The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-10-12
THE NATIONAL ERA WASHINGTON D. c. OCTOBER r. 1854
pIsHoNEsT.

1t is not improbable that they have been some
what modified by the recent tactics of the Ad-
ministraton Party, the leaders of which, in
disregard of all truth and fair dealing, at last
boldly resolved to defend the repeal of the Mis-
souri, Compromise as an Anti- Slavery measure.
They first falsely aserred that the Missouri
Compromise legaliSsd Slavery in all territory
below SO deg. 80 min; then, that the Demo-
Gratis, in repeating it, opened all United States
territory to Freedom, below as well as above
that line, inasmuch as Slavery cannot exist
except by law, and the Nebraska Bill makes it
impossible for Congress to enact such law
and finally. they insisted that the Anti-Ne-
braska candidates for Congress, pledged to re-
peal the Nebraska Bill, were in fact committed
to the restoration of Compromise which le-
Called Slavery in all territory below 36 deg.
80 min. They thus assumed for the Admin
istration candidates an Anti-Slavery position,
and charged upon their opponents o Pro-Sla-
very policy
Our readers will remember the statement
made in our paper last week, by correspond
emit in Indiana, in relation to the Anti-Slavery
appeals of Messrs. Petit Fitch, & Co. In a
similar vein is the following, from the Chicago
Times, the special organ of Senator Douglas,
edited by gentleman from this city:
"KrEP 1T BEFORE THE PEOPLE, that VIII
liams Norton, Washburne, Archer, Blackwell,
Woodwork, and the other Wing and Fusion
candidates for Congress in Illinois, are IN fdUOr
of re-estabhShing an arbitrary geographical
line, south of lckieh Slavery shall be lsgaiiSed
by Congress; while Richardson, Allen, Jack
SOD, McMurtry, Marshall, Harris, and Drake
the Democratic candidates for Congress, be-
lieve that Congress ought not to legislate upon
the subject of Slavery, and are in favor of leav-
ing the people of the new Territories perfectly
free to form and regulate their domestic insti-
buttons in their own way, subject only to the
Constitution of the United States. CHOOSE
BETWEEN THEM"
The same paper states, in another article,
that in every Congressional district where the
Democratic party has madc or will make a
nomination, there has been full, fair, open,
manly declaration of principle. They are ut
says) !torly opposed as individuals to Slavery
Were the question of its existence or suppress
sion question in which, under the Constitu-
ton of their country, they had right to de-
eide, they would cheerfully decide to set the
oaptives Free" go.
The Detroit Free Press the organ of General
Cas-, is sill more explicit; its Anti-Slavery
zeal is remarkable. Here is a sample of its
indignation against the Pro- Slavery views of
Mr.. Howard the Anti-Nebraska candidate
"Let it be known, then, that MIR. Howard is
in favor of repeating the Nebraska act. Let
it be known that he IS IN favor of re-estabLisb-
ing line south of l0kich Slavery WAS and tCotsld
CONTINUE TO BE legdlized by Congress. Let it
be known that he is in favor of despoiling the
thousands of settlers in Nebraska and Kansas
of their rights acquired under the present law.
awe thank the Tribune for its announce
ment. We now know where Mr.. Howard
stands. We can now drive the nail through
him, and clinch it on the other side. He is In
favor Of the old odious Missouri Compromise
line-a line which the AntJ-Sidvefy people of
the North haze condemned from the day of Its
establishment mp to the time MIR. Dixon, of
Kentucky, proposed to repeal it. lie is ~ fa-
vor-for that would be the inevitable effet:t of
re-esta blishing the hne-of c0nSigning al the
Louisiana Territory lying south Of SO DEF. 30
min. to SIavery, and this territory is extensive
enough 1Of q nall QOz6Q CbdGcb!
=" Mr.. Howard must stand up to the mixed
declaration that he is in favor of repeslinE the
Nebraska act. When the Nebraska act r. re-
pealed, the Missouri line will be renstated
and Slavery l0iH be legalizsd south of it!
"Mr. Stuart is opposed to the repeal Of the
Nebraska act. He does not believe that Con-
gress has power to establish Slavery in the Ter
Titorfes, nor, of course, to prohibit it. The
whole question belongs to the people, and with
them the Nebraska act places it."
We need hardly say that the single assump-
ton which gives plausibilisy to all such ap
peals, viz: that Slavery s0as IegaItzed BY The
Missouri Compromise an the territory south Of
SO deg. 80 min, is UTTERLY FALSE. That
Compromise simply provided that Slavery
and involuntary servitude should be forever
prohibited in all that portion of Louisiana
Territory lying north Of SO deg 80 min" leav-
ing the territory below that parallel of latitude
without any provision on the subject; in other
words, without any Congressional provision
against the existence or intrusion of Slstery.
Messrs. Pierce, Glass; and Douglas, in repesAng
this Compromise, took away from the terri Dry
north of sc deg. 80 min, the safeguard It a
Congressional prohibition of Slavery, Ind
placed it in precisely the same conditio in
which the territory below that line stood
sOithout defence against the Intrusion Of SlGaery
Neither Slavery nor Liberty was establii ded
or protected by the Missouri Compromise in
the territory below the line but the Com pro-
mise did protect Liberty and prohibit Slavery
in the territory above it. Cass and Douglas,
in repeating it therefore, did not alter the con-
dision Of the former, but they did change the
condition of the latter, by depriving it Of its
protection against Slavery. To restore the
Compromise would be to restore the Slavery
prohibition in Kansas and Nebraska, witssout
affecting in any way the legal condition of any
other Territory of the United States. X
NEW LIQUOR LAw.-The Board of Cow*oon
Council, on Monday night passed the BIT of
the Aldermen to prohibit tipping houses and
to suppress the sale, by the small, of spirit Gus
and Intoxicating liquorsD Il provides that ,om
and after the first Monday of November ext,
tipping houses, or shops, shall be prohi' tied
in the city of Washington and it shall nj be
lawful, after tho first Monday in Mover Der,
for any person or persons in any part Of the
city Of Washington to sell or barter any fan
dy rum, gin, whisky, or other spirituous liz ors,
mixed or unmixed, wine, cordial, strong and
lager beer, or cider, in quantities less til N
pint ) and every person or persons who ball
sell or barter, as aforesaid, SHALL on convi ton
thereof forfeit and pay fine for each an ev-
cry offence, OF twenty dollars to be cole csed
and applied as other fines due this corpora ion
and on failure to pay said fine, or of sect ring
the payment of the game, the person or per-