Washington sentinel., 1854-02-05
O. D nj M IL nitate6.
The Nebraska BIll-and the FreesoIlers.
New York, Feb. 3, 1854.

New YORK, Fsb 3, 1854.
Messrs. EDIToRs: The recent meeting held
at the Tabernacle in this city, to protest against
the Nebraska bill, was a very trifing affair in
numbers and enthusiasm, and has fallen life
less upon the public mind. In reality it was
such meeting as the freesoilers used to get up
in l848. The great principle that the people
of the Territories should be left to make their
own laws and form their own institutions has
been SO thoroughly discussed during the past
few years, that the masses understand and
favor it. Then, too, there is fixed determine
ton on the part of the people to adopt some
plan by which the slavery agitation shall be
forever kept ont of Congress, and the occupa-
ton OF demagogues in this line be thus ended
for all time to come. The freesoilers see this
will be the result, and that the hobby upon
which small men ride into office is to be taken
from them; hence, they are copscientiously
opposed to the Nebraska bill, and in favor of
keeping the slavery question an open one in
Congress and throughout the country.
But the Tabernacle meeting proves one thing
that the professed repentance of the freesoilers
was mere sham. The solid men of that fac
ton in this city, not the short boys,h were
present; and among them will only mention
Robert Emmett, William Havemeyer, Myndert
Van Schaick, and William G. Bryant, the edi-
tor of the Erening Post, the ally and confeder-
ate of your Washington Union. Postmaster
Fowler and dSurveyor-of-the-p Cochran stayed
away by suthority," it is supposed. The New
York Times, supporter of the cabinet and OPP
ponent Of the Nebraska bill, stated that Hon.
Greene q. Bronson was at the gathering, but
this little fiction was promptly corrected by a
note from that gentleman
1t is really gratifying to see these leading
freesoilers, now that the spoils are distributed,
come out in favor of their old freesoil princi-
pies 1t shows that their principles were only
hid in their hearts, while the shower of official
mama descended upon them from the powers
that be at Washington. They contend they
were not hypocrites during thedspensation of
patronage, but only like Joe Bagstock, "sly,
devilish sly.' This opposition to the Nebraska
bill only puts them back where they were in
lS4S-'49 and really have been ever since,
In 1913 they professed an ardent desire to die,
rather than Congress should fail to prohibit
slavery in the territories. In lS49, when the
democratic and freesoil conventions met at
Rome to patch up coalition, the freesoilers
twice passed resolution similar to the follow
ing, and sent it TO the democratic convention
as basis of union: :
Resolped, That the power of Congress over
slavery in the Territories of the United States is
questioned; this contention holds that the tsdsrai
gorerment possess the Legislative poaoer Slavery
az the territories, and ought to exercise az so as to
prerent tie existence Of siarery there.b
This union and harmony project was of
course rejected by the democratic convention,
and the coalition fell through.
In September, l849, at Utica, they again
adopted this resolution as expressing their
opinions and determination. After these re-
peated pronunciamentos, how can any one
call the freesoilers hypocrites, when they now
oppose the Nebraska bill, and demand that
Congress shall prohibit slavery in the Terrific
ries? Their apparent acquiescence in the
compromise Of 1850 merely proves that they
were sly, and thought the freesoil cat would
catch more mice if temporarily cooered wiM
meal The letter of Mr.. Jones, freesoil and
soft member Of Congress from the Onondaga
district in this State, to the Tabernacle meet
ing, denouncing the Nebraska BILL shows that
he thinks it is time to throw off the meal, and
let the Jerry rescuers at Syracuse, in his dis
trict, see that he is yet one Of them.
Mr.. Douglass speech on his bill is producing
a great impression, and ranks him among the
first men of the country for ability and states
manike qualities. He is laboring in good
cause, and the people appreciate his patriotic
efforts. His speech is unanswerable, and has
filed the freesoilers with CONSERVATION.
ADAMANTINE.