Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-01-24

were intended to appear. to-day.
ADDRESS OF THE INDEPENDENT DEMO
GRATIS In CONGRESS-
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES.
Shall Slavery be Permitted in Nebraska
WASHINGTON, January %, 1854.
Fellow CITIZENS
As Senators and Representatives in the Con-
gress Of the United States, it is our duty to
warn our constituencies whenever imminent
danger menaces the Freedom of our lnstitu-
tions or the Permanently Of our Union.
Such danger, as we firmly believe, now i'm
pends and we earnestly solicit your prompt
attention to it.
At the last session Of Congress, bill for the
passed the House Of Representatives, with an
Overwhelming majority That bill was based
on the principle OF excluding Slavery from the
new Territory. 1t was not taken up for con-
sideration in the Senate, and consequently fail
| ed to become law.
| AT the present session, new Nebraska bill
has been reported by the Senate Committee on
| Territories, which, should it unhappily receive
the sanction of Congress, will open all the un-
organized territory of the Union to the ingress
Of Slavery.
We arraign this bill as gross violation Of a
sacred pledge; as q criminal betrayal Of pre-
cious rights as part and parcel of an atrocious
plot to exclude from q vast unoccupied region,
immigrants from the Old World and free Ia
borers from our own States, and convert it into
dreary region Of despotism, inhabited by
masters and slaves
Take your maps, fellow-citizens, we entreat
you, and see what country it is which this bill
gratuitously and recklessly, proposes to open to
Slavery.
From the southwestern corner of Missouri pur-
sue the parallel of SO deg 80 min. north latitude
westwardly across the Arkansas, across the
north fork OF Canadian, to the northeastern
angle Of Texas; then follow the northern
boundary of Texas to the western limit of New
Mexico; then proceed along that western line
to its northern termination then again turn
westwardly, and follow the northern line Of
New Mexico to the crest of the Rocky Mount
aims then ascend northwardly along the crest
of that mountain range to the line which sep
arates the United States from the British Pos
sessions in North America, on the 49th parallel
of north latitude; then pursue your course
| eastwardly along that line to the White Earth
river, which falls into the Missouri from the
north; descend that river to its confluence with
the Missouri descend the Missouri, along the
western boundary of Minnesota, of Iowa, Of
Missouri to the point where it ceases to be q
boundary line, and enters the State to which it
gives its name; then continue your southwark
course along the western limit of that State to
the point from which you set out. You have
now made the circuit Of the proposed Territory
| of Nebraska You have traversed the vast
distance of more than three thousand miles.
| You have traced the outline of an area of four
| hundred and eighty-fve thousand square miles !;
more than twelve times as great as that Of
| Ohio.
This immense region, occupying the very
heart of the North American continent, and lar
ger, by thirty three thousand square miles, than
all the existing Free States, excluding Califor-
| nia--this immense region, well watered and
fertile, through which the Middle and North
ern Routes from the Atlantic to the Pacific
must pass--this immense region, embracing all
the unorganized territory of the nation, except
the comparatively insignificant district of In
dian territory north of Red River and between
| Arkansas and Texas, and now for more than
thirty years regarded by the common consent
of the American People as consecrated to Free
| dom, by statute and by compact-this immense
region, the Bill now before the Senate, without
| reason and without excuse, but in fragrant dis
regard of sound policy and sacred faith, pro-
poses to open to Slavery.
| We beg your attention, fellow-citizens, to q
| few historical facts.
The original settled policy of the United
| States clearly indicated by the jefferson Pro-
viso Of 1884, and by the Ordinance Of 1887,
was Nos-ExTENsIoN or SLAVERY.
| In 1909 Louisiana was acquired by pur-
chase from France At that time there were
some twenty-five or thirty thousand slaves in
this Territory, most of them within what is now
the State OF louisiana; few, only, farther
north, on the west bank Of the Mississippi.
Congress, instead Of providing for the abolition
of Slavery in this new Territory, permitted its
| continuance In 1872 the State of Louisiana
was organized, and admitted into the Union
with Slavery.
| the Territory Of Missouri applied to Congress
for authority TO form State Constitution, and
| for admission into the Union. There were. at
that time, in the whole Territory acquired from
| France outside Of the State Of Louisiana, not
| three thousand slaves.
| There was no apology in the circumstances
Of the country for the continuance Of Slavery.
The original national policy was against Il,
and, not less, the plain language Of the treaty
under which the Territory had been acquired
| from France
Il was proposed, therefore, TO incorporate in
the bill authorizing the formation Of a State
Government a provision requiring that the
| Constitution OF the new State should contain
an article providing for the abolition Of existing
Slavery, and prohibiting the further introduc-
| ton of slaves.
This provision was vehemcntly and pertina-
ciously opposed; but finally prevailed in the
House Of Representatives by q decided vote
In the Senate il was rejected, and, in consc.
quence Of the disagreement between the two
Houses, the bill was lost
| At the next session Of Congress the contro-
versy was renewed With increased violence. II
was terminated, at length, by compromise
| Missouri was allowed to come into the Union
with Slavery, but a section was inserted in the
act authorizing her admission, excluding Sla-
III ~