The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-01-06
The Impending Political Convulsion on the
Slavery Question.

We perceive that the comprehensive basis
which we have suggested as the true ground of
compromise upon which to settle the Kansas diff
iculty, meets with a cordial respoLse from va
rious conservative democratic journals, North
and South. And why not: From the adoption
of the federal constitution, including the slavery
compromises of that magma chortd, down to
this day, as we have shown, every adjustment of
the slavery question has been upon this basis of
sectional equivalents, or mutual concessions as
between the North and the South. And, talk as
we may of popular Sovereignty the "peo-
Piles rights" and all such things the para
mount difficulty in the case before us lies
between these two questions: First, what will
the North lose by consenting to the admission
Of Kansas as slave State; and, secondly, what
reparation can be expected by the South for the
refusal to admit Kansas with, her pro-slavery
constitution?
II Is well known that even il Kansas
should be admitted under her Lecompton con-
stitution without modification, restriction or
amendment, she cannot continue longer than a
year or 20 as a slave State, with nine
tenths Of her population opposed to sla-
very On the other hand. the reputation
of the Lecompton constitution by Congress will
be tantamount TO a decree from the North that
the Institution of Southern slavery shall go no
farther-that the old compromise plan of q
slave State and a free State il abolished; that
there shall be no more slave States; but that
the South, hencefortb, must depend entirely
upon the protecting power and Astounding grace
Of her Northern masters.
II is only in this view Of the case that we can
discover the tremendous contingencies that are
involved in this Kansas difficulty. The Lee
compton constitution, through q regularly au-
thorized election, has been adopted with the
slavery clause. By default of the free State
party, Kansas has thus been officially organized
as slave State, and a. such she now awaits
her admission into the Union. Her rejection,
therefore, will be Congressional edict against
the South OF the most decisive character; for from
that moment the organic law Of the South will
be the law Of ubmission-absolute submission
to the will Of an overwhelming Northern MAORI
ty. Theprestige ofSoutherH rights and the time
honored principle of Northern concessions will
be trampled under foot with the rejection of
the Lecompton constitution and the law of the
strong arm will supersedc those fraternal obi.
cations upon which the Northern and the South
ern States entered into this confederacy.
Will the men of the Southern States submit
to this We may be mistaken, but we appre.
hend that they will not submit TO the rejection
Of Kansas ne slave State; but that they will
resist all attempts to set aside this Lccompton
constitution with the desperate resolution Of
men defending the last rampant which lies be-
tween them and fierce and implacable enc
my. We apprehend that the Southern men in
Congress have the will and the courage neces-
sary TO make this Lecompion constitution the
test question between the Union as IL stands
and separate Southern confederacy; but, on
the other side, we are we'll aware that IL
will be difficult TO secure the Northern men that
will be needed as voluntary martyrs TO the
great cause of sectional Cancellation and peace.
Look, for example, at Mr.. Senator Pugb, of
Ohio. He desires TO support the adninissra-
ton; but be desires also. to keep on the right
side Of his constituents. Hence be tries the oft.