Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1854-03-02

10 the imagination Of the free laborers
will be almost destroyed. The enhanc-
ed cost of construction and The diminish
ed expectation Of profitable returns will
present almost insuperable obstacles to
building the road at all; while even if
made, The difficulty and expense Of. keep
ing it up, in country from which the
energetic and intelligent masses will be
virtually excluded will greatly impair its
usefulness and value.
From The rich lands Of this large Ter
ritury, aisS, patriotic statesmen have an
,icpa.ed that free, Industrious, and en-
lighlened population viii extract abun-
dan, treasures Of individual ana ruhlIc
wealth. There, il has been expected,
freedom loving enigrants from Europe.
and energetic and intelligent laborers of
our own land. will ind homes of com
for: and fields of useful enterprise. If
this bill shall become a law, all such eX-
pectation will turn TO grieVous dlsap-
pointment. The blight of Slavery will
cover the land. The Homestead Law,
should Congress enact one, will be worth
less there. Freemen, unless pressed by
a hard and cruel necessity, will not, and
should not. work besides slaves. Labor
| cannot be respected where any class of
laborers is held in ,bject bondage. Its
the deplorabie necessity Of Slavery, that
to make and keep single slave, there
must be a slave law; and where slave
law exists, labor must necessary De de-
graded.
We earnestly reqaessthe enlightened
conductors of newspapers printed in the
German and other foreign languages to
direct the attention Of their readers TO
this subject.
| IL is ui immense consequence, also, to
scruIinize the geographical character of
this project. We beg you, fellow ci,I
zens, 10 observe that ], will sever the
East from the Weslof The United States
| by wide slaveholding BELT of country,
tuxteR 1lii~ from the Gulf OF Mexico to
British North America. II is bold
scheme against American n::9erty, wor
/ ihy Of an accomplished architecs cl ruin.
! Texas is already slayeho!dng, and occu
pies the Gulf Region from the Sabine TO
/ the Rio Grand, and tom the Gulf OF
/ Mexico 10 the Red River. North OF Red
/ River, and extending between Texas and
1 Arkansas, 10 the parallel of 36o 80 min.,
/ lies in Indian Territory, about equal in
extent 10 The latter State, iii which slave
rs was not prohibited by the act Of 1890.
1 From So 80 min TO The boundary line
/ between our own country and the Bril-
| ish possessions, stretching from Yves! to
! east through more than eleven degrees Of
Longitude, aud from south 10 north Ibro
more than twelve ueg:ces ui latitude.
extends the great Territory, the fate OF
which is now to be determined by the
] American Congress. Thus you see, fel
low citizens, that The first operation OF
the proposed permission Of Slavery ia
Nebraska, will be to stay the progress
of the Free state westward, and TO cut off
the Free States Of the Pacific from the
Free States Of the Atlantic. Ii is hoped,
doubtless, by compelling the whole tray-
ell between the East and the West TO
pass for hundreds of miles through a
slayeholding region, in The heart of the
continent, and by the influence of a
Federal Government controlled by the
Slave Power, to extinguish Freedom and
establish Slavery in the States and Ter
ritories of !he Pacific, and thus perma-
nenily sublugaie the whole country Ia
the yoke OF slaveholding despotism. -
Shall Il plo! against humanity and Dem
ocracy, so monsHous, and So dangerous
to the interest Of Liberty, Throughout. The
world. be permitted TO succeed!
1 We appeal to the People. We war;
you tina. me dearest interests of Freedom
and The Union are in immine mt peril
Servlle demagogues may tell YOU tia
( the Union can be maintained only b,
submilung 10 The demands of Slavery -
We tell you that the safety OF The Unior
can only be insured by the full rocogni-
ton of the just claims of Freedom anc
Man. The Union was formed to eslab
lish Justice, and secure the blessing o.
Liberty. When i. fails TO accomplish
these ends it will be voorhees,, aud wher
il becomes worthless il cannot ioEg en-
dure.
| We entreai you to hs mindful of thai
fundamental maxim of Democracy, Z
QUAIL RIGhTs AND ENACT JUSTICE for al
ulen. Do not submit to become agents
in extending Legalized Oppression and
i Sys.emized Injustice over vast Terri
tory YET exempt flom these terrible e.
wis.
| We implofe Christians and Christian
Ministers to inlerpose. Their Divine
Religion requires them to behold in eve-
ry man a brother, and to labo. for the
Advancement and Regeneraling of the
Human Race.
/ Whatever apologies may be offered
Tor the ioleralion of Slavery ia the
States, none can be urged for It's exten-
sion into The Territories where it does
not exist, and where that ex,eniion in
volveS the repeal of ancient law and the
violation OF solemn compact. lie, ali
protest, earnestly anG emphaiically, BY
correspondence, through the press, by
memorials, by resolutions of public meet.
lngs and Legislative bodies, and in what.
ever other mode NAV seem expsdient a.
gainst this enormous crime.