The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-02-02
NO. 80.
,,,w TIE PRESENT BILL HAS BEEN MATuRE6

HOW TIE PRESENT BILL Has BEEN MATuRED
The Nebraska Bill, originally introduced by
AIR Douglas, did not formally or directly touch
che question of Slavery in the Territory, durin e
=. D,,iiorial condition; but several provisions
n It interpreted in the light of the principles
laid down ia the Report, contemplated the OK
;stonee of Slavery among the inhabitants and
conveyed the implication that the Missouri
COMPROMISE was no longer in force 1t was
doubtless hoped that tho measure would be
satisfactory to the Slave Power, without greatly
offending the mass of the Democratic Party at
the North; and should it receive the sanction
If Congress Its prominent authors would be
landed FOX the sagacity and tact with which
they had steered between extreme opinions,
.,J nrevented q sectional conflict; and they
,ro,,J probably secure to themselves the leader
shin Of the d lmCcracy.
Ne nredicted at the time that the Bill was
mt quite up to the demands of the Slave Inter
-. and that amendments would probably be
,rnnosed. This prediction was founded upon
i,,', observation CT the extreme jealousy Of the
Stockholders. and upon view OF the division
:, the Administration Party into two factions,
ono of which was anxious to destroy the other,
and could devise no surer means OF accom-
plishing this, than by getting up an extreme
nro-slayery test, to separate, in the language OF
one Of its organs, between the goats and the
sheep"
We were not mistaken. Southern newspa.
rers began to express discomfort with the Bill;
and the " Sentinel" the organ of the Hards,"
minated that the rights OF the South ought
not to be left to implication. If there was a
doubt as TO the real meaning of the Bill, it
should be removed Accordingly, an amend
ment, in the form of a supplemental section,
which had been omitted through "a clerical
error" was reported and published, declaring
that all questions pertaining to Slavery an the
Territories and in the new States to be formed
thcrefiom. arc to be left to the decision Of the
people residing therein, through their appropri-
ate representatives"
This certainly would satisfy the South, and
1t was hoped that an article which appeared in
the organo about the same time, speaking of
the Missouri Compromise as being yet in force,
although it imposed only Dan honorary obli-
CATION" might prevent any general opposition
on tho part of the Administration party at the
North
Ii was hard task-this endeavor to recon-
Gle contradictions-no easier than for q camel
to 90 through the eye of a needle-and YET, one
which nearly all our politicians have attempted.
That it did not succeed in this case, was owing
crs.
The Slave Interest was kecnsighted enough
to sec, that there was still room for u doubt
that the courts might hold That positive act
Of Congress- partaking Of the nature of a COM
pact part of which had been fulfilled and q
part Of which remained yet to be fulfilled,
conld not be set aside by an implication. And
those Shareholders who favored the Hards,"
evidently approhended that the test was not
s.rong enough to try the fidelity of tho "Softs !"
after all, they might accept it, retain their hold
upon the administration, and then explain
everything away, as they had donc in relation
to the Baltimore platform.
In the struggle between tho men of Gilead
and the men of Ephraim for the mastery, they
had great difficulty in knowing one from the
oiher-thcy were Eo much alike, and besides,
the Gieadites were said to be fugitiyes of
Ephraim among tho Erhraimites and among
the Manassites. AZ last, the Gileadites took the
passage Of the Jordan before the Ephraimites,
and 1t was so, that when those Ephrsimites
which wero escaped said, Let me go by
that the men of Gilead said unto him, art
thou an Ephraimite1 F he said, nay, then
said they unto him, say now, Shibboleth; and
he said, Sibbolcth, for he could not frame to
pronounce it right. They then took him and
slew him at the passage of the Jordan"
The Sibboleth was not yet found to test tho
g Hards and Softs both could frame to pro-
nounce the original Bill Of Mr.. Douglas. This
would never do--thc Shibboleth was yet to be
iHyontcd
few extracts from the special correspond
cnce OF t!c Richmond Va) Enquirer, will serve
to show the stimulantS applied to the inventive
genius of our bunker politicians. The writer
II probably a member of Congress from Vir-
giniI, OF one of it's editors
THIS Nebraska bill, the original one, "will
u Is feared reopen all the fountains Of bit
terneNs, which it was hoped were forever closed.
lhG', who will attempt to use this perilous
element of discord as mans for pro,iloting
fAc'r o'on political, ambitious ends, ato,sid be
'"eH remembered by The country"
formidable threat coming from the lead
ing Democratic paper of the South.
He doubts whether it was necessary to intro
dnce any BILL but if it were necessary, swhy
IL IT attempted TO be done in such manner as
Is not only offensive to very large portion OF
inc southern Democracy by re-eaaeting ,chat
"'es "frer endor,ed, but only aequie'ced in for
NE NiSe q harmony, and as a final settlement of
"'N"'o'"g qpest'on,9 Or why is it now, thus
carly again proposed to pcrpetrate foul injus-
''ce ON the South by excluding Slavery from
tho Territory as long as it may remain Terri
tory thus depriving one section of the country
OIL inc right OF taking their property there?"
Rather cruel thus to be reproached for at
'oi"p''ng to rc-enact the Compromise of 1850
Inc niaSter-Strokc of the Bal, as its projectors
iancicd
Tie proceeds to speak of the profound scnsa-
""n among southern members, and their de-
'''ei friends from the North and announces,
tho "outh will demand tho insertion, in the
proposed bull, OF some such amendment az that
oier1d by Mr. Dixon, of Kentucky, repeating
'he Missouri Compromise of 1920 Many of
the sound men of the North will sustain such
an Amendment unon the general ground taken