Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-02-10
The Kansas Struggle.

President Buchanan having communicated Ine
Constitution of Kansas to Congress, the struggle
has at last fairly begun. The various parties al
Washington are marshalDg their forces, and
Buchananites and Dougasites, Lecompton men
and anti-Lecompton men, Northern Democrats,
Southern Democrats and Republicans are night-
" holding conferences to count noses and deter
mine upon plans for the campaign. The result
of the contest is still involved in doubt Most
of the Washington letter-writers, who are won
derfully skillful in finding out such matters s'aIe
that the Senate is about equally dlvldeu upon
the question. Thirty Senators, they say, are IN
favor of Lecompton, twenty-seven against IT, ana
three doubtful The Democrats arrayed against
the measure are Douglas, Broderick and Stuart;
Crittenden and Thompson, of Kentucky, Bell, OF
Tennessee, and Houston, of Texas, take the same
side; and the doubtful members are Pearce and
Kennedy, of Maryland, and Pugh, of Ohio. In
regard to the House of Representatives every
thing is uncertain, and the course of portion OF
the members, and consequently the fate OF Kan
sas, will be decided eventually according as the
different individuals stand in more awe OF the
Executive or of their constituents. One count,
however makes out clear majority OF nye IN
favor of the admission of Kansas under the Le'
compton Constitution.
The reader will learn from our synopsis Of
Congressional proceedings that Senator Mason
has given notice of line of policy which the
Southern members may think it necessary 10
pursue in a certain contingency. In order to IN
sure the admission of Kansas, Mr.. Mason sug-
gested that an effort would probably be made TO
connect the bills for the admission of Kansas and
Minnesota, so that the latter Territory shall not
come into the Union without the former. Mr.
Crittenden very Justly censured this proposition
The two bills are entirely distinct, and can be
properly considered on their respective merits
alone. Any Just cause, moreover, is always IN
jured by the resort of its friends and advocates
to unjusti6able measures.
| Mr.. Crittenden also rebuked the threats ana
predictions of dissolution of the Union IN this
or the other result as regards the decision OF the
Kansas question. Whatever interest may be
felt in the issue, it is absurd to talk about DIS
solving the Union in such connection. Indeed,
so far as we know, with the exception OF pro-
fessed politicians, the people of the country are
in great measure Indifferent TO what becomes
of Kansas. There has been so much fraud and
trickery practised by both parties in that Terri
tory that neither can command the sympathy or
respect of the people at large, and barren sec
tional triumph, which will secure no beneht To
any part of the country, is certainly not worth
contending for.
In the mean time, the progress of events IN
Kansas only renders the affairs of the Territory
more complicated and unintelligible. 1t would
take "a Philadelphia lawyer" to give history
of the Territory during the last eighteen months
People of ordinary intelligence are quite unable
to keep I'D with or comprehend the rapid move
ments of the enterprising inhabitants" OF that
distant region. 1t is as much as we can do IN
Virginia to manage one General Assembly, but
in Kansas they have three. Here, we are often
puzzled to know the meaning OF one Constitu-
tiou-in Kansas they are not content to live
comfortably with less than two. we utterly
despair of learning the history of rising State
which can boast of having two Constitutions and
three Legislatures at one time,
A few days ago it was reported that the free
State party had carried the election on the 4th
of January, but now we have what is called Of
fetal intelligence that the pro-slavery ticket has
been elected Shy handsome majority" The
freesoilers, however, complain as usual of i'm
mense election frauds. They say that Oxford
precinct, in Johnston county, returned two thou
sand two hundred votes for the Democratic tick
ct, when there are not four hundred inhabitants
in the whole county. 1t is said also that the
poll book of another precint exhibits the names
of Thomas H. Benton, William II. Seward, Jas.
Buchanan, Willard Fillmore, Stephen A. Doug
las and other distinguished gentlemen recorded
among the voters on the 2lst of December