Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-01-16
pecsed that the State Of Texas would give it's

=
This was the second great triumph of the
Slave interest, but even here it was deemed ne-
cessary to concede something to the Anti-Sla
very sentiment
In l84s, we acquired California and New
Mexico, as the result Of war, precipitated by
the Pro-Slavery party. The Territories were
exempt from Slavery by Mexican law All
parties at the North We're DESTROYS to keep them
free The Slave Interest insisted that, as they
had been acquired by the common blood and
treasure Of the Union, they ought to be thrown
open for the benefit Of all the people Of tho I'M
ion--that no restriction should beimposed upon
them which would operate unfayorably against
Slavery. Meantine, the people of California set
tied the matter for themselves, and, on the prin-
ciple OF squatter. sovereignty, announced in the
Cass-N Nicholson letter, founded a State Consti-
tution excluding Slavery, and demanded admis-
sion into the Union. The Slave Interest, which
through its organs now is insisting upon the
recognition Of the principle, opposed it fiercely
then, because its practical operation had inur-
cd to the gain Of Freedom. Compromise
was formed, as il was called California, with
| the restrictive clause, was admitted as o free
State Utah and New Mexico We're organized
under Territorial Government, without the re-
strictiyc clause as to Slavery but with an ex-
press proviso that States formed out of them
should be admitted with or without Slavery, ms
| their Constitutions might prescribe.
Here was another step in advance. In
1920 the Slave Interest asked for the tolera.
ton of Slavery, where it already existed, for
| the admission Of a State which recognised it,
and agreed, il this were granted, to the perpet-
ual exclusion Of Slavery from the whole, Or
| nearly the whole of the unorganzed Territory
Of the Union. In ls45 it simply insisted npon
the application Of the principle Of this cnmpro-
mise to Texas Bat in 1850, it so farsncceed-
cd in reyersing tho original policy Of the Gov
eminent as to transfer to all the new free Ter
ritories acquired from Mexico, Except Caliior
MIA, which had become a State,l that tact pro-
vso Of the Missouri Compromise, and express
proviso of the Texas Compromise, which had
been confined in them exclusively to Slave Ter
ritory.
| There remained but one step more to take
! in this aggressive march of the Slave interest,"
and the reversal of the original Anti-SIiyery
| policy Of the country and the Federal Govern
ment would be completed: that was not a
tact or express federation Of existing Slavery,
| not a disregard of the lea lori of new free Ter
ritories acquired by conquest, and their expo
sure to the intrusions of Slavery, but the abro-
cation of American Law, established in the
solemn form Of perpetual covenant exempt
ing all the old organized Territory Of the Union
from the curse Of Slavery--in other words, the
repeal of the Anti.Slavery proviso Of the Com
promise of 1920, so as to transfer to the vast
free Territory which Il has preserved inviola-
BILE for thirty three years, the pro-slsvery part
of that Compromise, which originally applied
only to Territory in which Slavery already ex-
isted This step the Slave Interest has at last
taken; the Nebraska Bill in the Senate is in
tended to consummate the policy Of that Inter-
est, in relation to United States Territory, and
to establish its complete and perpetual ascend
ency.
Nebraska embraces the whole Of the unor-
ganized Territory Of the Union--the extent of
its boundary is over three thousand m;les--its
area about FIVE hundred thousand square
miles capable Of being formed into dozen
States, each a. large as Ohio This magnif-
cent domain has been for q whole generation
the heritage Of Freedom--held, under the high
sanction OF American Law, sacred TO Free La
Dor and Free Institutions. The Nebraska Bill
proposes to abrogate this Law, to remove the
flaming sword which has tnrned every way,
guarding it against Slavery, and to allow the
Destroyer to enter and do his work Of death
or to speak more plainly, to lay the founda-
tons of vast Slave Empire from the Gulf Of
Mexico TO the British Provinces, dividing the
Free States east Of the Mississippi, from the
Free States west of the Rocky Mountains and
thereby obtaining tho mastery Of the Mssis-
sippi Valley directly and indirectly OF both
the Atlantic and Pacific coasts
Now look back upon the successive steps Of
this dangerous Power, which aims at no less
than the subiugation Of this entire North Amer
loan Continent to Slavery See how insidious
has been its growth, how nnrelenting its pur
pose, how it has fattened and grown insolent
upon every Compromise. See how the Free
States, superior as they have been in wealth,
and education, and population, have been con-
stantly yielding, until the sentiments which
were held by Franklin Jay Jefferson, and la
fayettc, are now, in the year Of our Lord 1854,
deemed disqualification for any Office under
the Federal Government which has announced
boldly its purpose to crush Them out.
Contrast 1887 with ls54--Congress then
stamping the Lao Of Freedom upon all Ter,i-
tory belonging to the Confederation-C Congress
now proposing to stamp the Lam Of SLAVERY
on all Territory belonging to the Union.
Good God and can il be that the American
People have go utterly lost the love Of Liberty.