The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-23
THE ENGLISH COMPROMISE.

motion Of Mr. English While the great body Of the
party in Congress- resolved never to repudiate
the Lecompton instrument, which resulted from the
regular and legal proceedings in Kansas to
cuInb to tho camor of factonists who protested
against constitution being Jo,ted upon them which
they boosted they could have voted down by ten
majority and which, by voting, they had
chosen should be forced upon them 1--WE say, while the
democratic party in Congress were determined not
to repudiate the regular constitution Of Kansas at
the dictaton Of faction they anxious to do all
In their power to satisfy the conscientious convic-
tons Of those sincere men Of their party who honest
Iy objected to the Lecompton constitution
In adopting the proposition of Mr.. English, they
gave the most conclusive proof of their sentiments
In this regard which could have been given. The
conference act accepted the Lecompton constitution
as the legally organic law of the now State
but as the objection urged against it was that ma
iorty of the people Of Kansas were hostile to it, the
conference act referred back the question of adms-
sion to be submitted to proceedings of such kind
that, if tho fact were true that popular majority
wore opposed to the instrument, the admission
should not take place. and the instrument should be
imperative. Congress itself would not direct
ly repudiato the instrument; nor yet do so ndi-
rectly by ordering new proceedings in Kansas for
the formation of constitution; but adhered to
its purpose Of recognising the Lecompton instru-
ment as the legal constitution of Kansas. Con-
sidering, however, the force of the objections
of the honest democrats who were averse TO
imposing that instrument upon protesting, though
which would insure to real majority Of thepeo-
pie Of Kansas, if they were opposed to the Le-
compton instrument, the power Of preventing
admission az State with that constitution as the
organic law.
The English bill had the merit Of still recognising
the Lecompton instrument as the legally and regularly
ordained constitution of Kansas and yet of so pro-
viding as, if it was not fair expression also of
the popular will Of majority Of the Kansas people,
it should not become the established organic law of
the new State. Here was precisely such compro-
mise az honest men Of both extremes could unite in
supporting and its success in securing the return
to the party allegiance of such men as Mr.. Groes-
beck, Mr.. English and their compeers, indicated its
merit and excellence as such.
1t furnished test of the honesty Of those demo-
Gratis who refused to support the Lecompton and who
yet were actuated by anxiety to cooperate with
their party It brought home to the bosom of their
party the honest and sincere, and it disclosed the
hypocrisy Of the men who had used it as pretext,
who had gone off for mischief and were determined
upon mischief for mischief sake.
In many respects has this English bill proved it
self fortunate and propitious For it has
not only pac6ed Kansas and put an end in that Ter
ritory to the desperate political gambling of which
it had beon 80 long the theatre /; it has not only
brought back into utilization with their party valu
able set Of in Congress- who had opposed
Lecompton, together with all the Conscientious
democrats Of the North who were really averse to
that instrument but at the time devoted to the
interests Of their party but it has revealed the n.y.
pocrisy of the disaffected democrats who were ma
king that measure an excuse for their treason, and
has exposed them to the country the mere disap-
pointed and disgruntled political mountebanks
which they are, caring more for the wrongs or
the rights Of Kansas than they do for the Of
the party and administration against which they
warning night and day.
But the anxiety Of the democratic party to concli
ate all of its exfoliatng members who were not de-
termined to desert and assa it right or wrong, was
such that it did not even make the support Of the
English bill test Of orthodoxy and the condition Of
return the bosom Of the party. Notwithstanding all
the surprise and disappointment it felt at the refusal
of the recusants to come into the support of this
measures it still did not turn its back upon them
when they refused and continued to hold themselves
aloof. On the contrary, when approached by some
of the leaders of the recusants and solicited to
look their refusal to support tho English BILL and to
let "bygones be bygones" upon the basis Of silent
ocqu,escenee in this bill at that late hour it
scented to their proposal, ad sincerely trusted
the prodigals would roturn from their dissolute
courses, sa
II turns ont now, however, that these advances Of
the apostates were but additional acts in the
Of reachery and hypocrisy they were resolved onpur
suing. They were content to practise deception
and to employ falsehood for the poor purpose Of
gaining time, and, through their leader in Chicago
they used the very occasion in which they had in
timated their purpose of making formal declaration
of fraternity and peace, to reopen the strife, to fire
off new volleys of denunciation and abuse at their
party, to cry havoc and let slip the dogs Of war
And yet there mer who, in full view Of all these
facts, are still amiabe enough to suppose that these
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