The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-08-29

made solely IN consequence of the previous Topeka
movement which had been made by the backrepub-
icans in disregard Of the prerequisite Of popula-
ton.
The English bill was enacted in consequence of
the failure of both the Topeka and the Lecompton
applications Admission under the Topeka eonsti'
tuition, for which application had been made in dis
regard of the prerequisite of population having been
denied by Congress, the English bill provided in eff
feet that if the people of Kansas should vote against
admission under the Lecompton constitution, (for
which, also, application had been made in disregard
of the prerequisite of popnlaton,) then both these
constitutions thus failing and revertng to the origi
nal prerequisite of admission--that there should
be admission under any constitution until the
due quota of population should be acquired by the
Territory. There no reference intended by the
trainers of the English bill to the question of
slave State free State and yet the operation Of
the bill, between the proslavery and free-State
parties in Kansas was the perfectly fair and just
one we have stated, Of subjectng both of them
to the original rule of requiring the representa-
tive quota of population. This the effect of the
bill the suppostion that the proposition for adj
ihbsioh Wouiu pe TeJecleu ny INC Popular Volc.
On the other superstition, that the proposition
would be accepted, the effect Of the bill was pre-
csey the reverse of the pretext of Senator Douglas
BY voting for admission Kansas would instantly have
assumed the power to abolish the Lecompton consti
tuition and to ordain another and nothing could be
| more false than the intimaton of Judge Douglas
seconded by hs.black republican and know nothing
echoes in the North, that by coming into the Union
under that instrument, Kansas would have put her.
self under the disability Of slavery The intimation
| is palpably and grossly false. To have into
the Union under the Lecompton constitution would
| have been to invest herself Immediately with the
power to abolish slavery power which she does
| not now possess, and which Congress cannot exer-
| else for her.
! The statement of Senator Douglas and of his abo-
ltionst echoes is not only false but it is precisely
the reverse of the truth for the refusal of Kansas
to come into the Union continues the existence of sa
very in that Territory whereas her coming in un-
| der the Lecompton constitution, provided by the
democratic party in the English bill, would have
been for her to assume thu power to throw off the
institution at once, and to become free State in the
Union before acquiring the due quota Of population.
There was no intention the part Of the democracy
in Congress to discriminate pro slavery in the
English bill yet the operation in fact of the BILL
far from discriminating in favor of slavery, was,
1 we have shown to discriminate against it. Senator
Douglas and his new allies will, therefore, if deter
mined to agitate for the admission of Kansas in dis
regard of the qualification of population be unable
| to do so under the false pretext that the English
| bill prescribed this qualification in manner which
made an odous discrimination in favor of slavery
against freedom.
1t is not fact that the admission of Kansas under
the Lecompton constitution would have resulted
! in favor of slavery there. Not only it i'm
possible that this could have been the operation
Of the BILL but it impossible that it could
| have been the intention Of its authors. The whole
discussion of the Kansas question in the last session
of Congress- on the part of both parties, proceeded
upon the concession that slavery not in issue,
that its establishment in the State utterly
impracticable and the debates confined to the
question Of submission non-submisson, to the
power of Congress to compel submission. Submis-
sion was the whole question in issue, known to
Judge Douglas and to every man in Congress to be
such, declared by Judge Douglas to have been such
even in his Chicago and other Illinois speeches and
it was out of the vcissitudes of this question exclu
sively that the English bill grew it was with ref
erence to the condition of this question alone that il
| was framed.
We feel that we have used useless pains in ex-
ploding pretext that intelligent man in the coun.
try can be deceived by and that its very authors
know to be false and specous. 1t is of those
pretexts which show the desperate straits into
which the opposition have fallen for argument, and
the reckless andacity by which they endeavor-
ing to supply their lack of real ground for agitation
Under the lead of Douglas, they practising the
same tactics which the followers Of Danton pursued
with truculent success in the most wretched days Of
France II was Danton who counseled his minions
to a,dacity against their political opponents as
the best weapon of their vicious warfare. "Pou,
les paincre pour les atterer que ta,aa7 DE faudace
encore de raudace toyours, de Faudacer'
|
KNOW-NOTHING DECEPTIONS-A FALLACY EX-
POSED.
II is said that every evil with which society is af
fcted is imposed with view Of eliciting through III