The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-02-02

PORT, AND EACH DEPENDING UPON 1T FOR Ex-
IsrEscE!o The North split, tho South unit
When has it ever been otherwise, in relation to
questions of Slavery? In this single sentence
VIC have the key 10 the political power of the
Slave Interest. The "Hards" are bidding for
Southern support and the presumption is, that
the Softsu will not suffer themselves to be
outbidn
The North is in the shambles we can have
il at our own price! This is the language of
the Slave Interest-this, its policy; this, the
stimulant applied to the projectors of the Ne
braska Bill
Early in November last, commenting upon
the miserable divisions of the North, we pre-
dicted just this state of things Referring to
the relations of the Administration to Mr..
Dickinson and his friends, we wrote:
ado not deceive yourselves More will be
required of you The Hards qriH bid aboUe
you for Southern support They will demand
as condition to Office, not only fidelity to Sia-
very in a mans present relations, but in his
anteeedents They will require, not only no
opposition to Slavery, but positive, active sup
port Of Slavery. Ii will not do to believe that
it is an evil, although you may have your faith
to yourself; you must believe, and act upon
the belief that it is, in the circumstances,
| good-nOt an evil to be restricted, but good
to be extended. The SlGue Interest wiu sustain
| the Hdrds IN these erdcftOnS and you must en-
dorse hen or your posoer as at an endn
| 1t has endorsed them. Read what this same
special correspondent says in his next letter:
alt is known now, beyond all doubt that
the Administration is in favor Of an amenda-
tory clause in the Nebraska bill, repeating the
Missouri Compromise. In my note to you, of
| yesterday, | stated that such would surely be
its course but to-day, hear from undoubted
authority that such is the fact. A consultation
has been had upon tho subject and such is the
fixed understanding"
The North split into rival factions, bidding
for Southern support which is yielded on con-
dition of repeal of the Missouri Compromise
SO as to open all United States territory to Sla-
very The Administration, after consultation,
ratifies the arrangement!
| The President is gained-but will tho body
of his supporters go with him Read again:
'The question is asked-what will the Softs
do in this matter? Will they vote for the re-
| peal We shall see It is not well to antici-
pate nor to condemn too soon. What can they
do, or where will they 60, if, by refusing to re-
peal an unconst tutOnal prohibition, insulting,
and admitted once by them as possessing no
force, they separate from the Administration
and the Democratic party? Can they become
factions, having denounced 80 loudly the fac
tious conduct of the Hards, or will they decom-
pose and putrefy into decaying remains of the
Free Soil faction of '4S2 Some of the Softs
are, know true Of the course of Others we
can better judge in a short time In the mean
time, let the South organize and act with the
| Administration, and demand the repeal of the
offensive, useless, and illegal proviso of 1920"
Evidently, the Administration and the Terri
torial Committee took the came view of the
state of affairs, as was taken by the Slave In
terest. The South was united-the North d.
vided. The former had agreed upon its ulti-
matum-the latter was agreed upon nothing
The entire vote of the Southern delegation,
aided by the lizards" and by such of the
Softs" as would stick to the Administration,
would force the repeal of the Missouri Com
promise, and this accomplished, the hopeless
ness of attempting its rc-enactment, and the
power Of Executive patronage, would soon put
a stop to agitation, and the country would
gradually settle down under the unqnestiOned
supremacy of the Slave Power" King Maker
and King Killer"
Under the pressure of all these influences
the Nebraska Bill WAS at last maturod, and
announced in its present form Since tho fore
! going letters were written, says the Richmond
Enquirer, " Senator Douglas has fully REMOVED
oil doubt on The subject, and defined his position,
and, tce belieUe, that of the administration and
Of tie South, and Of all good patriots by intro
ductng, from the Committee on Territories a
new bill on the subject"
After statement Of its general provisions
and printing, doubtless with profound exulta-
ton, the l4th eection, as follows
| "Tho Constitution and laws of tho United
States which are not locally inapplicable, shall
| have the same force and effect in the said Ter
ritcry of Nebraska as elsewhere within the
United States, except the Ssh section Of the act
preparatory to the admission of Missouri into
the Union, approved March g. 1920, which was
suspended by the principles of the Legislation
of 1850, commonly called the Compromise
| Measures, and is hereby declared inopera-
| tive -
! 1t adds
| "The same provision is applied to the pro-
! posed Territory of Kanzas, and declares in ex-
press terms that the Missouri Compromise Of
1920 was superseded by the principles of the
Compromise of 1850; and is definite and dis
tinct repea! Of the AntiSlavory restriction of
the Missouri Compromise.
| We are glad to see that both the Union
and the Sentinel express their confident belief
that the Administra alton stands upon the plat
form of this new bill, which is but an act OF
simple justice to all sections of the community
1t presents plain, palpable issue-a clear test
OF principle-by which the country may dis
cover the true friends of the Constitution and
the Union. 1t is the cause of justice and equal
rights and privileges to every portion of the
Confederacy, and those who may be arrayed
on the other side cannot be regarded as friends
of the Constitution or tho Union"
So the Bill has boon matured-the Shibbo-
10th has been found-tho surrender of the Ad-
minstrsti0n to the Slave Interest is at last com.
pletc. People at the North, without access to
the political press of the South, and to political
movements in that quarter, have been wonder
ing, we doubt not, at the varying phases of this
Bill, and the vacillation of it's trainers. The
extracts we have submitted to them furnish the
Interpretation of the mystery.
Tho question now is, will the Northern mem
bcrs of Congress frame to pronounce this Shib-
boleth?" 1t is test by which their loyalty
to Slavery is to be tried. If they pronounce it
they are friends of the Constitution, the Union,
and Slavery; if they cannot or will not they
are enemies Mr.. Smith, of Virginia, after it
WAS understood that pup,hors of than, from