The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-10-19
Nh. CHASE AND HIS ASSOCIATES.

~ a..
The Herald Of Freedom Wilmington, o.
reports that Mr. Harlan q candidate lately in
that district, asserted toes the address Of the
Free Soil members Of Congress to tie people OF
the United States was ill-timed and calculated
tn take great burden of the hands of Doug
las, vino heartily desired that the opposition to
his b,ll should assume radical OF Abolition
character The H.raa adds
We do not know but that this opinion is
e correct one it might hare been, that if Chase
and his friends had waited for the Democrats
or the Whigs TO lead tie opposition it would
have been successful. Ind This VGs tas plan at
trst proposed By 9Ir. Summer as TIE trDedisst
one. Bat We DO Lot adopt the OPINION"
We had supposed the Herald was better in
formed than 70 speak 50 doubtingly on such a
Point. Free Democrats ought to know and
appreciate their own public men. AS to par
tisans of the old parties j. is not surprising
that they should be mislei By ignorance or
prejudice.
We happen to know that the movement of
Fir. Douglas was not understood at the begin.
mag 10y Northern Wings and Democrats-that
none of their leaders in Congress seemed to
aopres,d any danger from it-that nore
rnsnifested an, special anxiety to oppose it
shat soma. from wnJ'n Ant;-Slavery people
h..ve been accustomed to e4Secs watchful
guardianship over the Cause of Freedom, were
lethargic, indispo5ed to resist or if disposed, go
hopeless as to lorbear any attempt at organized
opposition. The DIiLy National Era was the
first press in tho country TO comprehend fully
the movement of Mr. Donglas and to expose it
il al! its details and consequences; and the
Free Soil members Of Congress, as they arc
styled, were the frat party in Congress to I'M
Gcrstand il, and sound the alarm. Prompt op-
position and exposure were necessary; but
na:thcr Wing nor Democrat was found to take
the lead. The address, drawn up By MIR. Chase
on consultation with the Free Soil members
aud others, was 50 framed that men of all par
ties hostile TO the threatened outrage could
subscribe it, without violating any party obi
CATION and the plan at first was, to send it
out as their address. But, their eyes were but
half opened, they were timid, or prejudiced,
and the attempt failed Next, it was proposed
al
Ohio delegation alone; but there were Wings
aad Democrats from Ohio, who, for reasons bes.
known 10 themselves, refused to unite in the
movement. AZ q last resort, the Independent
Democratic members Of Congress resolved to
put their own names to it and lay it before
the People. So able and 30 temperate was the
address, that it was a. once copied into the
columns of the papers of all parties, not except
ing even whs. are called Conservative or Ma
tional Wing journals.
This brief statement will yindicats Mr. Chase
and his associates against the mean imputstion
that they were of6cious or over-zealous or
ambitious of pre-eminence, or anxious to manu-
facture little political capital They did
what was ft and necessary to be done, and
what no other class Of men in Congress would
do-and it is the quintessence Of Eeanness to
arraign them now for their promptieade in
supplying a criminal lack of service in others
And here let us say, that we can see no rea-
son why those who are called Free Soil mem
bers of Congress should hold back, waiting on
the slow motions of others, whenever an ag-
gression Of Slavery is to bs resisted. They
stand on . perfect level with other members
ia political Integrity, in consistency, in talent
in experience, in responsibility, they will, to
say the least suffer nothing by comparison
with the best members. Why should they
put themselves in leading stringss Nay,
it is peculiarly fit they should assume q promi-
nens part in the great struggle with the Slave
Power; for long and thorough study has fa-
miiiarizod them with It's necessities and tactics
and their party relations instead Of enabar-
RAISING their Anti-Siayery action, aid and GUS
tain it. As reasonable men, they Will be glad