The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-05-20


the ordinary transactions of our highest Ma
tional Councils. This bill is snesking, un-
| dignifed, and disgracerul specimen Of the worst
kind of legislative legerdemsin; and we have
sufficient faith in the instincts of human nature
to believe, that before many months, both its
authors and its dupes will be heartily ashamed
of it. i --r.- f-sa.
| As practical measure of legislation, It will
amount to nothing. 1t simply postpones the
| final issue on the Kansas question. The land
bribe will have no effect, for il gives the people
| nothing that they will not have in any event.
Whenever, and under whatever Constitution,
the State comes in, she will have public lands
given her for her schools, university, and pub
lie buildings. This ia never refused to any
new State, and viii not be refused to Kansas.
This provision, therefore, is empty and worth
less. 1t will not influence hundred votes in
Kansas. Nor will the threat of excluding the
State for several years, if they do not vote for
Lecompton, prove a whit more awaiting. 1t is
a mere 6rstum .fuimen, which binds nobody
and will alarm nobody. What will the next
Congress care for such prohibition What
will the people of Kansas care for it? They
have never asked, CT desired. an enabling act
from Congress-nor will disabling act affect
them one whit more seriously. new people
are not to be 30 easily discouraged in making
Constitutions. 1t is a sort of amusement which
they will not lightly forego. The people of
Kansas have a new one already on hand-and
they will make them a good deal faster than
Congress can reject them.
Apart from its meanness no feature of this
bill is more conspicuous than the political
blindness and stolidity of its author Trey
have denounced the Republicans, in Kansas
aud in Congress. for seeking to prolong this
contest, and make political capital out of it.
And they have given them means and an op-
portunity of doing 50, which neither chance
nor their own ingenuity could ever have fur.
nished. The struggle now goes to Kansas.
The Lecompton Constitution will there be re-.
iected. A new one will be Immediately sent to
Congress, and fresh application will be made
for admission. Here is another chance to
wake up the issue at Washington and through
the country. Admission cannot be resisted
upon any grounds which will not stimulate
Northern feeling, and keep alive the agitation
which fhe friends of this bill profess to deplore
And every man, with half sn eye, can gee that
every successive struggle gives occasion for q
new victory of the North.
The political effect of passing this bill, there
fore, will inevitably be to damage its authors
and abettors, and to build up its opponents.
The Republicans, and they alone, will reap
solid and substantial benefits from its enact
ment. The Southern men who have pushed
and passed il will meet the charge at homo of
having abandoned their original ground, and
consented to the submission of the Lecompton
No Slavery Constitution to the vote of the peo-
pie of Kansas. The Northern Democrats who
opposed them at the outset, and then lost stand
ing with the Administration party at home,
lave alienated their new friends by their retreat
and will find themselves overheard and help
less. The Administration has all the odium of
attempting bad measure without the ability
10 carry it, and they will all find the whole
subject thrown back upon them, just when they
will be most unwilling TO meet it. This is
very much like all the victories of this most ex-
traordinary Administration : every new one
is worse than fresh disaster. If the Repub-
icans do not reap positive aud marked advau-
tages from the passage of this bill, it will be
because they lack the ability to use their op-
portunities Alright