The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-06-15
THE PEOPLE sPEA9Ne.

ton for municipal officers of Ihe consolidated
city of Philadelphia, includ lg the former
county and city, and embracing larger pop
ulation than that of South Cas- lima. The Ad-
ministration Party was comp Stely Frustrated,
the good People of Philadelphia availing them
selves of the occasion to adD Onish President
Pierce and Senator Douglas that they have
committed fatal blunder the passage of
the Nebraska bill. Robert I Conrad, candi-
date of the Wings and Kno'f Nothings, was
elected Mayor, by a majority of 5000 over
Richard Vaux, Pierce candidate Isaac T.
Hazlehurst, Wing City Solicitor, by MAORI
ty of II 900; John N. Henderson, Wing, City
Comptroller, majority 5000; Adam Much,
Whig City Commissioner, majority of 8. 900.
OF the "a wards 30 give ma;Orities for Con-
rad, and elect to the City Council 43 Wings,
II Pierce men, and Reformers. Twenty-Five
wards return to the Select Cornell II Wings,
A Pierce men, and l Reformer
How much the Know Moth ngs had to do
with the result it is impossible to say but the
Pierce men themselves admis that one great
cause of their defeat was thstpassage of the
Nebraska Bill. A morning p~per in this city
says, the election seemed toy 70 contest be-
tween Conservatism and Ra5calism." That
may answer for this latitude but nobody in
Philadelphia so understood it. The Wings, in
fact made opposition to the N Sraska Bill and
Slavery Extension the main iss :, and put forth
the most fervent appeals to le Anti Slavery
sentiment of the community. t great meet
ing held few evenings befor' the Hon. H. D.
Moore President, said the pc pie present had
assembled to declare their pr ference for the
municipal ticket headed by &c rad and Halle
hurst and also to denounce tk Administration
for the cOnSummatiOn Of the Ne rGSka iniquity"
Mr. McMichael said:
If this policy of sacrifcip3 everything to
the spirit Of Slavery was persis Jed in, the inter-
ests of those present could mol but suffer to a
fearful extent. In the South,tYll labor is de-
graded While in the North 8 labor was dig
niiied, those who work were 1espised in the
Southern States The peopl of the South
seemed determined to make 3 cir system gov
ern the country. They had Z ready governed
the country too much. The sgd EN- had already
taken bread out of our mouth But it never
had made such strides as With b the last four
weeks, by the passage of th' Nebraska bill.
Thirty years ago, the South hs entered into a
solemn compact that Slavery lould not be ex-
tended above certain line. I ais compact has
been violated, and now all the Territories were
open to Slavery"
I" Elk Governor Johnston was chen introduced
to the meeting. He said that, f there was any
error in his appearance at thi asscmblage it
was an error of anxiety for t4e success Of a
good cause. He then went into q history Of the
Slave Power from 1912 to the present day, and
referred briefly to what was - prospect. He
saw plainly that the country wauld be agitated
By this question of the exteprion Of Slavery
and then the men who had oSused the agita-
ton would threaten to dissolve the Union, if
we dared to open our lips. The Governor pro-
cecded to discuss the question at length and
with his usual force and elOquence.
"Tbe Hon. Robert T. Conras was then in
troduccd to the meeting and TSss received with
cheers. He said that be wssSAxtremely sorry
that indisposition had robbed N;m of his voice
He lacked both voice and ST sngth. But he
congratulated those assemble, upon the pros
pect Of a complete triumph or Tuesday night.
He announced that he concu red entirely in
the views of Governor Johnst On in regard to
the Nebraska bill. He had been addressed
upon this subject, but had foul 4 no opportuni-
ty to reply. He took this occf sion to say that
he abhorred the outrage effected by a snbser-
Went Congress- under the inilaepce of cor
rupting Administration, by which the Terrific
ries had been opened to Slavetu."
The editorials of the Nor!-l american, for
some time before the election, '-ere in q similar
strain-nothing of what the Ia'etfgencsr styles
Conservatism" about them Ehey were full of
determined Anti Slavery sentiraent. 1t will be
recolIecbed, too, that the Independent Demo-
cratic Committee of Philadelphia, some time
before the election, questioned the several can
didates as follows:
care you opposed to the repeal of the Mis-
souri, Compromise?
care you opposed to the extension of Slavery
to the Territories of the United States!
care you in favor of the freedom of the
public lands to actual settcrsR"
The Pierce candidates declSed to reply to
these questions, on the ground that national
issues should not enter intOA local elections
Favorable replies were receivtS from several
opposition candidates, and ttdge Conrad, as
we have seen above, gave an pphatic answer
afirmatively in his speech.
The letter of Mr.. Hazlehur was peculiarly
explicit and hearty.
81. am decidedly oppOsed-:o the repeal of
the Missouri Compromise.
~. am opposed to the ztensiOn of Sla-
very to any Territory of the United States,
directly or indirectly.
50. | am in favor of the fres dom of the pub
lie lands to actual settlers"
And be was elected by majority of Il 900,
although he ran also against Native Ameri-
can competitor
These facts tell their own story. Philadel-
phia has put the stamp of Der Reproduction
upon the Nebraska outrage, and tho Admins
tration and Congressman who committed it.
And what that city has done Pennsylvania
will do next October, if all her citizens who
cherish the Anti-Slavery sentisent, will agree
to work together for the overthrow of the Ad-
rnnistration Party. Divided now, there is yet
time for union and a concentration of their
forces. There is yet time fou1 friendly inter
change of views among the Leading men of all
the parties opposed to the Nebraska iniquity,
and the series of measures oSxhich it is the
forerunner. Let them recola<et that it was
their State which turned the > ale in favor of
the Slavery Propaganda D was the solid
phalanx of PrO-Slavery voters, rom that State
on which Pierce, Douglas, I ombs, and Ste
phens, relied for the repeal { the Missouri
Compromise. A moro than binary response
bhty then rests upon her cits- ns, in this crisis,
and they will be inexcusabk if they neglect
any honest effort to rebuke tb men who have
misrepresented her, and make her voice hence