The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-03-23
BALTIMORE.
TUESDAY, MARCH IS, 1853.


tree, which he is .busily engaged in saving from
the parent trunk is not an napt representation Of
the suicidal policy pursued by certain government
journals which with reckless disregard of conse-
quences persist in driving into the ranks of the
Opposition, all those friends Of the Administration
whose sentiments upon the Lecompton question do
not exactly coincide with those of the President
and his Cabinet. To say that such conduct is I'M
wise is not enough 1t is symptom of that judi
cia madness with which the gods said to aflict
whom they mean to destroy. We cannot believe
that this ndscretion on the part Of some of his
adherents meets with the appreciation of the Pres-
dent; and we are therefore indisposed to hold him
responsible for the fatal consequences which may
ensue from their blind and incorporate zeal. If
thy right hand offend thee, cut it off and cast it
from thee, is not the safest maxim to pursue in
political affairs and to multiply unnecessarily the
articles of faith is a way to lessen the number
Of believers. To magnify every measure of the
administration into party question, and to make
lis advocacy test Of political orthodoxy, is n
hazardous experiment most likely to result only in
heresy and schsm. Men have not triumphantv
asserted and defended on fields of battle and amid
the fires of martyrdom the right of private iudg-
ment in things spiritual, tamely to Surrender its
exercise in things temporal. The dogma of an in
fllliblc Pope has not been set aside TO make room
for that of an infaliibe President Least of all are
men, otherwise agreed in certain general views, and
united in common political organization in fur
therance of those views, disposed to leave the
definition or Interpretation of the principles Of
their party to any one man, however exalted in
4+l,o,
sages Of a President elected by their votes as
binding rule of faith, of superior equal efficacy
to the Party Platform or the voice of its national
conventions. For ourselves, we have unhesitat-
ingly proclaimed our entire and absolute indie
pendence of all mere party organizations
We have, however, declared onr belief in
certain political principles, and these columns have
evidenced, and shall continue to witness our firm
and unwavering advocacy of those principles
Upon this particular issue of Lecompton or anti
Lecompton we have not shrunk from frank and
decided expression of opinions in favor of the
policy recommended by the President. We have
advocated the admission of Kansas into the Union
as a State under the Lecompton constitution, and
have placed on record our in favor of this
safe and obvious solution of the evoked question:
Al the same Time, we 90 not lllnk II necessary to
regard every who differs from us, on this par
tcular question, as either knaye fool. An
honest and sincere conviction of the soundness of
our own views is not necessarily inconsistent with
due respect for the opinions and motives of those
who may think otherwise. The whole Kansas
question is surrounded with difficulties on every
side and in its discussion and solution there is am
pie room for an honest difference of opinion among
sensible men. Truth, are told, lies at the bot
tom Of a WELL and the plummet has not yet sounded
the depths of that abyss where lies buried the truth
in regard TO this Kansas matter perfect labv-
rinth of fraud and fasehood on both sides, inter
poses almost insurmountabe obstacle to the sue
cessfIl prosecution Of any inquiries having for their
object the discovery of the rights and the wrongs
Of Kansas history Enough is known, at all
events, TO convict both parties, the Free-State
men, and the Pro-Slavery men, of such persistent
course of fraud and violence as ought to deprive
either of the slightest claim to the sympathy or
support Of any honest man. Where both alike
have sinned so deeply, to attempt to apportion out
the exact measure of blame which belongs 10 each
were work of supererogation, upon which we are
by no means disposed 10 enter. On the contrary
speedy and equitable determination of the matter,
and which will put stop to this never-ending agi-
tation Of the one tiresome and disgusting question
of kansas-kansas. Just such plan we believe
to be that of the President, and far superior, in
point Of practical wisdom and substantial Justice,
to the views propounded by Senator DOUGLAS
whatever merit the latter may possess in point of
abstract right and theoretical reasoning. AT the
same time, do not consider the dissent of Sena-
tor DOUGLAS from the views of the President, which
we have adopted and advocated as piece of
political treason on his part, for which he
ought to be read OUT of his party or as evidence
Of such deep-seated disloyalty to the Union and
the Constitution, as should consign the distn-
guished Senator to place in the same category
with Arnold or . lscarot 1t has become too
much the fashion, latterly, to attempt to silence all
independence Of thought and action, all honest
doubt and scruple, with hard names of unpleasant
import, such 'apostate,' ''renegade'' and
TRAITOR" Men cannot so easily be whipped into
submission, or frightened into a sacrifice of their
own convictions of right and freedom of Judgment
Such spirit of intolerance and prescription viii
intalhbly beget counter-spirt of resistance and
opposition which will not only prove fatal to the
measures of the Administration now pending be-
fore Congress, but will greatly weaken and cripple
its power and influence in the future Whatever
disposition may be made of the Lecompton Const-
tuition, we trust that calmer counsels and more
concliaory spirit may be suffered TO prevail in its
consideration, and temper the hot zeal of fanatics
and extremists on either side