Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-06-19
sEWARD's PROTEST.

slavery into free Territory, in which he
defines the future position of the North
ern States and parties, protesting against
the action of the South:
But African Slave emigration is TO
compete with the free emigration of
white men, and the source of this latter
tide is ample as the civilization of two
entire continents. The honorable SEN
ator from Delaware mentioned, as if il
were a startling fact, that twenty thou
sand European emigrants arrived in New
York in one month. Sir, he has stated
that fact with too much moderation. On
my return to the capital day or two a
20, | met twelve thousand Of these emf
grants who had arrived in New York on
one morning, and who had thronged the
churches on the following Sabbath to re-
turn thanks for their deliverance from
the perils of the sea, and for their arri-
val in a land not Of Slavery but of liber-
". also thank God for their escape.
and for their coming. They are on their
way now to the West, and the news of
the passage of this bill preceding them
will speed many Of them toward Kansas
and Nebraska. Such arrivals are not
extraordinary--they occur almost every
week, and the immigration from Germa-
ny, from Great Britain, and Norway,
and Sweden, during the European war,
will rise to six or seven hundred thou
sand souls in year. And with this tide
is 10 be mingled one rapidly swelling
nom Asia and from the islands of the
South Seas. And all these enigrants
under this bill, as the House OF Repre-
seataiiyes, overrnling you, have order
ed, will be good, loyal, iiberty.loving
slaycry-fearing citizens. Come on then,
gentlemen Of the Slave States. Since
there is no escaping your challenge, |
accept it in behalf Of the cause Of free.
dom. We will engage in competition
for the virgin soil of Kansas, and God
give the victory to the side which is
stronger in numbers as it is in right
There are advocates Of this bill! equal
Is earnest who do not expect and who,
! suppose, do not desire that Slavery
shall gain possession Of Nebraska
What DO they expect to gain !? The no.
uaya5le Senator from Indiana, { Mr.. Pc
IT'D says that by thus CELEBRATING the
Missouri Compromise restriction they
will gain ted uta rasa, on which the in
Aa5itauts of Kansas and Nebraska may
write whatever they will. This is the
great principle of the bill, as he under
stood it. Well, what gain is there in
that? Yon obliterato a Constitution Of
freedom. If they write a new Consti-
tu.ion Of freedom, can the new be bet
Ter than the cid? Il they write a Con-
%i.Ntion IF Slavery, will it not be a
worse one ? l ask the honorable Sena-
tor chat! But the honorable Senator
says that the people Of Nebraska will
have the privilege Of establishing insti-
tutions for themselves. They have now
The privilege Of establishing free insti-
tu.;1ns. Is it a privilege, then, TO es-
ta1,j,L Slavery? Ii SO, what a mocke-
~ are all our Constitutions which pre-
vent tie Inhabitants from capriciou>ly
>uhyerliag free institutions and estab-
fishing Institutions Of Slavery Sir, it
Is sophism, subtIety, TO talk Of con-
ierfjag upon a country already secure in
the blessings Of freedom the power Of
seii-destruclion. What mankind every
where want is not the removal Of con-
sita.ions Of freedom that they may make
at their pleasure constitutions either OF
slavery or freedom, but the privilege of
retaining constitutions Of freedom when
they already have them, and the reno
'ol Of constitutions OF slavery, when
iacy have them, that they may establish
constitutions of freedom in their place.
We hold on tenaciously to The existing
constitutions OF the freedom. Who de-
noances any man for diligently adhering
to such constitutions ? Who would dare
TO denounce any ono for disloyalty TO
or existing Consultations if they were
constitutions of despotism and SIas cry ?
BIZ; it is supposed by some that The APP
pdcation Of this principle is less impor-
i@nt in regard TO Kansas and Nebraska
than as general principle applicable to
GA NNt!Gi blCNGslt alIN 5QLNi ACAI tttAA 60
Of the United States. Do honorable SEN
ators then indeed suppose they are es-
tablishing principle at all? If 50, l
think they egresiously err-whether the
principle is either good or bad, right or
wrong. They are not establishing it anC
cannot establish it in this way. You
subvert one law capriciously by making
another law in its place. That is ALL
VIII your new law have any moro
weight, authority, solemnity, or binding
force on future Congresses than the frs
had? You abrogate the law of youl
REPRESENTATIVES, will have equal
power and equal liberty to abrogate
yours. You allow no barriers raised a
round the old law to protect it from alb.
rogation. You erect none around youl
new law to stay the hand Of future in.
noyaters. On what ground do you eX-
pcct the new law TO stand ? If you are
candid, you will confess that you resi-
Your hopes on the ground that the free
States never agitate repeal, but always
aequiesce. Ii may be that you are right
am not going to predict the course Of
lie free States. claim no authority to
speak for them and less to say what they
VIII dc. But may venture 80 say that
II