Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-02-17

honorable Senator and others do not know it
| We are fighting for a majority Of free States.
There are already sixteen to fifteen and what
4 ever the Administrations may do--whatever any
\ body may do-before one year from this time we
| shall be nineteen to fifteen"
| That is the whole story. With a strong demo-
cratic organization. faithful to the Constitution
and resolute in defence of the guaranteed rig hts
Of the minority section, the evil OF a representa-
| In the Union could have been neutralized and
| obviated. But We see now, in the action Of the
Douglas democ rats, the last hope Of mai nta ming
strong national organization broken. The vote
1 tomorrow may, indeed be carried, over the
northern coalition against the South by lean ma
iority; and the admission OF Kansas under the
| LecomPton Constitution may, indeed, be achieved
after dozen or two struggles like that Of Friday
night; but In either event. fear the evil day can
| only be put of: but cannot be averted
| The North solemDly agreed four years ago to
Of $780, and to leave the people of the Territories
| to form their domestic institutions, peaceably
| and without outside interference, in their own
way But no sooner did they sign and seal the
| Agreement than powerful party in that section
| organized societies for the purpose Of enlstng
hiTeling emigrants force their own institutions
upon Kansas. All that money and muskets agi-
| tation, bravadO and falsehoOd could do, to add
| vance their own objects in the Territory, and to
prejudice peaceful, orderly and legal settlement
of its institutions by its own Legitimate inhabit-
/ ants, mas Deen done. Inc mere agltatlOnS they
have perperually kept up and excited against
slavery in Kansas have driven out every slave
| and his owner from that Territory and deprived
the South Of any peculiar interest in it. BY the
rebellious and factious modes they have adopted
to effect their purposes there they have 1t Is true
so disguised the respectable Inhabitants Of the
Territory as to have caused a constitution to be
sent here containing a slavery clause But this
is result which the agitators sought; and they
have procured 1t by the refusal OF theirown min
ions to vote.
They are now making use of this merely NOM
nal clause in the Lecompton constitution as the
pretext Of renewed agitation and assault upon the
South. And now when the hour has arrived in
which the South expects a fulfi ment of the SOL
emn pledges of 1850 and IS54--althOugh merely in
the letter and not in the substance large ffac-
ton Of the very party on which it has a right to
rely for the barren fulflment Of this pledge has
chosen the hour Of crisis and struggleto pass over
into the enemy's camp and to coalesce with them
to defeat her demand
The loss of twenty one Democratic votes in the
House OF Representatives leaves the National
Democratic organization there in a hopeless mi
nority: If the loss proves permanent, and have
little doubt that ii will prove SO, 1t sectonalzes
parties in confederacyi in which the South is in
a minority, and leaves no other recourse to the
Southern States but to determine what measures
they shall take for preserving their independence
in the Union, or for getting Peaceably out oft.
! do not regard the question of the admission
Of Kansas under the Lecompton constitution az
involving any practical advantage to the South
But 1t involves even more. IL tests the fidelity
OF the NOrtn 10 the compromises OF 1850 and the
act of 1854 1t tests the vitality of the Democrat
ic national organzation-the possibility Of main
tanning party founded on constitutional princi.
Piles 1t tests the great problem whether the
south can remain with safety in confederacy of
which she is minority, relying upon the faith
of conpacts and the guarantees Of Il common con-
stitution.
was not disposed to take a gloomy view of
this question until came here for few months
recreation this winter But confess that now
almost despair ofthe Union. We have but one
thing left of the grand nationalities of our Re-
public; everything else il sectiosalized We
have yet national, constitutional Adminstra-
ton. The South may safely rely upon that,
while II lasts-upon its stern maintenance,
through evil and good report, of the fair, Just
national principles of the Constitution She
should take care, however, that when the Ad-
ministration expires she shall be in condition
to take care Of herself. After the Admiuistla-
ton, then comes the Deluge.
DRAWING THE LINEs.-It appears to be un-
derstood among the Democratic politicians sur
rounding US that, yesterday, the President NOM
mated Gov. Medary Sam to be Postmaster at
Columbus, Ohio, (vice MilerJ and Isaac Cook,
Esq, (vice Price, to the same Office at Chicago,
Ill. These nominations Gf they have been
made, and we know no reason to doubt the
facp involve the removal of the present incum-
bents, both Of whom were appointees of the
present Executive, if we remember correctly.
There is moral in these changes which may
be laid to heart by all Democrats who are in
clined to permit their devotion to the fortunes
Of individual prominent and ambitious gentle
men to interfere with the integrity of their al
legiance to the principles and measures of the
Democratic party. 1t points with unmistake-
able force to the fact that the speedy and en-
nf 10
as 1t may be regarded as a national question:
is indeed the great issue of the times upon
which the Democratic party stands and that
those who are with the Republicans on that
issue, can no longer be held Ito be Democratic
party men, without great danger to the future
of Democratic party success.
In this action, wherein the President has
nobly indicated the integrity of the party or
ganlzatiOn, he has also sgnally rebuked the
labors OF newspapers which encourage lack of
fealty to the Democratic party faith, under the
plea that differences as to measures among
Democrats are allowable. His reading of the
partys doctrine in this connection we know to
be borne out by all in Congress now entitled to
be regarded as members of the party in full
communion, and that-as thus elucidated-
boldly proclaims that the opponents of the De-
mocracy on the Kansas question are no more
entitled to be regarded as of the Democratic
party than are the wing of the avowed Repul
lican party who seek to justify their identif.
cation with that organization under the plea
that it is the defender Of the unadulterated
faith of Thomas Jefferson himself.
TYPOGRAPHICAL INrELLIGENcE- The War
Department is in receipt of dispatches from 1t.
j. c. Ives, commandant of the Colorado Sur
veying Expedition, bearing date at the mouth
Of the Colorado river, December IA, 1857. It.
Ives first announces the arrival of the expedi.
ton at the mouth of the Colorado on the I'd of
December, and says that the voyage was un-
usually long, Gains and head winds prevailing
during most Of the time. Opportunity was,
however, afforded tor collecting useful informa.
ton respecting the head of the gulf and the en-.
trance to the river. The present maps are
defective, and in many respects erroneous, and
the Lieutenant thinks that sufficient material