Year: 1860

Senator Seward on Feb. 2lst, introduced
bill into the Senate for the admission oi
Kansas. The people of the United States
are anxious to see the fate of that bill, for
on its passage or rejection depends in a
great measure the material out of which the
coming Presidential canvas is to be made.
ministration furnishes an abundance of top
les for the use of the Republican orators,
and press, but let the Administration take
one horn or the other of the dilemma which
the bill of Gov. Seward presents, and a
stroke is given the party from which it will
scarcely recover. 1t is enough already that
the Administrati on has repulsed State in
the most insulting manner, applying for adj
mission into the Union. Every manly heart
is distressed to see the high places in the
government prostituted TO the basest pur-
poses-the will of the people thwarted and
rising States treated with contumely. The
brave and the true will rise Indignantly
against the corruptors of power, in the ap-
preaching struggle, incensed at the outrages
already done. Let, however, the Den ocracy
take position on .he question presented by
Gov. Seward, by the bill providing for the
admission of Kansas, and new evidences of
insincerity and falsehood will be disclosed
such as will disgust even more than the
present opposition ranks are counted to hold.


For, let the Democracy oppose the admis-
sion Of Kansas, in the face of the precedents
already set, and in violation of the cardinal
principle, and indeed only principle of any
account in the Cincinnati platform, viz -
that the people of a Territory are sovereign
to the extent of forming and regulating
their institutions in their own way, and
scores of still unconvertcd Democrats will
see the error of following the party any
longer. There is no dispute now about the
will of the people of that Territory. They
have constitution beyond cavil of their
choice one formed and sanctioned by the
majority; one deemed worthy to be the
organic law of free people 1t contains
no provision militant with the Constitution
of the United States. 1t is republican rot
only in form but in essence. There can be
no exception taken to it. 1t meets every
necessary requirement to take its place
among kindred documents of other sover-
eign States. If the Democracy see fit to
repulse Kansas from the threshold Of the
Union second time, itmust be solely upon
the plea of want of requisite population,
and that argument will not weigh feather
with hundreds in the party. Numbers of
| Democrats have fattered themselves that
the English bill was designed as mere
subterfuge, the provisions of which were
not to be regarded as binding upon the party
in the least degree, that notwithstanding
the pledge therein contained to keep Kansas
out of the Union till she possessed popula-
tion sufficient to entitle her to one represen-
tative, the party would ignore the bill if
policy seemed so to dictate. On the other
hand it must be evident that a large major
ity of the party have all along designed to
adhere as rigidly as possible to the pledge
to oppose Kansas to the last point indicated
in the English bill.


The Democracy has, then, only to take a
position against the bill of Governor Sew
ard, to run the imminent risk of producing
dissensions within the party weakning to
the same. Oppose the bill and it will be
readily seen there is not sufficient ground to
justify the course. The step would be man.
fe stly unjust, since Oregon has been admit
ted with less population than ninety-four
thousand. Favor the bill and the hopes OF
the balance of power men in the South are
disappointed They will complain of de-
ception and betrayal and prove the charges
by reference to the pledge contained in the
English bill, wherein they are assured the
State of Kansas shall never enter the Union
till made eligible by the population neces-
sary to elect one representative, The bill
of Gov Seward cornpels the Democracy to
run a muck and the people are awaiting the
issue.