Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-04-03
From the Milwaukee Wisconsin.
A Noble Ansyyer-Sasn. Housfou

From the Milwaukee Wisconsin.
A Noble Ansyyer-SaaM. Houston.
On the 18th inst, the following me-
mortal was presented by Mr.. Everett,
to the Senate of the United States.
from the clergymen Of New England:
To The Honorable the Senate and House
Of Representatives of the United States
IN Congress assembled:
"The undersigned, clergymen Of the
different religious denominations in New
England, hereby in the name Of AL
mighty God, and in His presence do So
lemniy protest against the passage of
what is known as the Nebraska bill, or
any repeal or modification of the existing
| legal prohibitions against slavery in that
part of our national domian which it is
proposed to organize in to the Territory
of Nebraska and Kansas. We protest
against it as great moral wrong, as a
breach of faith eminently injurious to the
moral principles of the community, and
subversive of all confidence in national
engagements, as measure full of dam
ger to the peace, and even existence, of
our beloved Union, and exposing us to
the righteous judgments of the Almigh-
ty-and your protestants, as the duty
bound will ever pray. Dated at Bos.
ton, this lst day of March A. D.,
1854"
Senator Douglass naturally assaulted
this memorial in the coarsest and most
bitter language. He even charged the
clergy of New England with being SO
ignorant of American history, as not to
have read the original Congressional
proceedings, relative TO the Compromise
Iof 1920. No sooner had he sat down,
than Gen. Sam. Houston of Texas, no.
bly, rose and rebuked the coarseness Of
Douglas. His manner and matter were
alike in honorable contras: to that of
Doug whose tact seems 20 have
deserted him since he has plunged into
his grand scheme for extending Slave
ry:
Mr.. Houston said this matter had been
sprung suddenly upon the Senate. He
saw nothing informal or INDUSTRIOUS in
the memorial. The bill was passed on
the morning of March 4, and the memo
rial was dated on the lst. It therefore
was signed when the bill was before the
Senate. He saw nothing in the memo
rial that offered any indignity to the
Senate. 1t simply expressed the fee
ling of those who signed. 1t was the
right privilege of all American citizens
10 memorialize Congress in respectful
terms. He did not know what the OBJ
ject of the memorial was, but he should
suppose from its contents, and from the
character Of its signers, that the mem
orialists believed there was something
rad ically wrong in that bill. They
charged that if was violation of nation
al faith. He had made the same charge
against it in debate. He had shown that
it was violation of solemn plighted
faith with the Indians, and it was TO the
Indians that all treaty obligations were
to be considered us nothing more than
a solemn mockery. He had also said
that the repeal of the Missouri Compro-
mise was fragrant breach of faith as
the violation of the Indian Treaties. He
saw no greater improperly in ministers
Of the gospel memoralizing Congress
than politicians, or any other men, doing
so. He had told the Senate that the
passage of the Nebraska bill would lead
to excitement and agitation, and it was
denied. This memorial, signed by 81
900 ministers of the living God--his
vicegerents on earth-was evidence that
the people were deeply moved by it
Ministers of the Gospel were men,
All citizens had rights as other men.
All citizens had a right to petition, and
right could not be denied. By becoming
ministers of the Gospel the memorialists
had lost none of their political rights
There was no longer any use in DENYING
that the Nebraska bill had again revived
Excitement.
He trusted it has reached its acme,
and that all would be quiet, and that She
country would be restored once more
to that serene tranquility. happiness
and prosperity which it was enjoying
before the subject was introduced some
weeks ago. TWAS notthe proper way to
quiet agitation, to condemn those who
memorable as asserting untruths and
spreading falsehood before the country
TRY. The proper mode TO pursue was
TO have the subject referred to a
committee, TO have a report made Of
the facts, and then leave the intelligent
people of the U. S. with the whole
facts before them, to Judge for them.
selves. Whether the Nebraska meas
ure was right or nos, was question on
which there was room for difference
of opinion. Senators were not in such
a high place as to be above the right OF
the people TO inquire into and criticise
, their official acts.
HEDc Es.-We have had several en-
quiries for hedge contracts. The Eddy
Vile, (Iowa) Free Press contains no
: tice OF contracts made in that region by
Messrs. Allison & Coulter, to put il
nearly 40 miles of hedge, in the coun-
ties Of Wapello, Mahaska. Jefferson and
Van Buren,, one fourth, at least, in the
former county. Their contract pricepe,
/ mile is 1920. Dayable I'm installmanfs