The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-21
THE MISCHIEF MAKERS AND WHAT THEY HAVE

The inquity of the conduct of those democrats
who are now assang the recent action OF their
party in settling the Kansas question, can only be
rightly estimated by considering what would have
beon the state of things in Kansas, in the Union at
large aud in the democratic party itself if they had
not adopted the mad and factious course upon which
they embarked last November and December ~
We are at a loss to discover any single good re-
suit which has Injured to Kansas to the country, to
the party or to any single individual outside of the
blackrepubcan organization, from the miscellaneous
labors Of these men; butt we see only unmixed evil
entailed upon ALL and new hope and advantage given
to the opposition which will in all probability force
upon the democratic party another contest with the
bIackrepublican organization in 1860 almost as Sc
we're as was that Of 1856 li
review of what has transpircd since this emeute
began will best show how fortunate would have been
the position and promising the prospects OF the demo
cratic party but for this detection constitution was
presented to Congress from Kansas, which was the
result throughout of the regular action Of the peo-
pie and authorities of the Territory pursuing and
respecting the forms Of law. Every man, of three
months residence in the Territory, had had an OPP
portunity of expressing his voice in the framing OF
the general provisions of that constitution, in di
rect manner as the citizens of threefourths of the
States of the Union had had the power Of doing
in the framing of such instruments for themselves
and eueyy male white resident of the Territory had,
besides, been afforded the opportunity of direct
vote on the special clause relating to the slave in
stitution No constitution ever formed in the Uni
ted States had been formed in manner more regu-
lar, legal more just more fair in every sub
santia meaning Of the term, than this much-berated
Lecompton constitution Of Kansas. B
We say every man had had the opportunityof ex-
pressing his voice in the formation Of this insru
ment but large portion of the inhabitants of
Kansas had refused to take part in the voting. In
every legal sense of the term the Lecompton consti-
tuition was the expression of the will Of the people
of Kansas. 1t was only in the sense that large
portion of the voters Of the Territory had factousy
and wantonly refused to express their voice in the
formation Of it, that it could be denounced not
the act and deed of the people.
The question presented to Congress and the coun-
try was this Shall accept the action of the peo-
pie and authorities Of Kansas who have respected
the forms and solemDities Of the law shall
cept that of agitators and faconiss who have tram
pied the law under foot, scoffed and secuted all le
gal forms and procedure and appealed to mob-aw
as their guide and Justification?
There was but one alternative for the sworn Off
GERS Of government upon such question; and we
are proud to affirm Of that great aw-and order party
of this country-that bulwark of the constitution
and the lawsthc democratic party, that its entire
administration in power, supported, as unit the
legal proceeding in Kansas, in opposition to the mob
proccedings and that, of its organization in Con-
gress, the honorable proportion of fifteen out of
every sixteen senators and representatives, stood
firm to tho Administration in Its honest preference of
the law over the mob
AS question Of principle it was morally impossi-
BILE for democratic administration and democratic
Congress to take any other side upon this question
than the side Of law and order against faction. AS
a question Of principle the acceptance Of a con-
sttution which came to them sanctioned by all the
solemnites of the law absolutely imperative up
them. And if the question of crpediency-whether
it was more prudent and convenient to acceptit or
not--had been ever so preponderant against their
course still the duty of observing the law and its
legal forms imperatively required them to accept
the expression of the law rather than obey the clam
or Of faction. B n as.
But it SO happened that even upon the ground Of
expediency, the policy they adopted was decidedly
preferable to that of repudiating the Lecompton
constitution and referring back to The Territory the
whole subject of constitution, to be proceeded in
de nopo with renewed agitation, turmoil, and vio-
lence. @5 WI ss.t s,
The question of erpediency was simply this: If