a mere imlnateral issue awaken so
marked and widespread interest in the public mind
Think not and looking upon this difference as most
serious and important one feel it to be the duty OF
every democrat stand by the President in his earnest
efforts peace and quiet to the country by the
| immediate admission of Kansas
] agree with you when you say that .the de-
mocracy of California fully and unequvocay pedg-
ed to sustain the principles of the Kansas Nebraska
| act | also admit that / with others whom you
| name did, in the last presidential campaign, ''in
language strong, emphatic nnmstakable advocate the
same great principle But what great principle! ut
being he intent and msatng Of the act not to legis
late into any State Territory nor to exclude it
thereo but to leave the people thereof perfectly free
to form and regulate their domestic institutions their
oy ,pov subject only to the constitution of the United
States This is the principle advocated then, and 1t
is the principle advocate is the great principle
of upon which fought and trumphed
upon the great Union battlefield IN 1856 Because be-
lieve in the principle opposed to Congress inter
vcning in the affairs of Kansas at this time Because
believed and approved of the position of the President in
favor of her immediate admission. convention called
in accordance with by the people Of that Ter
rtory-for l hold with Governor Walker in his inaugu
raj that those who refused to vote bound by the
action those who didand proceeding in the custom
| s%,,ts, ,lr,,ttto tha
slavery clause alone to the popular vote. There is
| nothing in the organic act of that Territory which
| required them to do more than this Neither was
there anything of the kind in the act of the local eg
ature ng the convention The people, acting through
their legal representatives. selected that way of form
ing their domestic institutions 1t was @ their own
way and any interference the part of Congress- with
that way except to ascertain whether the constitution
adopted be republican in its features would be gross
violation of the doctrine OF nterventon which in
its national aspect is the sum and substance OF what you
term the great principle of the Kansas Nebraska act
| That the whole constitution WAS not submitted was
neither unprecedented unusual. In that way"
than half the States admitted since the adoption of
the federal constitution formed their domestic nsttu
| tions. In that way both Illinois and vermont, the
native and adopted States of Senator Douglas, formed
their constitutions 1t will not do to contend therefore,
at this late day that in the case of Kansas alone such
omission was fatal.
That am right in the view which have taken Of the
true meaning Of the Kansas Nebraska act in far it
has been made part of the democratic creed glance at
our last national PLATFORM unanimously adopted Mt Gin
cinnati will readily show. quote part of the first
and the whole of the second resolution the subject Of
slavery: s4
ss'Ihe American democracy recognise and adopt the
principles contained in the organic Inv of the Territories
of Kansas and Nebraska imbodying the only sound
and safe solution of the slavery question upon which
the great national idea of the people of the whole
try can repose in its determined conservatism OF the
Union-N CONGRESS WITH SLAVERY IN
STATE TERRITORY, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
49, That this the basis of the compromises OF
1885, confirmed by both the democratic and whg parties
in national conventions ratified by the people in the cleo
tion of 1852 and rightly applied to the organization of
| Territories in 1854
Here thcn it will be that when you confident
y appeal to the action of the last national convention to
sustain your position you make an unfortunate reference
1t teaches non-intererence teach interference 1t
procaims the doctrine of nterventionyou, that OF
Intervention it would have the people to regulate their
domestic institutions ''in their own way you would
compel them to do in your way Neither does the plat
form of the national OF the speeches.
SO far / have eadand ] have read all OF Senator
Douglass and most Of the other leading made upon
the Kansas Nebraska awsay word about the people
being compelled to vote upon their constitution The
only discussion that elected by it was in refer
to the subject of slavery and even on that there is
nothing i'm my opinion in the Kansas Nebraska act ma
king it yn qua that should be submitted to the de-
cision of popular vote. Our government is not pure
but representative democracy and the people net
legally through representatives of themselves Sena-
tor Douglas himself admits in his reply to Senator Green,
that he could easily conceive in which he would vote
ifadh NV n cOft