Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1858-02-04

practical ground that the agitation of the
slavery ques ion was not necessary at thai
time-attracted TO him the universal alten-
tion Of the Southern States
Afer the election of Pierce. il became
necessary to organize Kansas and Nebras
ka as Territories of the United States. The
natural principle--the principle on which
all the governments ri tue country are
based-was that the people of The Terrific
~ should decile on their domestic ins iiu-
tons. UnhaPpiIy here existed an Act q
congress. which had been passed in 1922
IN order To smooth the WAY for the peace
iul admission OF Missouri, by which il hai
been egreed ihat, thencef,rih and fore, er,
all Uaiied 5 acs territory north Of a given
IIne should he free. and moi slave territory
This paiplble Interference with, and viola
lion Of The inherent right Of all free cont
muniie To select their own institutions
stood in the way OF any ftir and c)nsiitu-
tlOnal organization of territorial govern
msnts in Kansas and Nebraska yet the
Southern poluicians shrank from encoun-
teriny the storm which the disturbance vi
a law OF 81 years sanding, on the delicate
subj .ct OF slavery. would be certain IL
arouse. In that emergency Senator Doug
las devoted himself 20 tha cluse of future
peace. His POS, ION Chairman of the
Territorial Committee enabled him to lake
the lead na ur,lly; he introduced in;o Con
-ress bills which repealed the ill-jliged
Missouri Compromise. and le; the i, ~,
aud ~ a, .,h,.oco
their own institutions. and. on obtaining
he requisite population, to seek almlssioa
TO the Union as free or slave States, AS they
s.hoSt.
The storm which these bills crested in
The Norlh will not readily be fbrgotlen by
hose who witnessed it. Dissolution of the
Union WAS the least Of evils that were
Threatened by the ultra party of the North.
Right will prevail, however; the bills be
came laws, Kansas WAS organized, aud the
dissolution OF the Union was indefinitely
p,si pored. When the e'ec ion came round
not only was the conederacv upheld. bnl
The Democratic candidate was elected To
the Presi lencv.
Meanwhile grave difficulties had arisen
in Kansas. Strenuous efforts had bean
ma e ~ both sections OF the country To-
ppuri in stream ,f immi grafton, and the
North had naturally won the day. But the
contest ha | not been abandoned by the pro-
slavery leaders. Many of them had Sell
nusly damaged their cause by over acts OF
dishonesty, iraad and violence; while the
Free State men Were dana sing theirs by
becoming the tools of politicians, in this
section OF couairy. AMI foolishly abs,ainel
from the elebioas. These mistakes lei tu
a series of compIica ions. the last Of which
is that concerning the Cons ution adopt
eI by conventp held 1T Lecompton last
fall.
The Constitution was framed by con
veniion consis Ing almost wholly OF prc.
slavery m.n. the Free State resi- Tents of the
Terri ory-whu are large nraj y of the
voters-having. to serve the purposes oi
The politicians ofihe an i-slavery party. in
sanely abs.aiuei from voting at the election
Of delegates. The C,nsti uiipn a.iop ei
submr - niag but the slavery clause -
the popular jul sment; on all other See ions
of The Constitution ihe people Of The Terri
tory hav. no say AT all.
On this C.,vs .ution Senator Douyl.s
has incl issue win the Almiaisira i,n
The President considers he submission of
he slavery clause to The people amply suf-
iicient for all practical purposes; Senator
Doag.as, G ,vernor Walker of Ktnsss. and
other prominent Democratic poiircs,ns,
hold that the v,ni,is of our ias.i uti,ns re-
quires that the whole Cons i.ulion should
be submitted. So The dispute stands.
Sena or Don ,as Marie |. some months
since Miss Cutls of Washington. one of
he most s-riAi.,.s bellies of the capitol. He
anl his BRIDE are % he seen at every SO.
cial gathering; IL is diilicult To say wheth-
er the genius of the husband Or the beauty
of the wifi. ATTRACTS the most homas se.--
Harper's Weekly.