Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-02-23
Kansas.


:" The Chairman presented the Kansas Con-
stitution of the Wyandotte Convention.
Mr. Seward moved its reference to the Com
mittee on Territories.
Nv. Brown offered a resolution that the Com
mitteo inquire whether the provisions OF the
English bill are complied with
Mr.. Seward said it was too early to bring up
this question. The Senator from Mississippi
could obtain the information he desired by
making a separate motion. lie would always
yete for resolution asking Tor information,
but he wanted this presented separately.
Mr. Mason said statute existed, that Kan
sas should not be admitted as State, until a
certain population has been ascertained by a
census. Kansas could not come in as State
until she possessed the requisite population
The resolutions only look to obtaining iniorma-
ton whether the law has been complied with
If the law, requiring certain population prior
to her admission, be wrong, let it be repeated ;
but, while it was a law, it should be respected
lie could see no propricty in entertaining the
Constitution until 1T was ascertained whether it
was complied with.
MIR. Brown said the constitution of Kansas
was framed in criminal violation Of the laws of
Congress. Now was the proper time to make
the idquiry. lie wanted information, and if it
should prove that the act Of Congress has been
set at nought. be would feel constrained to vote
against the admission of Kansas.
Mr. Dooittle moved to amend the resolution
by instructing the committee to report d bill for
the immediate admission Of Kansas under the
Wyandotte Constitution"
Here the subject was dropped. Kansas is
again knocking for admission into the Union, as
a free State, and the disunion party is again
opposing it. They fear the vote she would give
next November. But one way or the other, the
vote will be the same. Keep her out, and the
Republicans will gain more than her electoral
vote in other States let her come in, and they
arc sure of her vote. Upon this subject the
New York Times says
1" 1t Is currently reported that should an act
for the admission Of Kansas pass both Houses
OF Congress, it, will receive the veto of the
President.
We Can see one motive for the course Of Dem
ocratlc Senators on this question that it will
compel Mr.. Douglas more clearly to define his
political position These gentlemen have the
evident intention if the Senator from Illinois,
of his past derelictiOns, comes back
to the bosom Of the party that he shall at least
do works meet for repentance F.; and that his
shall be as unconditional as his re.
volt has been aggravated and daring. We have
too high an appreciation Of their good sense
and discrimination to attribute their course to
any regard to the principles which have always
regulated the admission Of new States, or to the
justice of the particular case of Kansas We
see in it only the evidence of factious spirit
and sectional policy which will not add to
their reputation for craftsmanship or patriot
ism.
The only ground of objection to granting the
application of Kansas to come into the brother
hood OF States at the present time, is, that the
census Of her population was not taken accord.
ing to the provisions OF the English bill. But
whose fault was that? Congress made no APP
for taking the census, and conse
quently the provision itself become nullity,
or, at best, was mere technical requirement.
whose end is answered if the desired informa-
ton in regard to the population Of the Terrific,
ry can be obtained in any other reliable form.
1t is generally conceded that Kansas has the
requisite population, and that statistical evil
dence of the fact can be furnished and the op
position to its becoming a State is based on
mere bubble, which is unworthy Of being made
the basis OF legislation affecting the rights and
of lis people.
1t is certainly not to the credit of the c0nsis-
tency or fairness of Democratic Senator's, that
they should avail themselves of this technical
plea to defeat the united action and universal
sentiment of the people of Kansas, when, two
years since, they moved heaven and earth to
have it admitted under the Lecompton Constr
tuition, whose formation it was well known
was not participated in generally by tho people,
and was odious to the great majority of them
when the Territory was in a state OF anarchy,
and its population was much less than it is now.
The uniform rule in the admission of new States
has been to disregard all techncalties, and to
look only to the facts that the Constitution was
in accordance with that Of the United States,
md that it expressed the will of the people
and in some cases they have been admitted
when no previous act OF Congress has author
lied the proceedings that have been taken to
this end.
If the opposition Of the Democratic Senators
is persisted in, it will intensity the sectional
which they profess to deprecate,
the length and breadth Of the land
The bitterness which was engendered by the
unhappy controversy about the organization
md settlement of this Inflated Territory will
be revived in new force, and we shall have an
other element of agitation infused into the com.
ng Presidential contest which promises to be
sectional and embittered enough without this
new source of irritation. The North, in its
entirety, will be fully persuaded that whatever
'pecious pretexts may be adduced for the
course Of the Southern Democracy in Congress-
It's real hostility to the entrance of Kansas into
The Union is, that it presents itself as Free,