The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-04-10
The Last OF LecOn ptOn.

Our Congressional news shows that the
Senate, on Friday of last week refused to
concur in the House amendment to the Lee
compton bill Substituting Montgomery's
bin for the Senate bill,) and that the bill
was on Wednesday returned TO the House,
which body, on Thursday, by the same vote
with which Mongomery's substitute was
originally adopted, resolved to adhere to its
amendment. The House, on the return Of
the bill from tie Senate, could do one of
three things-recede from their position and
pass the Lecompton bill; or insis. upon
their amendment, which would call for
committee Of conference between the two
Houses which might fix up a new and en-
tirely different bill from either that of the
Senate or House or adhere to their amend.
ment, which would end all further steps on
the suhject,--;n short, would be the death
Of the bill.
The House, as we have said, "adheres."
The Lccompton bill is therefore defeated in
Congress; and as it is against parliamenta-
~ rules to present second time in the same
session proposition that has once bean de-
featcd, the measure cannot be revived before
another session.
Well, what next? In England, when the
administration, (or the ministry propose
measure and are defeated, they either sur
render the point, resign, or go to the coun-
try, as they say.--that is, parliament is dis
solved, and the issue is tried by a new cleo
ton. In this country, the custom is neither
to resign, nor can there be dissolution Of
Congress but as the elections recur every
two years, the practical recourse is always
to go to the country And is that now the
fixed and inevitable alternative in reference
to Lecompton? Shall the sole issue in the
election, for tie next year and half, until
new Congress is elected, be Lecompton or
anti LecOmpton and nothing else? We ra-
thcr think not.
II this Kansas constitutional question was
thing capable of permanency, Ike the L.
;. Bank or tariff question, for instance, such
an issue could be made up and maintained
as dividing line between parties. But eve
~ month gives the question new phases.
The work of tie Leoomf ton convention be-
ing nov demolished as that of the Topeka
Convention was year ago. we shall in al.
probability next Lave constitution formed
by the i!lcg;d abortion CT convention that
was recently in session at Lcavenworth
That boiy is about TO submit third consti-
tuition to the people Of Kansas; the free
state party VIII again vote for it, and post
haste they will be st Washington knocking
for admission with the new abortion. This
will present another entirely different ques-
ton from the last, and the parties that a.
vided on Lecompton must again choose
ground.
Viewing this question in this light, we
for the present scout the idea of total dis
ruPtiun Of the democratic party, sc, &c.
on the Kansas question. Especially, do we
laugh at as suprcmely ridiculous all such
nousensical - startling rcvelations,'' as the
following which all the republican papers
are copying with great eagerness from the
New York JiM6s. We give it as a literary
curiosity Of the day but nothing can be
mere laugiab,e and absurd than the gravity
with which Judge Douglas, Gov. Wise, and
men of their stamp arc represented as med
+ itatng such wild vsgaries: