Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-07-10
nn. ENaLIsm N ooNGRnss.
The English hin.
THIRD ELECTION TO CONGRESS.

AZ luS Gnu OI U1Is EIiS11Sn' 3 sex
Ond term he avowed his intentio
of not being a candidate for congres
again, and requested his constitu
| entS to select some other person
The convention which met to non
mate his successor, however, afge
balloting AZ times without maxim
a choice finally determined, unani
mously, to insist upon Mr.. Englisl
taking the field for the third time
which he reluctantly consented t
do, and was elected by a larger ma
| jority than ever before.
Mr.. Speaker Orr appointed hin
chairman of the committee on post
offices and post-roads-a importan
position, the duties of which ar
very arduous, and which he dis
charged with ability.
THE LECoMPToN CONSTITUTION.
In the meantime the agitation O
the slavery question continued, anC
| the Kansas controversy assumed {
new and more dangerous aspec
than ever. Application was made
to admit Kansas as q state, under
| what was known as the LecOmptor
constitution, which did not prohibi
slavery, and this was favored By
the south, and also by President
Buchanan's administration, but was
opposed by Mr. English, and others
mainly on the ground that there
had been no satisfactory vote by the
people Of Kansas in its favor. There
was so much excitement and vio-
lence in Kansas at this time and SO
much that was irregular and unlaW-
full, that it was difficult, sometimes,
to determine what had been prop
erly done, what was regular and
lawful and what not.
Mr. English acquired his widest
reputation during this congress by
his course upon the Kansas policy
of the administration. He steadily
and firmly opposed the admission
of Kansas under the Lecompton
constitution, until il had been rati-
fled by vote of the people.
Hitherto he had acted and voted
in harmony with the democratic
administration, but he now found
it impossible to perSevere in that
course. In the closing paragraph of
a speech delivered by him in the
house of representatives, in exposi-
tion of his view upon that question,
he clearly defined his position and
his ultimatum. He said:
"I think, before Kansas is admit
ted, her people ought to ratify, or,
at least, have fair opportunity to
vote upon the constitution under
which it is proposed to admit her at
the same time, / am not so welded
to any particular plan that l may
not, for the sake Of harmony and as
a choice of evils, make reasonable
concessions, provided the substance
would be secured, which is the
making of the constitution, at an
early day, conform to the public
will, or, at least, that the privilege
and opportunity of so making it be
secured to the people beyond all
question. Less than this would not
satisfy the expectations of nay con-
and 1 would not betray
their wishes for any earthly consid-
erations. If, on the other hand, all
compromises are voted
down, and / am brought to vote
upon the naked and unqualified adj
of Kansas under the Le-
constitution, l distinctly
declare that | cannot, in conscience,
vote for it. !"
During the long and exciting con-
test over this question, which has
seldom before been equaled in bit
terness, and was really the prelude
to the terrible civil war, Mr.. Eng
lish never departed from the posi-
ton taken in this speech. As a
party man he was anxious to heal
the divisions that had sprung up
his political friends upon
this question, and to relieve the adj
and the south from the
position they had taken, which Mr..
in his heart, considered
impolitic and dangerous.
He was '<anti-LecomptOn," but
not of those who wished to cripple
the administration, or break up the
organization. He boldly
and elOquently Appealed to his
southern colleagues. Abiding to
the recent defeat of the democracy
lt the north, he said:
"It should not be forgotten that
when we men of the north went
forth to encounter this fearful army
of fanatics, this great army of aboli-
tiOnists, knoW-nOthings, and repub-
Leans combined, you, gentlemen of
the south, were at home at your
ease, because you had not run cOun-
ter to the sympathieS and popular
of your people; you went
with the current, we against it. We
risked everything, you cOmpara-
lively nothing; and now | appeal
10 YOU whether, for the sake Of an
empty triumph of no permanent
benefit to you or your peculiar in
you will turn a deaf ear
to our earnest entreatieS for such an |
of this question as will |
enable us to respect the wishes of
our constituents and maintain the |
union and integrity of our party at
home? Look to it, We men of the
south, that you do not, for q mere |
strike down or drive from |
you your only effective support out
side the limits of your own states"
The great contest filled the eoun-
try with the most intense excite |
ment, and awakened the apprehen-
3iOns of the most thoughtful and |
citizens. For five months |
It was thought the all-engrOsSing |
topic In congress, absorbing the at
tentiOn of senators and representa-
lives, and standing in the way Of
the transaction of all useful and |
legitimate public business.
The senate saw proper to pass a |
bill admitting Kansas under the |
LecOmpton constitution without I
limit or condition; but this bill, al |
though it commanded the favor of
the president and his cabinet, failed |
to receive the sanction of the house |
Of representatives. The house, on
the other hand, passed bill as a
for that of the senate; but
this the senate would not accept, or
the executive approve, Thus was
an issue formed between the great
branches of the govern
ment, whose Joint and harmonious
action could alone remove the dam
gernus question and give peace to
the country,
''THE ENGLISH BILL"
In this stage of the proceedings,
when the whole country had about
the hope of settlement
of the, disagreement between the
two houses, and the angry contest
was likely to be adjourned for fur
ther and prOtracted agitation before