Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-02-22
NEBaAsKA-AN ERROR CORRECTED.

name for the truth OF liis statements
Ed. Era.
NEBRAsKA-AN ERROR CORRECTED.
PLAINyIELD IND, I'd mo. 10, 1854.
To tie Editor OF tie National Era:
In the remarks OF Senator Douglas in the
Senate. January 80, on the Address Of certain
members Of Congress relative 70 the Nebraska
Bill, there is u statement which think that
Justice requires should be corrected And J
would here remark, that spent about three
years as missionary in Nebraska and know
whereof speak, and shall state nothing that
cannot be well authenticated. The Senator
states that he heard minister Of the Gospel
telling member of the Committee on Terrific
ries that missionary and his wife, from Bos-
ton, went out. to Nebraska, and, being desti-
tute Of 4 help," he went down 10 Missouri and
bought a slave, for ISL 900, TO help him. Now
in all the acquaintance which formed In that
Territory, | never heard of any such thing
But this knoao that very worthy missionary
from Massachusetts did buy slave, not for
1000 but for q much lees sum; and at the
same time made contract with him, that so
soon as he should have worked enough to pay
for his purchase money, he should 60 free;
nay, he told him that he would leave it entire
ly to his honor that he might leave at any
time, if he chose; but the slase preferred to
pay for his freedom, and 80 remained until the
whole of his ransom was paid. His wife, a
free woman, was living with the missionary,
and they were treated much more like breth-
rem than like slaves; and when the slave had
got his freedom, the missionary assisted him in
fitting out for California
understand thai the superintendent Of the
Methodist mission in Nebraska has gone to
Washington Ms an advocate for the propaga-
ton Of Slavery in that Territory apd have
every reason to believe that he is the minister
Of the Gospel referred to by Senator Douglas
Now, happen to know something about this
minister, and the mission over which he pre-
Sides once sojourned ut that mission about
a month, and they had plenty Of the kind Of
g help which the honorable Senator speaks Of,
for they had about dozen slaves there, to aid
in civilizing and Christianizing the Indians,
and some of those slaves belonged to this same
worthy minister; and there was a bitter enmity
among them towards the missionary first spo-
ken Of because he treated the negroes under
his care 30 kindly.
During the rule Of a former superintendent
Of this mission, o poor slave was knocked down
with stone, and then tied To tree and se-
verely whipped, under the eye and by the direc-
ton of the superintendent. And what was
this severity for Z Simply because the slave
did not Instantly obey hired oyeraeer, and re-
fused to be whipped by him.
This mission il under the control Of the
Methodist Church South and for several years
they carefully concealed from the Indians the
great difficulty and separation in the Methodist
Church on the subject Of Slavery But some
Of the Indians got wind of IT, and asked their
white brethren for an explanation and history
Of the difficulty. The missionaries endeavored,
first by frowns and then by threats, to keep
the Indians quiet on the subject; but the more
they threatened, the more the Indians wouldn't
be still, and finally separated themselves from
the Methodist Church South and were joined
to the Northern or true Methodist Church.
And those same missionaries are, in great
measure, responsible for the existence Of Slave
ry in Nebraska, for there ara but two or three
Indians that own slaves-the graater portion
Of them being utterly opposed to Slavery.
RICHARD MEnDENHALL.