The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-01-28

was proposed 10 take vote on the C0n6tltu-
ton and that it was his intention to make the
adoption of that Constitution by Congress an
Administration measure. This was an outrage
upon them-a gross invasion Of their freedom
of action; and yet, the supporters of the Pres
ident will continue, with characteristic audaci-
ty, to Insist that the Only safe and constitution
al Principle on which this Slavery Question
can be settled, is that of Non Intervention on
the part of Congress and the Executive
THE ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC sENTI-
| MENT
| An Administration must be totally bankrupt,
| if it cannot command some demonstr atoms in
its behalf. What with officeholders, office.seek,
ers, their retainers, and dependents, it will al
ways have supporters enough to hold meetings,
and write letters in its glorifcation-and there
will be no lack Of newspapers to herald the
stems of Thousands in Councill" The
Masses Movingll" "James Buchanan Tri.
umphantly Sustained III"
| But, even such exhibitions of overho wing
| admiration for this Administration have been
| few and far between. Mr.. Buchanan has failed
| to inspire with enthusiasm even the tribes that
feed or linger at the public cribs. With the
exception of couple of meetings in New York
and Philadelphia, I've all know how difficult it is
in those thinly-peopled spots to get up public
| demonstrations,) the supporters of the Admins
ton have been ominously silent. They issued
call in Detroit to Democrats for a meeting to
sustain the President, and little newspaper
fhsss B sAsasd, the tecompton Constitution~but
it WAS just little too fast: the Democrats
generally answered to the call, took possession
of the meeting, and passed resolutions in favor
of the Douglas policy of submitting the whole
Constitution to the People.
The Washington Union was surprised that
the Intelligencer should publish the proceedings
de .tacto, instead of the proceedings de .jure!
The State Convention of the so-called Democ.
racy of Indiana was manipulated by the Office.
holders, who, failing to make it speak out for
the Lecompton Constitution, coutrived that its
views against it should be put in so ambiguous
shape, that they could be construed in one
way at home, and another at Washington. The
Administration was endorsed, and Black Re.
publicanism profusely execrated, all of which
was duly recorded in the Administration organ
of this city; but certain resolve, discounte
nancing the Lecompton Constitution, it said,
was passed by the Convention irregularly, after
the retirement of many of the members. The
truth is, that the resolution was passed in full
session, by vote of 3 II to l99-maiority lls:
| total vote, $40. 1t is as follows:
Resolred, That we are still in favor of the
great principle of the Kansas ebraska bill
and that, by practical application of that doc.
| trine, the people of State or of Territory
| should be, as they are, inaienably invested
with the right of ratifying or rejecting, at the
| bsllotb box, any Constitution that may be framed
| for their government; and that, noao and here.
| after, no Territory should be admitted into the
Union as State, without fair expression of
the will of its people being first had upon the
Constitution accompanying the application for
admission"
1t was originally introduced by Mr.. Wallace,
| then referred to the Committee on R ssolutions.
| which reported majority and minority reports.
both different from the original resolve. On
motion of Mr.. Wallace, his resolution was
adopted as a substitute, the word "inaliena.
bly," having been erased-yeas 81, nays 1879
and the report of the Committee, as thus amend
ed, concurred in-yeas 378, nays ia.
Geographic dispatch, instead of the words.
mOW and hereafter" substituted, by mistake
we presume, therefore," This error constitu.
ted the basis of DR.. Fitchs remarks in the Sen.
ate, who assumed that hereafter was the correct
reading, instead of therefore, which of course.
he argued, would except the Lecompton Con-
stitution from the operation of the general
principle affirmed in the resolution.
But, it turns out now that neither the tele
graph nor the Doctor is right. The resolution
as passed contained the words, " nop and here
after" thus applying explicitly to the Lecomp-
ton Constitution, or whatever Constitution or
State Government might hereafter be framed in
any Territory.
Who, then, altered the resolution =? Some
supposed the wire-workers of the Convention
did it-some, that it was mistake of the re-
porter-but it seems that Mr.. Wallace himself
assumes the responsibility. The Albany Und.)
Ledger says:
Mr.. Wallace, we understand, avows that the
resolution as printed is the one offered bv him
| and that all tie changes in it are his oscn. he
refuses to play into the hands of the Black Re-
puohcans, BY charging dishonorable act upon
| the officers of the Convention"
The editor of the Logansport Paasis. who
was at the Convention, says:
When the committee to whom the resolu.
ton OF MIR. Wallace had been referred reported
| back two resolutions, both differing from the
original, that gentleman moved that his resolu.
non, with two verbal amendments, be substitu.
TED. Gov. Willard, in putting the motion, took
much pains to state the question very plainly.
De said that he understood the resolution to
repudiate the Lecompton Constitution, and ask
90 Mr. Wallace if that was his undersa ndlng