Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-06-19
A SINGULAR MISREPRESENTATION.


w. G. Kephart, very sincere Anti-Slavery
man, writing to the New York Tribune, from
Athens, Ohio, says, that in 1850 no wrote a
letter to the National Era, in which he ex-
pressed his fears that Slavery would obtain
foothold in Nebraska. That is true. We pub
lshed the letter, and sympathized with his ap-
prehensions. But as there was no way Of
reaching the evil then, except by calling at
tention to it, we did So although Mr.. Kephart
imagnes that his single voice was UNDECIDED.
But what we are particularly concerned
with is the following strange misrepresenta-
ton:
al returned says Mr.. Kephart "to the
States early in the spring of 1883, arriving at
Washington few days after the inauguration
of General Pierce In conversation with the
editor Of the Era at that time, ! again ex-
pressed my strong apprehensions for the fate
Of Nebraska, there was then but one Terri.
tory proposcd and my reasons for them. The
same fears were expressed to other friends of
Freedom, ON different occasions. But they
were Knocked az idle fears. There is no dan
ger for Nebraska said the editor Of the Era,
the Missouri Compromise settles the question
was When did shareholders eper regard COM
pacts AGAINST Slavery Others laid the same
fiattering JUNCTION to the SOUL nor would they
believe there was danger till it was too late.
Although grieve rs deeply, perhaps as any
other, over the consummation Of this villany, |
have at least the poor mitigation that on my
part it was not wholly unexpected, though it
ia true the catastrophe came much sooner than
had anticipated"
Mr.. Kephart's "fearsn were not Knocked
at as idle" The friends Of Freedom in Wash
ington knew the danger just as well as Mr..
X did, and they had labored for the passage
of the bill to organize q Territorial Govern
mcnt in Nebraska, ,oith the Missouri Compro-
mise as its basis, as the best protection Of the
Territory against Slavery. None Of us, Mr..
K, was blind or remiss. At that time, no
body dreamed Of an attempt no repeal the
Missouri Compromise. Mr.. X. held that Sla-
very would 20 into the Territory in spite Of it
IL was 10 that we demurred, not, however, in
the language attributed to us by Mr.. X, but
with the remark, that by the Missouri Com
promise Slavery was just as effectually cxclu.
ded from Nebraska, as it could be by any posi-.
tive enactment.
Mr.. X was quite as innocent as the rest Of
us, transporting people, Of any suspicion that
an attempt would be made by Congress to re
peal that Compromise.
SO far from "laying aattering JUNCTION " tc
our souls or misleading our friends, or repo-
sing in false security, we were at specia
pains in an editorial article, three columns
long, which appeared in the Era Of April l4th
1853, to present the whole question concern
ing Slavery and Nebraska, to the Public, and
warn them that the Cause Of Freedom in that
Territory was in danger. As matter of jus
tice to the Era, and to show how strangely
Mr.. X. has misconceivod and misreprescnted
the matter, we ask the indulgence Of our read
ers for reprinting q few Of the closing para
graphs Of that editorial.
ave see that the New York Express whose
editor voted against the bill in the House
would mako tho impression that the organiza
ton Of the Territory viii open the way fo1
Slavery. All we have to say is emigrants viii
20 there, whether the Territory be organize