Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-03-17


I tory of Kansas is disgusting one from the be-
ginning to tue end. ! have avoided reading it
as much as l could Had been Senator be-
fore, should have felt it my duty, perhaps, to
have done so; but not expecting to be one,
am ignorant, fortunately, in a great measure,
Of detail and was glad to hear the acknowl-
edslnent Of the Senator from Illinois, since it
excuses me from the duty of examining it.
hear, on the other side of the Chamber, q
great deal said about gigantic and stupendouS
frauds; and the Senator from New York, yes
tcrday, in portraying the character OF his party
and the opposite one, laid the whole of those
frauds upon the pro-slavery party. TO listen to
him, you would have supposed that the resi-
ments of emigrantS recruited in the purlieus Of
the great cities of the North, and sent out armed
and equipped with Sharpe's rifles, and bowie
knives and revoverS, toconquerfreedom for Kan
sas, stood by meek saints, innocent as doves and
humble as lambs brought up to the sacrifice.
Think of them: General Lanes lambs! They
remind one of Col. Kirke's lambs, to whom they
have family resemblance l presume that
there were frauds; and that if there were
frauds, they were equally great OH all sides;
and that any investigation into them onthis
floor, or by u commission, would end in moth
ing but intcting almost uncomfortable disgrace
on the United States.
But, sir, the true object of the discussion on
the other side of the Chamber, is to agitate the
question of slavery. | have very great doubts
whether the leaders on the other side of tue
House really wish to defeat this bill. | think
they would consider it vastly greater victory
to crush out the Democratic party in the North,
and destroy tile authors Of the kansas-Nebraska
bill and am not sure that they have not
brought about this iInbroglio for the very pur-
pose. How strange is it that they tell us that,
year after year, the majority in Kansas is bea-
ten at the polls! They have always had ma
jority, but they always get beaten How could
that be? 1t does seem, from the most reliable
sources of information, that they have ma
jority, and have had majority for some time.
Why has not this majority come forward and
taken possession of the government, and made
free State constitution, and brought it here2
We should all have voted for its admission
cLeerfully. There can be but one reason: if
they had brought, as was generally supposed at
tue time the kansas-Nebraska act was passed
would he the case, a free State constitution
here, there would have been no difficulty among
the Northern Democrats; they would have
been sustained by their people. The statement
made by some Of them, as understood, that
that act was good free State act, would have
been verified and the Northern Democratic
party would have been sustained but its COM
ing here slave State. it is said, will kill that
party, and that is the reason they have refrain
ell from going to the polls; that is the reason
they have rerained from making it a free State
when they had the power. They intend to
make it Il free State as soon as they have effect
ed their purpose Of destroying the Democratic
party at the North, and their true reason here
is to agitate slavery. For one, am not dis
posed to DISCUSS that question here in any ab-
stract form think the time has gone by for
that. Our minds are all made up. am will
ling to discuss it--and that is the way it should
be and must be dscusSed-as u practical thing,
as a thing that is, and is to be; and to discuss
its effect upon our political institutions, and to
ascertain how long those political institutions
will hold together under its effects.
The Senator from New York entered very
fairly into this field yesterday. l was surpris-
cd, the other day, when he so openly said the
battle had been fought and won. Although l
knew, and had long known it to be true, l was
surprised to hear him say SO. thought that
he had been entrapped into hasty expression
by the sharp rebuEes of the Senator from New