The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-17

Congress- has ever made one scre eethe action OF the
people In their sovereignty has made millions OF
miles consecrate to freedom. But II slavery be an
accursed crime, why cavil traffic, and huckster
against human rights and divine ordinance, what
principle shall any portion Of territory even though
South Of so mn be surrendered to the grasp Of
abandoned and another adopted the whole or none"
If you possess the power over part you do over the
whole Why claim to be SO much boiler than Others
there il any danger OF its introduction and ask Tor iree
dom only what freedom win secure for itsef without
your adf The friends of the Nebraska bill are more
consistent-we will none Of it We wash our hands of
tive desire Congress to get rid Of the theme-we have
faith in the popular wnwe think It will be for free
territory-we have faith In the popular nterest-we
think it will be free labor We know that the immense
tide Of emigration from the Northern States the mighty
the Old World win whether North or south q the line
DO instinctively for free labor We know that slave
property is too cumbrous and bulky to migrate to the
ton at the ballot boxes and that unless assured not
only by positive law but by decided surrounding pubic
sentiment riches of this sort especially are doubtful
value. Unless the whole theory OF our government be
e-unless the basis upon which institutions rest
is fallacy-then must the principle of the Ne.
S sns
It simply asserts the right and duty OF the
people Of State Territory to regulate their own 90
mestic affairs If they organize free States 1t Will De
WE'LL If slave States better that than the establish
men and recognition of centralized power in Congress
over the the OF the religion al ,ns
conservaors Of lie property freedom Of thought the
liberty Of speech and the press ali these have been
to yoate great principle of to satisfy the
qualms of few self sufficient theorists on negro senti
mentality to claim that an act o. ,Gy ras
liable mischief and troubeit should be persevered in
and continued in l854s
At the conclusion of Mr.. McMurray's speech, Mr..
SHEPARD addressed the meeting follows
Mr. Chairman and fellow citixens-We have assembled
somewhat peculiar The Congress- of the United States
most respectable citizens of great distinction and
great weight of opinion in the democratic party-have
beon personally and vndctvely assaed for the express
sion Of their opinions upon the Nebraska and Kansas
bill. Till tonight have permitted the discussion of
these bills to pass into other hands; but now upon
every great public question, Tammany Hall has arisen
and speaks again in behalf Of popular rights and
popular liberty. What these bills which are made
territories in the great western country which was In
cuded in the Louisiana grant Of 1903 Nobody doubts
that the establishment of these Territories is requisite at
this tme indeed any doubt could have been enter
tanned upon the subject it must have been entirely aayed
by the clear and distinct statement of the territorial
delegate who says that these Is in all that territory
whatever to protect life and property I'm
der these circumstances bill was introduced at the
sent session. introduced at the last session. to
tonaby required There Indian rights in that
Territory, and 1t provided In this bill that these In
dian rights should be regarded and the Territorial 60
yernment established republican form Of govern
menta government of the people-an elective govern
ment-such government Tammany Hall has always
sustained. (Applause) Now, fellow citizens let ask
two questions in reference to the details Of this
matter. It is proposed to appoint government for
that territory Is proposed to elect council and
to give the voters the same qualifications they
have in this city, and to require the same quail
give to the cause of public education grants Of land
Well, may be astonished when find that there is
some opposition-great oppostonto the establishment
of republican government in that Territory From
whom does this opposition come In the frst place it
comes from the aboonists, who have recognized
republican government, nor, indeed any government
with the fidelity that becomes citizens (Applause 1t
comes in the second place. from whigs the legitimate
of the old federal party who admired
from body Of clergymen acting In their ecclesiastical
capacity who think the wrath Of Almighty God will be
visited upon If republican government should be
the fourth place. from the gentlemen who have very
great doubts Of the justice, and who think that
the Missouri compromise was compact Now, let
consider for moment what compact is.
He reviewed ut length the entire history Of the Missouri
Arkansas and Maine. He confessed that the mode in
which the opposition to this had been brought
forward somewhat surprising, and he doubted not
this country 1t had been advanced by unusual pro-
cesses. For example AT the Tabernacle, two nights
ago. he was very much amazed to see the name of most
estimabe and benevolent citizen-Mr Peter Coopcr-in
the list Of Vice Presidents. Being somewhat surprised
that Mr. Cooper should assume such ground this he
uOut
by his authority, and the reply was No." Applause }
These gentlemen, whose morals above constitutions
and laws Of all kinds and who are law unto themselves
and recognize other, ought surely not to stoop TO
zaioc Pratt also had repudstcd their and
lie took upon him to say the of large number of
those gentlemens They tell you that those bills
designed to extend slavery do not think that qucs
ton of extension of slavery enters at all into the discus
sion. Mr. Everett comedies, in his place in the Senate
that there is danger of the extension of slavery in
these Territories. Mr. Greeley thinks otherwise but
his occupation is zone. When look at the sourteenth
section Of the bill find it clearly stated in these words
at being the true intent and meaning of this act not
it thercfrom, but to leave the people thereof per-
fectly free to form and regulate their domestic
institutions in their own way under the constitution of
the United States that the people know better
of their wants than any resident possibly know
for them assume that man who is capable of govern
ing himself in the State of New York does that
capacity in going into Nebraska Kansas. And yet
these gentlemen would have you think that they
affected BY sort of moral cloud that does not permit
them to judge have always been taught that the
mere ground on which nations live upon is not the
nations themselves but the people, who constitute the
State And it is this doc rne that is sought to be
thrown and scattered TO the wind by those who have held
themselves faithful to doctrine under the canopy
heaven. (Aprlause) They propose to leave this ques
how docs member of Congress act upon this question
Under what influence does he cast that vote Is 1t
advance the interests of the people Of Nebraska and
KansasY No 1t is to secure his re election in his
own district. Why should those people stand bound
under and incapable of uteng the first word upon the
subject of their own wishes when members Of Congress
who never saw it, who did not for it, who have
interest in Nebraska and Kansas trading OF and log
rolling with their rights though they beasts Of
the field. (Appause) Against such doctrine as this
Tammany Hall protests. trust in God that whatever
may happen shall behave truly to the South upon this
and every other question. Great applause.) That
is to say, we shall do duty under the const
tuition, as we ought to do it. Can any man think
il advisable to take that sacred instrument and
destroy that glorious fabric of government which
has become the admiration Of the world, and which will
be the protection Of posterty for the purpose Of satisfy
ing few mistaken men, who think that compact
which, after all is not compac-s above all constu
tions and regulations. deprecate the doctrine which
have heard advanced that every who turns his
towards the south must turn his back toward the North
(GIeat applause. There such thing in the const
tutontLcre is such thing in the democratic creed
there is no such thing found among the fathers of the
democratic church. Let take that creed we find it
uttered BY distinguished chief whose portrait graces
that banner-'A common brotherhood-no North, no
South, no East, no West'-or rather may utter the
words OF mighty statesman who for many years stood
prominent figure before the country always in host