The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-12-02

thod ght OF the admission OF these men 10 seats
.by decisive majority of the epateH Every
Senator who was at the ime friendly to tie
Administration, with the exception of Mr.
Mason, of Virginia. voted for this netarious
usurpation; and there can be no doubt that !
Bright and Fitch owe their retention of the
seats they occupy to the danger winch at that
time threatened the longer ascendency- OF the
Slave Power i'm the Senate That body have
bat one step further to take in the way OF usurp-
ation and that is, to declare their right to keep
up perpetual succession by filling vacancies
at their discretion They have broken down the
landmarks of law, of precedent, and of honor
they have ceased to be the conservators OF the
rights of the States, of which, according to the
theory of the Constitution, they are the special
guardians and representatives, and they have
forfeited the confidence of the people.
We learn, on undoubted authority, that if the
validity of the election of Bright and Fitch were
presented to direct vote of the people of Indi
ana, it would be condemned by an overwhelm-
ing majority. The people are almost unanimous
in reprobating the fraud and SO conscious are
the usurpers of their Senatorial honors of this
fact, that they could not be induced to face the
people during the canvass which preceded the
late Congressional and State elections. 1t was
well understood that their advocacy of the Adj
ministration candidates would be fatal to them,
and their friends implored them TO keep out of
the way.
! The Republicans were equally aware of the
/ advantage which their cause would receive from
/ the opposition of two such champions of Lee
comptonism as Bright and Fitch, and the great
! est pains were taken to goad them into the
| fight but in vain Had they taken the active
/ part for the Lecompton swindle which their po-
i sition required of them, the Opposition majority
would have been swelled by some thousands.
But they are repudiated by the people, and
legally denounced by the State which they pre-
tend TO represent, and it remains to be seen
whether they will have the cheek to brave it out.
The Democracy, when the name was good for
anything, except to delude the people, held tG
the maxim that the people have the right to In
4 struct their representatives, and that the repre-
sentative is bound to obey or resign. We know
that the ingenuity of General Cess, has ex'
planned this to mean that the instructions, in
order to be obligatory, must come from the
party to which the representative belongs-in
other words, that representative may disobey
! instructions unless he likes them. But this must
be regarded as numbering joke of the venera-
BILE Secretary of State and all men of common
intelligence will agree that, if the right of in
struction exists at ALL it belongs to the majority
= ~ of he
party.
In the particular case of Bright and Fitch, we
apprehend that they have received pretty in
telligible lesson of instructions. primary as
semblies of the people are vested with the
power of compelling obedience to their behests,
what must not be conceded to the majesty of the
people, speaking through and by the authority
of the State, and with all the forms of law2 But
allowing that ordinary legislative resolves " in
structing Senator'S and requesting Representa-
tiyes to vote for or against particular meas
ure may be disregarded by good Democrats,
such as General Cass, on some technical dodge,
what is to be done in case like that of Bright
and Fitch, in which the indignant voice of the
, State is heard in thunder tones, denouncing
them as usurpers, and commanding them to
begOne ;...,.r,..
> ton is inapplcable in the present case, for the
reason that the holders of the Senatorial seats
are denied to be Senators All that is it. The
right Of instruction is the right of the people to
instruct Senators or Representatives but
Bright and Fitch are declared to be no Sena-
tors-ergo the right to instruct them, claimed
= by the Republicans, falls to the ground
The political Jesuitry which has defended
the Kansas policy of the late and present Ad
ministrations, from the inception of the Kansas
Nebraska bill to that of the Lecom pton fraud. is
equal to any emergency. No falsehood is too bare
faced TO be Haunted in the face of an intelligent
public, no proposition too absurd TO be main
tanned. Quibbling, cayilling, classifying, are
resorted to without scruple, and reason has fed
TO british beasts.
In conclusion, we will draw attention to the
fact that the prompt return by the State of Iowa
of Mr.. Harlan to the seuate, from which body
he had been expelled by a Pro-Slavery major
itv, aecords entirely with the conduct of Indi-
ana in repudiating Bright and Fitch, who have
been admitted to seats by the same Pro-Slayery
Senate. The two cases are counterparts of each
other, and they each serve to demonstrate the
hostility of the Black Democracy to the rights
of the States and of the people.
/ DEATH OF HON. THOMAs l.. HARRIs.-This
| gentleman, of whose lingering illness our read
ers are apprized, died on the Path ult., at Pc
tersburg, in Illinois. His manly opposition to
the majority to which he belonged on the Lee
compton question has endeared him TO the hearts
of the people.
| A COMPLIMENT To THE "N0RTHERN
ALLIES
| Senator Davis, in his speech delivered at
Jackson on the 18th inst, pays the following
deserving tribute to the servile Democracy
of the North ..t.....
| "And here permit me, as duty to you and
an obligation upon myself, to pay the tribute
| which believe to be due the Northern De-
mOeracy. Having formed my opinion of them
1 updn insufficient data, have had occasion,