New Orleans daily crescent., 1858-05-17

The Southern press generally sustain MesArs Quit.
mnn and Bonham IN their votes against the English
bill. The Columbia Is. o. Guardian says:
These two gallant Southern members Of Congress,
hy their votes against the Kansas bill jest passed,
have manifested an adherence TO principle, which,
under all circumstances. Is the crowning glory OF a
statesman No policy Of mere expedency ought to
authdrize departure from the plan direct line Of
duty which principle clearly defines and while we
throw ne censurs upon those OF their colleagues who
Judging the the best for the South that could
be obtained at the present juncture, our admiration
L. full, ffee and warm for that nnbending devotion to
principle, prominently manifested by Messrs
Quisman and Bonham on the vote alluded to. Their
record Is smade-temporary Isolated it is true from
that Of their Southern colahorers but, In our opn
ion, that record viii hereafter, in the Judgment Of all
as It does IN ours, place them high in position as
true patriots and wise statesmen.
The observations Of the Columbia Guardian meet
with our hearty concurrence While we would moi
censure have neither praise nor admiration to be
stow upon those Southern Representatives who voted
for the English -ConferenceC Compromise bill for the
admission Of Kansas. We eau readily see where the
South has lost 10 principle but we are wholly unable
70 discover where she has gained anything in fact.
The New York Times-s very able and influential
Freeso journalin its issue Of the 10th inst, takes
the following view Of the matter;
Now it Is unquestonaby true that the Kansas bill,
az passed, does submit the Iecompton Constitution TO
the popular vote. Whatever may be the form of the
bill this is the fact The people Of Kansas, under
that BILL have the power and the opportunity to re-
ject that Constitution il they fit. This is now
universally conceded, and is also generally agreed
that they will do so
Now that was the main point for which the Repub-
cans have all along contended, and the only point on
which the Douglas Democrats separated from the Ad.
mnistrati0n. The Republicans. in onr Judgment
were substantially and practically the rictors in the
Kansas contest They certainly forced the Admins
fration from the ground it originally assumed and
compelled concession OF the main point in dispute.
The President and Senate at the outset insisted that
the lec0mpton Constitution should not be submitted
to the popular vote. The House of Representatives
demanded that it should. And the House carried the
point.
In point OF actual fact the Southern members
conceded everything when they accepted the Con-
ferencebill. The Iecompton Constitution 1t is true
is not directly submitted to vote Of the people Of
Kansas. but it Is ndirectr for its entire vitality is
made dependent upon the vote for the acceptance or
rejection Of certain hand grants If the land grants
accepted then Kansas Is to be admitted by virtue
OF Presidential proclamation. If the land grants
are rejected, then the Lecompton Constitution is
killed stone dead All that was at stake, valuable
in principle, is thus made subordinate to the land
vote And il is by such wretched juggle as this
that it Is hoped to quiet sectional agitation Before
twelve months.elapse the South win be called upon
to depore the miserably false step taken by her Re-
preseniatives in Congress, or else we shall be as
agreeably as certainly shall be nightly mistaken
Deviation from the straight line Of principle is always
dangerous, and although the motive may excuse the
deviation in some instances the practice is none the
less reprehensible Let not tolerate any more COM
promises.