Washington sentinel., 1854-05-26
"LET THE HEATHEN RAGE"
HREPEAI.v

"LET THE HEATHEN RAGE"
"REPEAL."
We have never been of those who believed
that the Nebraska question had broken up the
fountains Of the great deep. We have never
believed that agitation and excitement were
more than skin-deep even with the abolitionists,
freesoilers, factionists, and incendiaries. As to
other people-the honest masses-they have
never been excited. At the south they knewthat
their representatives were honest and capable
men. They had faith in them and were willing
to leave the disposal Of this question with them.
At the north the masses of the people-the
honest yeomanry, the substantial, sensible men
have not suffered themselves to be carried away
by excitement. They have been willing also
to leave the question in the hands and to the
management of their representatives. But for
the abolitionists and incendiaries Congress
would not have been troubled with remon-
strances, memorials, and petitions, AS there
are no abolitionists and incendaries in the
slave States the repose of the southern people
was unbroken. There were no petitions--no
meetings-no connections. There was simply
quiet, but fixed and earnest desire that the
Nebraska bill should pass.
1t has passed, despite all the clamors, the
threats, the gatherings, the petitions, and the
sermons Of the abolitionists. Every influence
that could be summoned to deter senator's and
representatives from voting for the bill was
brought to bear. Cruel threats of unparalleled
vengeance were uttered; repeal was to be the
watch-word the Capitol was to be burned, and
political damnation was to be the fate of every
man, especially from the free States, who went
for the bill.
But the bill has passed; and according even
to the Washington correspondent of the New
York Times, one Of the most furious of the
anti-N Nebraska journals, "The excitement on
the Nebraska question has been succeeded by
an unusual calmness in all quarters"
The Capitol still stands. The opponents of
the measure in Congress eat, drink, and are
merry as usual Scowling aboltionists even
have been seen to smile. The two houses of
Congress pursue the even tenor of their way.
Their business is discharged with even more
than usual assiduity. Men, women, and child
rem 60 about the streets as usual. The direful
results that were to flow from the passage of
what the abolitionists called that measure of
intamy and fraud" have not yet appeared.
There has been no earthquake-not even
thunderstorm. True, we have had rain; but
it has been gentle, a genial, and pleasant
shower-such a shower as we may expect and
as we usually have in the fowery month of May.
The croakings of ill-omened birds were to
no purpose-the Vaccinations of abolitonists
and incendiaries have not been fulfilled. No
ghosts shrek and gibber in the streets, to the
alarm of timid people. There has been no
convulsion of nature. Men do not look pale
with their rattles, and the game and the feast
go on.
There is a calm; and that calm will con-
tinue throughout the country, except in the
ranks of those reckless men who know no
peace, whose consciencies are uneasy and who,
in CONSCIENCE, try to keep the whole world in
state of feverish excitement. "There is no
peace for the wicked" But they may rave,
and rant, and writhe-it will only be waste
of agony. They can accomplish nothing. If
they could not defeat the Nebraska bill, they
cannot procure its repeal. They may inscribe
in white letters on their black and piratical
flag the word "repeal; j" they may get up din
that will deafen their neighbors they may
howl like watch.dogs in the nighttime, or bel
low like bulls in the daytime-but it will all be
in vain. The law passed will stand, and stand
forever. 1t will stand at once as the record of
their infamy, and monument to the brave,
faithful, and true-hearted men who voted for it.
Rattlesnakes would be dangerous if they
we're not so silly as to give notice of their
presence by means Of their rattle; and abolition
lists might be dangerous if they we're only quiet.
They destroy themselves by the clamor they
raise. They disgust with their indecency, and
shock with their profanity. The more noisy
and blasphemous, the more harmless they are.
The higher the ground they take, the less are
hey to be dreaded. They commenced with
abolition, they have reached disunion, and they
ire now on the brink of rank infidelity.
Let them move. The more they show them
elves, the more they will be despised. Gre
'ealr' Let them raise that cry, for it means
be repeal not only of the Nebraska bill, but,
f the Constitution and of the Bible.
<e~s~------
Lord Elgin, in company with the President Of
ne United States visited the Washington navy
ard on Wednesday when the usual salute TO
ie Chief Magistrate was fred from the big guns.