The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-02-11
LEC0MPT0N IN CONGRESS.

The fate of the Lecompton Constitution in
Congress cannot be stated as yet with any de
gree of certainty. The President, of course
expects that it will 60 through, or at least vii
do his best to carry it through.
The usually cautious Washington cores
pendent of the Philadelphia North american
thinks that the Lecompton Constitution may
yet come to tie vote in the Senate. There
are 62 Senators, all told, but two of them are
absent The Republicans muster 20 votes.
Douglas, Stuart, and Broderick, who are GER
tain, make %. This correspondent reckons
Messrs. Pugh, Bell, Crittenden, Houston, and
Thompson, as totally certain to vote against
the swindle. This makes %. There then re.
main one American, and Mr.. Pearce, of Mary.
land, who are doubtful. Should they vote
against the measure, the vote will be deter.
mined by the Vice President. 1t is not i'm.
,,oee;bla th.t +Le Is.i.- n--.--- ---y NC
thrown out previous to the vote on the ques.
ton, though it is not probable; and it is also
possible that Minnesota and her two Senators
may be admitted at once; if go, two additional
votes are gained in opposition to the Constitu-
ton. 1t is thought by many persons that it is
in the power of Mr.. Douglas to kill the measure,
if he exerts all his energies to that end. These
are, however, speculations, and it is we'll to re-
member that the influence of the Administra.
ton is tremendous, and may overcome all OBJ.
stacles.
The Washington correspondent of the Rich
mond South says:
"Senator Douglas is very busy in his en-.
deavors to effect an amicable adjustment with
the Administration on the Kansas question !:
and know the fact to be that he has made
the strongest addresses to the Southern portion
of the Cabinet, to reconcile them to his views of
compromise"
If this is true, the Administration will tri
umph. We don't believe it. If Mr.. Douglas
makes war with Mr.. Buchanan on this meas
ure fearlessly, he may succeed in killing it in
the House.
The correspondents of the Tribune and of the
New York Commercial Advertiser concur in
the opinion that the Administration will tri.
umph.
EG- The Washington correspondent of the
N. r Times writes to that journal the follow.
ing:
am informed, on good authority, that one
of the most distinguished of the Southern Sena-
tors remarked, few days since, to Senator
from free State-in conversation, but not
confdentialy-tha the South had no interest
in Kansas, and cared nothing for it, but that
they were convinced that the true interests of
both North and South required separation.
N nd a1oro <}pfo, .,aJx L.
II am perfectly satisfied from various consid
erations, that dissolution of the Union is the
real object aimed at under cover of zeal for the
Lecompton Constitution. Senator Mason's re.
mark, In debate, refers to the project. There is
systematic plan of operations already agreed
upon, to be carried into operation upon the re.
lection of Kansas"
1t seems to be generally conceded that GER
tain Southern members of Congress are bent
on dissolution of the Union, by forcing the
Lecompton fraud through Congress, and Mr..
Buchanan is playing into the hands of these
traitors, probably in ignorance of their designs.
George Bancroft, the Democratic historian,
is vehementy opposed to the Lecompton Con-
stitution.
n@rThe candidates for Office nominated by
the late Indiana State Democratic Convention
have been Intercepted by the editors of Ger.
man newspaper, As to their Interpretation of
the famous resolution on Popular Sovereignty
which Senator Fitch declares has no reference
to Kansas. The candidates reply in joint let
ter, from which We quote paragraph:
promising that after careful consideration.
every portion of the platform receives, az Il
deserves, our earnest and hearty approval. We
would say, that the first part of the above reso-
luton but reafhrms and reasserts great ur;n.
ciple, upon which our political institutions rest:
namely that Governments are instituted among
men, deriving their just powers from the con.
sent OF the governed and 80 forming and
organizing their powers as to them shall seem
most likely to effect their safety and hapiness.'
The latter part of the resolution, it il obv;ous
to Us, is in reference to the application of
that principle in each case, a. it NAV arise
that is to say, that thsRe should be g fair az.
preston of the will of the people FIRST had upon
the Constitution under which they are to live.
A literal and proper construction of the resoiu.
ton would, after lifetime ofits adoption, embrace
II