Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-02-17

The Douglas Fraud.
The un-statesmanlike manner in which Mr..
Douglas manages his Nebraska bill, is almost
as remarkable as the wickedness of the out
rage it involves, or the cowardly way in which
he strives to avoid discussion and spur it
through Congress.
The bill has already been altered 6ps times
since it was first introduced. Originally it
left the question of Slavery to be settled by
the Courts. Then two important sections
were added, said to have been omitted By dcci-
dent. Then it was amended 50 as to pro-
vide for ttco Territories, and the Missouri
Compromise declared "inoperatipe." Then
another amendment declared the Missouri
Compromise &C superseded " by that of 1850;
and in its final shape as at present before the
country, the Missouri Compromise is broadly
declared inconsistent with the principles Of
previous compacts, and rod. Whether there
are more notifications to come, who knows
Already in number they rival the modiica-
tions and drafts of the " Note of the Four Pow
ers in Europe, which filed the public mind
before this treachery at home distracted our
attention from disturbances abroad. Like
those - notifications Of the trembling di
plomatists of the Old World, too, these mod
iications of the Douglass i~niquity show a
nervous dread of consequences, the ~vacilla-
tion between a desire to curry favor with
despotism and the fear of indignation from
the friends of Freedom.
But under all its Protean shapes, the evil
rheditatcd is the same. And to realize in
some measure the enormity of that evil, we
have but to consider that if this bill is passed,
about fire hundred thousand square miles is
added to the area already open to Slavery. If
it is passed, the extent of Slave territory IN
the United States will more than double the
Free. At present there are seventeen Free
States to fourteen Slave States, and thus u
check may be held upon the Slave power by a
Northern majority in the Senate, if a check
it can be called, when there are Northern
doughfaces 70 be found there, who are not only
always ready and eager to second the de-
mands of the South, but ,as in this case, prof.
fer upasked, q boon which, grasping as ia
its spirit, Slavery had not the hardihood ia
ask for itself. But the States to be carved
out of this new territory will soon throw the
balance of power on the other side, and the
Free States be left helpless in the hands OIL
the South.
1t IL true the Northern friends of thil
measure say that all this excitement il
about an abstraction, that Slavery can never
be valuable in this new territory and viii
never be found there, whatever be the lcgisla
: ton on the matter. But if so, why repea
The Missouri Compromised Ifof no value tt
his Southern masters why does this Douglas
offer themthis service ! The best part of tn
new territory, lies as far south as Mis-
! souri, and in fact extends dow the Who'll
width of Missouri, a Stare State. More
over slavery is now profitable in Nebraska. |
. already er,sts there. Not only have men gon
e in from Missouri and Arkansas with slaves
l but the Indians, some of them, hold slaves. an
: the y. Y. Tribune is informed that Mr.. Orr
: Chairman of the House committee on India
t affairs, has a bill prepared, which he will in
troduce after the passage of the Nebrask
act, which gives to each Indian in the terri
tory so much land, and 10 those who ha,
Y siaues, an additional quantity, 10 each accor'
e ing TO the number ofsldUes he may possess thu
u recognizing slavery there by a Legislative &C
n The programme to be carried out by II
South, when once it gets the power, is bold
avowed by the Washington correspondent
the n. Y Journal of Commerce, one of tt
- trmest advocates of the repeal Of the Nilsson
- Compromise. We find it set in order in tt
i \. Y. Courier, as follows
First. The repeal of the Compromise
lie 1920.
Second. The abrogation of the Compromi'
ID of 1850.
n Third. The repeal of the Proviso as appli,
IN to Oregon and Washington Territories.
ID Fourth. The repeal of all Compromises {
H. the subject Of Slavery,
lie FJih. The repeal ofthc Ordinxce of lis
:, Sitth. Gas IL consequence Of the flith) Il
m introduction, by Congressional Legislation,
Slavery in the Free States.
n Sectnth. CASA consequence of the Fourth
st the prompt repeal ftle Fugitive Act, 18th
of every man may catch his own niger
h, This is what the South would do, and &
te Richmond Inquirer tells what it believes t
North will do. 1t says
- :" The North is split and d'rided~ into ia
II. tions-each Gidding Jor Southern support, Al
ct dependiRg upon ttor ertstence. Let Southe
IN men knoW fhiS, and realise Il; let then,
a. mand, ,ithom noise, bit nth The calm fir
er ness which belongs 10 a Just cause, the obse
es cdnce Of their rights, and they cannot taitn
in TO secure them."
ly That is it. The South is to do all t
asking and the North all the granting, Sh'
to it always be sol