The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-04-02
BALTIMORE.
FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 1858.

The Kansas question is settled. The House of
Representatives, yesterday, by vote of 100 to ll2
voted to admit Kansas into the Union, but to refer
the Lecompton Constitution to the people for adop-
ton or rejection The Senate must in the end con-
firm this action of the House, and thus put stop
to the agitation which has hitherto existed upon
the subject, both in and out of Congress, and
which has been the cause of so much bitterness of
feeling between different sections of our common
country. The mode of settlement is not identicaly
that suggested by the President and sanctioned by
the Senate, but it is settlement and that after all
is what the people want The great question with
them has been not whether Congress should pass
this that bill-not how the question should be
settled, but that it should be settled in some way.
and that quickly.
About the popular reception of this action of the
House, we have little anxiety; do not doubt for
one instant, but that honest and conservative men
of all parties will hail with satisfaction the intei-
gence that Kansas has been admitted into the
Union. The only question which remains in
dispute, and the settlement of which we leave to
those whom it may interest is in whose favor the
victory may be considered to have been. Who
have triumphed? Why, in the first place, the peo-
pie have triumphed who have desired to have the
matter ended and the agitation Quoted; they have
triumphed in the admission of Kansas and the
traitors and demagogucs who have sought for their
personal and selfish ends to prolong the agita-
ton and prevent a settement-they have been de-
feated. But who have gained the victory-the Lee
comptonites or the Anti-Lecomptonites The ad-
ministration or the opposition? As between these
two opposing parties the result may be considered
as a drawn game. Neither has carried its point
both have been compelled to concede something
for the sake of peace and harmony, and neither
ought to judge the concession or be ashamed to
confess the fact.
Mr.. Green's BILL which passed the Senate, has
failed to meet the appreciation of the House. Mr.
Crittenden's bill, which the Senate rejected has
substantially been accepted by the House, and the
difference between these two bills is Just about that
betwixt tweedledum and tweedle-dee Mr. Green
bill provided for the immediate admission of
Kansas as State under the Lecompton Constitu-
ton, leaving to the people of Kansas the privilege
of altering or aboshing that Constitution when
ever they pleased. The substitute for Mr. Green's
bill, offered by Mr.. Montgomery, and passed by
the House, provides for the immediate admission of
Kansas into the Union, and refers the Lecompton
Constitution to the people for adoption or rejection
What is the difference? Practically there is none
In either event the Lecompton Constitution is not
likely to continue long in force in the former case
it would doubtless have been abolished by the
people, in the latter it is almost certain to be re-
jected by the people. In either event. too. the
destiny of Kansas to be free State is equally
certain
The great object of the Administrations
pacihcation of Kansas and its admission into the
Union will have been attained While the ONLY
victory that the South could expect. namely the
recognition of the right of the people of the terri
tories to frame their institutions in their own way
and to settle for themselves whether or not they
will have slavery, is as completely secured by the
submission of the Lecompton Constitution to the
people, as by any other mode of settlement In
fact the very objection urged to the Senate bill by
men like Henry A. Wise, whose loyalty to the
Union and devotion to the South cannot
be questioned, has been that by not sub
hitting the Lecompton Constitution TO the
people this popular right has been violated and the
principles of the Kansas-Nebraska act infrinqed
This objection the House bill completely obviates.
Its passage, therefore, is source of generalization
to all true patriots and conservative men, and is
itself tribute to the frmness and wisdom of the
President, to whom this suspicious settlement of
what once threatened to be most formidable and
dangerous question may mainly be ascribed