The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-02-17
APPEAL
SHALL SLAVERY BE PERMITTED IN
NEBRASKA!
fc THE
People Of the United States.

81. WASHINGTON, January l9, 1854.
FELLow-C CITIZENS: AS Senators and Rep
resentatives in the Congress of the United
States, it is our duty to warn our constituents
whenever imminent danger menaces the free
dom of our Institutions Or the permanehcy of
our Union.
Such danger, as we firmly believe, how i'm
pends, and we earnestly solicit your prompt
attention to it.
At the last session Ct Congress, bill for
the organization of the Territory Of Nebras-
ka passed the House Of Representatives with
an overwhelming majority. That bill was
based on the principle of excluding slavery
from the new Territory. 1t was not taken
up for consideration in the Senate, and con-
sequently failed to become law
At the present session a new Nebraska bill
has been reported by the Senate Committee
on Territories, which, should it unhappiy re-
cieve the sanction of Congress, will open all
the unorganized territory of the Union to the
ingress of slavery.
We arraign this bill as gross violation of
a sacred pledge; as a criminal betrayal of
precious rights; as part and parcel of an afro
cious plot to exclude from vast unoccupied
region, immigrants from the Old World and
free laborers from our own States, and con-
vert it into dreary region of despotism in;
habited by masters and slaves.
Take your maps, fellow-citizens, we en-
treat you, and see what country it is which
this bill, gratutously and recklessly, proposes
to open to slavery.
From the southwestern corner Of Missouri
pursue the parallel Of SO deg. 80 min. north
latitude, westerly across the Arkansas, across
the north fork of Canadian, to the northeast
ern angle of Texas; then following the north
ern boundary of Texas to the western limit
of New Mexico; then proceed along that wes-
tern line to its northern termination; then
again turn westwardly and follow the north
ern line of New Mexico to the crest of the
Rocky Mountains; then ascend northwardly
along the crest of that mountain range to the
line which separates the United States from
the British possessions in North America, on
the 49th parallel of north latitude; then pur'
sue your course eastwardly along that line to
the White Earth river, which falls into the
Missouri from the north; descend that r:vel
to its confluence with the. Missouri; descenc
the Missouri, along the western Border O.
Minnesota, of Iowa, of Missouri, to the po;n
where it ceases to be boundary line; ant
enters the State to which 1t gives its name
then continue your southwark course along
the western limit Of that State to the poin
from which you set out. You have now made
the circuit of the proposed Territory of Ne
braska. You have traversed the vast dis
tance of more than three thousand miles. Yol
have traced the outline of an area of four hun
dred and eighty-fve thousand square miles
more than twelve times as great as that o.
, Ohio.
This immense region, occupying the very
heart of the North American continent, ant
larger; by thrty-three thousand square miles
than all the existing free States, excluding
California-this immense region, we'll wa
tered and fertile; through which the middle
and northern routes from the Atlaiitic to the
Pacific must pass-this immense region, EN-
bracing all the unorganlsed territory of tn,
nation, except the comparatively insignifi
cant district of Indian territory north of Re-
i river and between Arkansas and Texas, AM
now for more than thirty years regarded b.
the common consent OF the American peopl
as consecrated to freedom, by statute and b.
compact--this immense region, the bill nov
before the Senate, without reason and with
out excuse, but in fragrant disregard of SCUM
! policy and sacred faith, proposes u open
: slavery.