Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1854-03-11
Mr.. Everett and the Nebraska Bill.

MI. Everett and the Nebraska Bill.
1t has already been heralded through every
nook and corner of the South, by the political en-
emies of this distinguished son Of New England
that he was opposed to the Nebraska bill-there.
by endeavoring and hoping to blast his prospects
in the South for the Presidency, as he most I'm.
auestionably stands most prominent for that high
Office at the present time, of any in the Wing
party.
In his opposition to the Nebraska bill, Mr.. Ev-
KRETT was governed by a conscientious sense oil
duty to his constituents and to his country. Nc
one surely can be so prejudiced and SO bigo.ed as
10 impute to him other than the motives which in.
fuenced his opposition to the bill. His reputation
is too widespread and national-his political his
tory too intimately interviewer with our growth
and greatness for the last twenty-five years-to
be accused Of any sectional aims or sectional pre-
JUDGES in his advocacy Of: or opposition to, nation
al measures. Surely, the same degree of patriot
ism and a similar honesty will be attributed to
him as to those gentlemen who are in favor of the
bill alluded to.
1t is a libel of the grossest description to say
that Mr.. EVERETT is t%inctured in the least with
the foul spirit of abolitionism-as some have as
serted, in the face of the hatred which abolition.
lists have for the gentleman, and in the face, too,
of his past pure, brilliant and patriotic career as a
public man. The sentiments Of Mr.. EVERETT up
on the slavery question are not now for the first
time ~divulged, when he feels himself called upon
to speak on the Nebraska bill. Like many other
eminent men of his district of country. Mr.. Ev-
ERETr regrets the existence of involuntary slavery
under our flag, and like them too, he believes that
Providence will in his own good time, remove the
evil, while in the mean time he bitterly condemns
all sectional agitation on the subject. Much as Mr..
EVERETT has been in public life-much as he has
had TO say upon the question Of slavery, often as
he has come in contact with tive defy any one
to point to words or actions on his part respecting
this subject which are anything like as offensive
to Southern feelings and Southern sentiments, as
declarations against slavery which FRANKLIN
PIERCE made in various speeches, not to say any
thing Of his FreesoiI appointments since he be-
came President of the United States, which openly
certified to the fact and sincerity'of those declara-
We feel assured that EDWARD EvEREr7's posi-
on the Nebraska bill will not injure him with
the enlightened Wings of the South. They have
in him q surer friend on the subject of davery-
and sufficiently sure-thau Southern Democrats
had, or haze, in President PIERCE.
In his speech upon the Nebraska bill. the prin.
cipal objection of Mr.. EVERETT is his disinclina-
lion to interfere with the Missouri Compromise.
That our readers may know his sentiments upon
we make the following extract, being the
conclusion Of his speech on the Nebraska bill.
"A word more, sir, and l have done. With
to the great question of slavery-that
errible questionable only one on which the
North and the South of this great Republic
liffer irreconoilably-I have not, on this occa-
ion, a word to say. My humble career is
its close; and shall end it as
,egan, with using no other words on that SUBJ
ect than those Of moderation, conciIiation,
nd harmony between the two great sections of
# the country. blame no one who differs
rom me in this respect. l allow to others,
What ! claim for myself, the credict ofhonesty
nd purity Of motive. But for my own part,
he rule Of my life: as far as circumstances have
nabled me to act up to it, has been, to say
that would tend to kindIe unkind feel
on this subject. l have never known men y
this, or any other subject, to be CONVINCED
y harsh epithets or denunciation. I
l believe the union of these States is the r
possible blessing-that it comprises
itself all other blessings, political, ma
ional and social; and / trust that my eyes may
lose long before the day shall come-ifit ever .
hall come, when that Union shall be at an end. ;
lii, | share the opinions and the sentiments of t
he part Of the country where l was born and t
where my ashes will be laid, and
phere my children will succeed me. But in r
elation to my fellow citizens in other parts of ;
he country, ] will treat their constitutional and :
heir legal rights with respect, and their charac. :
ers and their feelings with tenderness. be-
'eve them to be as good Christians, as good
atr'ots, as good men, as we are; and ! claim .
hat we, in our turn, are as good as they. i
! rejoiced to hear my friend from Kentucky, t
MIR. Dixon, it he will allow me to call him so, r
concur most heartily in the sentiment-utter
nc opinion that a wise and gracious Providence,
bis own good time, will find the ways and
re channels to remove from the land what
this great evil; but I do not expect e
'at what has been done in three centuries and t.
half is to be undone in a day or a year, or a n
" years; and ] believe that, in the mean time. {
q desired end will be retarded rather than
BY passionate sectional agitation. .,
further, that the fate of that great and :.
teresting continent in the elder world, Africa. u
closely e~ntestwined and wrapped up with Of
. fortunes Of her children in all tie parts OIL
earth to which they have been dispersed,