Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1854-02-10
Slavery in the District Nebraska

Hon. j. r.. Giddings writes the follow
ing letter to the AShtdbuid Sentinel:
WAsHINGToS CRY, Jan'y II, 1854.
Dear READER am in no gentle mood
this morning. An hour since. a colored
man. who is intelligent and gentlemanlv.
called with note from an esteemed friend.
asking my aid in behalf of woman now
in a slave pen here. She is said to be
some % or 80 years Of age. Some years
since, she made a contract with her mas
ter to purchase her freedom for $500, be-
lieyed she paid it, and sued for her liber-
ty I; but her owner. by his knavery, OBJ
jected to a portion of the evidence. and
the Court found she had paid $3.50, leay-
ing $40 still due, aud the ngave her thir-
ty days to raise thu t amount She OBJ
tanned fifty dollars when her master put
her into the Slave pen for market. The
man who called on me said he had fifty
dollars which he would lend her, if we
could raise the remaining $40. i had
seen SO much of these pirates that would
not contide in Their word. and told the
man if he would go to the owner, and
bring ne his written statement that he
would release the woman for the Sl10.
would then raise the serenity lie went,
and returned soon after with note, saw
ing that he (the owner) would take $500
if paid by 2 o'clock this afternoon. |
told the man | could suffer no such slave
holding pirates to speculate upon the hui
mainly OF those who felt for the woes of
their fellowb beings. The man wept at
the contemplation of the barbarous fate
in store for the poor woman, and left my
room bathed i'll tears; nor can | deny
that my sympathies were 50 far moved
as to draw tears from my own eyes.
How long, exclaimed, 0, God how
long will this Nation sustain that hellish
traffic in human flesh How long will
the people of the free States send men
to Congress who lend their influence to
keep up a market where the Savior Is
daily sold in the person of his followers?
How long will protested ministers and
church members continue to speculate in
Gods image? When shall our land be
purified from such revolving iniquities2
The attempt is now openly making to
extend slavery over the vast territory OF
Nebraska, including all that territory
which lies west of Missouri, Iowa, and
Minnesota. and east of the Rocky Noun
tains, extending north from 36 deg. 80
\. l.. to our territorial line, being in 40
deg. n. l.. and comprising one third OF
the free territory of the United States.
This territory, with that which now con-
stitutes Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana
comprised what was called the Louisiana
purchase"
When in 1920, Missouri desired admis-
sion as State, northern members of Con.
grcss objected to receiving any more Slave
States into the Union. The South threat
encd a dissolution and finally Mr.. CLAY
presented his compromise, which extend.
ed to that purchase and no further. Il
provided for the admission of Missouri
the whole of that State lying north of st
dec. 80, and the compromise simply pro
vidcd that from all the other territory III
cluded in that purchase, north Of SO &
'sidreIy shall be an6,ihe same is here By
FURECER erchNied."
The slave power viewed the full corSid-
Grafton of the compact which was the adj
mission of Missouri as Slave State. and
it solemnly pledged the remainder to Free
dom. The compact has been faithfully
observed up to this time. 1t was approx
ed by President Monroe and his entire
Cabinet, one of whom was Mr.. Calhoun
who to the day of his death held it sacred
and inyiolable. The perfidy of violating
it was reserved for the present party IL
power. tits now proposed by northern
doughface to violate that compact, and to
extend slavery over this vast region, and
to constitute slave markets on soil so long
con5ecrated to freedom. This is proposed
by northern mana large STAKEHOLDER
however; having as it Is said married the
daughter Of wealthy Slavedealer, who
had gained fortune in the traffic of hui
man flesh.
And the question now comes home te
every northern man: VIII the freeman
of our northern states suffer this outrage
upon the pledged faith of the nation, up
on humanity, upon the self respect of our
norther people, upon our national charac-
ter, upon Gods Law, to be pcrpetratcd!
| am happy to say that here . goodly
portion Of Northern Democrats say dis
tinctly they will die rather that adm such
piratical policy That so far as known
every northern Wing is hostile to it; and
from present indications, the political par
ties will be soon brought to the point OF
supporting freedom. In this rejoice ex-
ceedingly | long to see the day when a
man who votes for a candidate pledged to
either of the Baltimore Platforms shall
be regarded as an outlaw, unworthy Of
aSsociating with honest men, and discard
ed from human sympathieS-a supporter
of the highest crime known to human laws
and fit only for the gallows or block.
y ours G..