Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1854-03-02
A P P E A l.
Of the Independent Democrats In
Congress to the People Of the
Unito4 States.
ShaN Slavery bepermittedin Nebraska?
WASHINGTON. Jan. %, 1854.


WASHINGTON. Jan. %, 1854.
FELLOW -CITIzENs:--As Senators and
Hepresental YES in the Congress OF the
United States, tits our duty 10 warn our
constituencies whenever eminent danger
menaces The freedom of our institutions
a the permanency of the Uaion.
Such danger as VIC firmly. believe now
1mpends, aud We earnestly solicit your
prompt attention to it.
Al the las, session of Congress, bill
for The organization of the Territory of
Nebraska passed the House Of Repre-
4senia,ives, with an overwhelming major
ity. Tha, bill was based on the princ
pie Of excluding Slavery from the New
Territory. II was not taken up for con-
sidera,ion in the Senate, and consequent
" failed To become law.
AT the presen. session. new Nebras-
ka bill has been reported by The Senate
Committee on Territories, which, sho'ld
il unhap2ily receive the eanction OF
Congress, will open all the unorganized
terrilo.y Of the Union 10 the ingress of
slavery.
We arraign this bill as a gross viola.
tion Of sacred pledge; as criminal
betrayal Of precious rights. as part and
parcel Of an a,rocious plot 10 exclude
from a vas, unoccupied region, Imml,
grants from the Old World and free la
borers from our own States, and convert
il into dreary region of despotism, in
habited by masters and slaves.
Take your maps, fellow-citizens, we
enireal you, and see what country j, is
! which this bill, gratuitously and reckless
ly proposes to open to slavery.
From the southwestern corner oi Mis-
souri, pursue the parallel of SO deg. 40
min. north latitude westwardly across
the Arkansas, across the north fork OF
Canadian, to tie north eastern angle OF
Texas; then follow the northern bound
ary of Texas to the western line of New
Mexico; then proceed along that western
line to It's northern termination; then
again turn westwardly and follow the
northern line of New Mexico TO the
cres, of the Rocky Mountains; then as
cend ner.hwardly along the cres. of that
mountain range 10 the line which separ-
a,es the United States from the British
Possessions in North America, on the
49sh parallel Of north latitude; then pur-
sue your course eastwardly along that
liae 10 the White Earth river, which falls
,n,o the Missouri from the north; de-
scend the Missouri along The western
boundary Of Minnesota, Iowa and Mis-
souri,. 10 the point where i. ceases to be
boundary line, and enters the State to
which il gives its name; then continue
your soulhwar course along the west
srn limit of tha, State to the point from
which you set out. You have ,ravers-
ed the vast distance of more than three
shoussnd miles. You have traced the
outline of an area of four hundred and
eighty. five thousand square miles; more
than twelve times as great as that ol
/ Ohio.
> This immense region occupying the
very hear, Of The North American con-
,inen,. and larger by thirty .lhree ,hous
and square miles TIM all the existing Tree
States, excluding California, this i'm
mense region and fertile country through
which the Middle and Northern Routes
from the Atlantic TO the Pacific must
pass-,h,s immense region, embracing
all the unorganized territory OF the Ma
zion. excep. the comparatively insight
icant district of Indian territory north ol
Cedar River and between Arkansas and
Texas, and now for more than thirty
years regarded by the common consent
Of American people as consecrated to
Freedom. by statue and compact-this
imnaense region. the Bill now before the
Senate, without reason and without ex-
cuse, but in fragrant disregard of sound
policy and sacred faith. proposes to open
to slavery.
We beg your attention. fellow citizens
70 few historical facts.
The original settled policy Of the U
nited States. clearly indicated by she
jefferson Proviso of 1854, and BY the
Ordinance Of 1857. was NON EXTENSION
OF SLAVERY.
In 1903. Louisiana was acquired BY
purchase from France. Al that time
there were some twenty-five or 3O,'
900 slaves in this territory most Of them
within what is now the Stale of Louisi.
ana; few only. farther north, on the
west bank Of the Mississippi. Con
glsss, instead Of providing for the sbo'