The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-01-19
THE vExED QUESTION.

Ii is said that the bill for the admission
of Kansas, offered by Senator Pugh, of
Ohio, is considered by some As premature,
inasmuch as Kansas has not formally ap-
piled for admission. When the LecomptoR
Constitution does formally come before
Congress for adoption, there will be pro-
duced against it the joint resolutions of the
late Kansas Legislature, demonstrating
against its adoption, and recommending
the Topeka Constitution. There are des-
tined. therefore, to be three parties in Con-
gress On the Kansas question: the Admin
istration party, in favor of the adoption of
the Lecompton Constitution, unless some
fragrant and material irregularity and ilie-
gality be shown; the Douglas party, in
favor of rejecting the Constitution and
passing an enabling act for the formation
of another; and the black Republican par
ty, in favor of adopting the Topeka Con-
stituion.
1t will readily be observed that the Ad
ministration recommends the most practi-
cable and peaceful plan fer the settlement
of this vexed question, namely, the adop-
ton of the Lecompton Constitution; thereby
taking the question cut of Congress and
placing it in the hands of the people of
| Kansas as a State. The question may be
/ ask ed-indeed, the assertion has been made
that the Administration has receded from
! the position it assumed in favor of the
! N f.oo nf
as contained in the Kansas Nebraska bill :;
but a glance at the question as it stands
will convince the candid and upright read
er that such is not the case. The famous
act, supported by Douglas and others,
known as the Kansas-Nebraska act, re-
pealed the Missouri Compromise-thatw was
it's design, and that was the intention of its
trainers and supporters, and of the whole
national democracy. What was that Com
promise Simply plan to allay the sla-
very agitation which, at the time of its pas
sage, threatened the peace of the country;
"a law allowing the territory South OF a
geographical line to hold slavery, while
that North of said line was absolutely pro-
hibited. This Compromise was contrary
to the principles of our government, mas
much as it wrested from the people the
inalienable right to regulate their own in
ternal affairs; and hence the sound doc
trine of the act restoring that right. Now,
then, if the way is open by which the
question of slavery may be brought direct
ly before the people of Kansas, and if that
question has been brought and the Ad-
ministration and the democratic party re-
cosnize their action and desire to acquiesce
in their decision, how, we ask, can they be
subject to the charge of receding from tho
position first assumed The great mis-
take of Douglas and his followers is. thai
they carry the doctrine of popular SOW
ereienty to such an extreme, as not onlJ
to sacrifice the safety and well-being O
Kansas, but to put in jeopardy the peace
and quietude of the whole nation; and al
for the purpose of technically carrying GU
the principles of the kansas-Nebraska &C
in relation to minor and trivial points
which, if questions at ALL, were lost In til
all-absorbing question of slavery. Thus
| it will be seen, that while the Administra
) ton desires, for reasons above stated, t
] avoid the extreme into which the Dough-
, party has fallen, it nevertheless sanction
, and maintains the great principle of popu
lar SnverelrntV