The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-08-12
KANSAS.

effects No doubt great efforts will be made to re-
vive tho excitement which has heretofore disturbed
the public peace and tranquility. That all such ef
forts win signally fail we entertain shadow of
doubt Upon recurring to the causes which have
led to this result in Kansas one can fail to see
that the proposition of the English bill submit
ted to the people has been rejected on account
of their unwingness to take upon themselves the
burden Of sustaining a State government. Such was
the argument of tho opponents of admission both in
the press and on the stump. The vexed question of
slavery had little nothing to do with the decision
and it is for this reason that we express with so
much confidence the conviction that bleeding Kan
sas longer be paraded on the politicalboards
as mode of reproducing tho bitter sectional con-
troversy which has 80 long distracted the country
The opportunity has been afforded to the peo-
pie Of Kansas to into the sisterhood of States
clothed with all the sovereignty which attaches to
the States of the Union If she had accepted the
terms offered to her, she would have received all
tho favors, benefits, and advantages which other
new States have received from the general gov
eminent. Into her own hands would have been
transferred the sole exclusive, and sovereign pow
or of regulating her own domestic institutions
The constitution under which she would have
been admitted would have been subjected to the
control Of her own people, to be altered, amended
modified at their pleasure. In a word, Kansas
would have been what every other State of the
Union now isa free, sovereign, and independent
State, controlled alone In hor action by the princ-
pies and requirements OF That constitution which
is alike the bond Of our union and the safeguard of
our rights.
She has seen proper to reject this offer After all
the contests which have wasted the energies of her
people and scattered frebrands throughout the
Union, we now have her solemn decision that she
prefers territorial to State government Judging
from the arguments most successfully used in the
canvass which has just terminated, that decision
was made upon the deliberate conviction that
the people of Kansas were either unable or
unwilling to undertake the support of State
government. Of this fact none wore SO compe-
tent to decide the people of Kansas Their
decision is made, and let it be carried out. We
doubt not it will be better in the end for Kansas
that she should remain in her territorial State I'm
til she has acquired the population required by the
English bill for her admission than that there should
be renewed in her borders that fierce and bitter
controversy which has 50 long broken her peace
and paralyzed her energies If her people had
been content to assume the burdens and re-
sponsibties. of State government, it would
have been more preferable, because a more final
settlement Of the question. 1t would have more ef
fectualy closed the doors against the efforts which
are now being made by reckless politicians to stir
into a new fame the embers which have almost died
out. Though strongly impressed with the convic-
ton that such would have been the better policy for
Kansas yet cheerfully conccde to the people there
the right to decide question for themselves and
having decided it, hold it to be the duty of all
good citizens to acqucsce in and carry out that de-
cision.
We may now consider the principle of requir-
ing representative population in any Territory
hereafter applying for admission as the settled pol
icy of the government Kansas accepts the policy,
and by the solemn voice of her people declares it to
be the true policy for her future interest and pros
perity Other Territories being notified in advance
that their admission States will depend upon their
population, cannot complain of the enforcement of
the principle. Besides all this the principle in itself
srght and had it been announced and enforced here
tofore twould in opinion, have saved the country
from much Of the trouble, embarrassment, and bit
teracss which has been engendered by the contests
in Kansas. Under its operation the various Terrific
ries Of the United States will fill up with population
carried there by motives of trade and interest Quiet
lyi pursuing the occupations which their taste and
interest may suggest and protected in the posses
sion and enjoyment Of all their rights by the consti
- w
tuition Of the Union, the people of each Territory
will be enabled to mould their own institutions ac-
cordiDg to their own judgment, and for their own
best interest free from those extraneous influences
which have been the curse of Kansas. AS soon as
it is known that no Territory can be admitted as
State without first having representative population
outsiders will find that their oficious intcrmeddng
will produce effect upon hundred thousand
people composed Of that class of hardy and
honest frontiermcn who make up the inhabit-
ants of newly Territories. The re-
suit will be that for the future they viii confne
their benevolent operations to their own bailiwicks
under the teachings of that true philanthropy that
charity begins at home. Let the clamor of faction
lists be quoted, and the efforts Of agtaors to re-
open settled issues be frowned down by good men
and patriots throughout the land, and tho days of
peace and quiet upon which we have so happily on
Ia, 4; Al