The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-05-19

Houses of Congress and by the President, thai
: Congress had a right and that it was the duty
of Congress to legislate upon the subject of sla.
very within the Territories, and to prohibit it
and there was no excitement about it. What
had the North to do after thatf Nothing
nothing, but to stand still. What was the eff
feet Of it! We had other TerritOries-the Ter
ritories of California, Utah, and New Mexico
Well the people who inhabited these Territories
thought land oh God, what a mistake that
the North were in earnest-thougbt that they
meant to stand up; and Southern men, from
South Carolina and Mississippi, in the Terrific
ry of California, began right speedily to conform
themselves to what they believed was the settled
policy Of the country; and they anticipated
Congress, and put the Anti. Slavery ordinance
into their Constitution. Do you suppose, il
California were to frame Constitution to-day
she would put it in! Ne, my friends; we owe
it to the persevering honesty of the Represent
atves of the free States in the Congress of 1913,
that the Anti-Slavery ordinance was adopted
in the Constitution Of California. Cheers.
Well, my friends here we WERE then. Con-
gress had legislated for all the territory in
which it proposed to organize a Government,
and put in the ordinance; and the people of
California, anticipating the action of Congress,
had put it themselves into their Constitution
and was that the time for Northern men to
falter and 90 back ! Oh my friends if VIC
could but have stood moment longer, it seems
as if the prayers of the wise and great, the pa
triots of all time bad gone W to the throne of
the Almighty filling his ear, until he had at
last determined to bestow the blessing and
when the hour had come that these prayers
should be answered, beyond even our hopes, we
b,A Or Eat . r.. - Al
the North began to cover and quail, and fall
down and talk about the Union being in dan
ger. The South never would have got up that
alarm, or attempted to make that cry again
Why, it had been uttered over and over again.
it was not respectable bugbear to frighten
children to bed with, until Northern statesmen
took it up and endorsed it, and gave it curren-
cy. And why did they give it CURRENCY
That question will not answer, because
cannot so impeach your common sense and dis
| cernment, as TO think it necessary for me to
answer it, | leave it with you to answer Why
was it in that day, when the battle had been
fought and the victory won, and the banner of
opposition had been lowered--why was it that
at that time we began to 90 back My friends,
an eminent Northern statesman has told us,
There was no North" think if history ever
gave confirmation to the truth of any asser-
ton, the history of that day gave it to that
declaration that 1" there was no North; :" and,
| think, if that same voice were to be heard
again, to speak from the results of his expert
ence, he would tell you, that, for recreant
statesmen from the North, there was no South
either Cheers.
My friends take then, this to be the first
duty of the Free Soil party of the North, to
combat this infamous falsehoOd, always every
where and forever You cannot find man
now that believes il, with the solitary excep-
ton have named but still, it is made the
excuse for a great many things that great
many people think need excuse that the Union
was in danger.
Then there is one other subject upon which
| think there is a duty pertaining to the Free
Soil party of the North, and that is to make
themselves felt--energetcally felt--in the only
place where they can be efficiently felt; that is
at tho ballot-bOx. What is the situation of
things to-day Have we any occasion to de-
SPAR ! There never was more life, vitality, |
hope, and energy in the Free Soil sentiment
than there is to-day--never! Loud cheers
How are we situated Why my friends, you
hold the balance of power in Massachusetts,,
beyond controversy and beyond mistake. The
Free Soil party holds the balance of power to-
day in Ohio equally as decisively as in Massa-
chusetts. What is the result? You 90 into
State where there is no Free Soil party, where
it does not make itself felt at the ballot-box,
and you will find the most infamous endorse
ment of the most monstrous doctrine that sla.
very can boast. Let tho Sachems of party-at
least, OF the Democratic party in Ohio--assem-
bic III Convention DO they endorse the Balti-
more platform! Do they make the Fugitive
Slave Law one of the elements of their politi-
cal creed, one of the articles of their faith
Not at all. 1t is laid upon the table. Why?
Because the Free Soil party in Ohio hold the
balance of power, and it is not found profitable
or convenient to outrage their moral conyic-
tons.
Well, my friends, have alluded to these two
States; but there are many other States where.
if only one man in three that knows the truth
and his duty would be true to his convictions of
truth and duty, the position Of our party would
be as commanding as it is in Massachusetts, and
Ohio. Let one in three, in the great State of
New York, come up to his own convictions of
duty, and follow the plainest leadings of truth,
and the Free Soil party will control the bal.
ance of power in that State, Just as much as
they do in Massachusetts, and Ohio. That is
what we want We want to let our friends
over the country know that those who have
taken the vows of this creed upon themselves,
and announced this sentiment as the guiding
sentiment Of their lives, have enlisted for the
war cheers that they are not in for single
campaign; they are not six months men, who
have e2lsted only for one campaign and when
that is over, 60 quietly to their homes and
leave the cause to take care OF itself 1t needs
to be known, and felt, and realized that there
is an energetic, life giving, and efficient prin-
cple of action in the men who have taken upon
themselves the responsibilities of the position we
occupy and when we have done that, we shall
have done our duty.
You may be assured the hearts of this people
are with us, the convictions of the great mass
are with us; and, my friends, there is some
thing else-there are not only the hearts of the
people and the convictions of the men, but
there are the sentiments of the women-they
are with us also Great applause
had o striking illustration of the trick u
this the other day, As was coming to Mas
sachusetts, there was an old Hunker politician
came and sat by me in the cars with n smi
ling, pleasant face and he began to speak Of
the time (save the mark when should be
President. Laughter ! smiled in his face,
with incredulity. "Why," sad he "you need
not be 80 incredulous; the thing is making
way where did not expect itn expected To
hear of some new movement in some county of
the West. why" said be- the women have
got hold of it, Loud laughter and applause,
When 90 home and talk to my family have
to confess five times as much Anti Slavery ~ it
is prudent for me to talk out on Change"
Renewed cheers
One word more, and will not trespass longer
upon your patience Politicians continually
tell us, "You can do nothing at all. Every
thing is settled The annexation of Texas is
settled, the Compromise is settled, and it is all
settled, and you can do nothing" Let me sup
pose, for the sake Of argument that it is all
settled-what is our duty? Why, our duty is
to have settlement with the settlers. Loud
cheers, and laughter. IL it is true that our
rights have been bartered away--that the in.