The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-02-02

horrence which it inspires; and no vision, less
penetrating and comprehensive than that Of
the All-Seeing, can reach its evil issues
TO some OF its more immediate and inevitable
consequences, however, we must attempt TO d.
rect your attention.
What will be the effect OF this measure,
should it unhappily become law, upon
the proposed Pacific Railroad We have
already said that two of the principal routes,
the Central and the Northern, traverse this
Territory. If Slavery be allowed there, the
settlement and cultivation of the country must
| be greatly retarded Inducements to the i'm
migration of free laborers will be almost de-
stroyed. The enhanced cost of construction
and the diminished expectation of profita-
BILE returns will present almost insuperable OBJ
stacles to building the road at all while even
if made, the difficulty and expense of keeping
| it up, in country from which the energetic
and intelligent masses will be virtually ex-
cludod, will greatly impair its usefulness and
| value
From the rich lands of this large Territory,
also, patriotic Statesmen have anticipated that
| a Free industrious, and enlightened popula-
ton will extinct abundant treasures of individ-
| ual and public wealth. There, it has been
expected, freedom-loving emigrants from Eu-
rope and energetic and intelligent laborers
and fields of usefal enterprise If this bill shall
become law, all such expectation will turn
to grievous disappointment The blight of
Slavery will cover the land. The Homestead
Law, should Congress enact one, will be worth
less there. Freernen unless pressed by hard
and cruel Necessity, will not and should not,
work beside slaves Labor cannot be respect
ed where any class of laborcrs is held in sbject
bondage. II s the dsplorable necessity of
Slavery, that to make and keep single slave,
there must be slave law; and where slave law
exists, labor must necessarily be degraded.
We earnestly request the enlightened con-
ductors of newspapers printed in the German
and other foreign languages to direct the at
tention of their readers TO this important
matter.
1t is of immense consequence, also, to scru-
tinize the geographical character of this pro-
iject. We beg you, fellow citizens, to observe
that it will sever the East from the West
of the United Statse, by a wide slaveholdng
belt of country, extending from tho Gulf of
Mexico to British North America 1t is bold
scheme against American Liberty, worthy of an
accomplished architect of ruin. Texas is al
ready slaveholding and occupies the Gulf
Region from the Sabine to the Rio Grande, and
from the Gulf of Mexico to the Red River
North of the Red River, and extending between
X.
80 min, lies the Indian Territory, about equal
in extent to the latter State in which Slavery
was not prohibited by the act Of 1920. From
So deg. 80 min. TO tho boundary limo between
our own country and the British Possessions
stretching from west to east through moro
than eleven degrees Of longitude, and from
south to north through more than twelve do
grees of latitude, extends the great Territory
the fate of which is now to be determined by
the American Congress. Thus you see fellow
citizens, that the first operation of the proposed
permission of Slavery in Nebraska, will be to
stay the progress of the Free States westward,
and to cut off the Free States of the Pacific
from the Free States of the Atlantic. 1t is
hoped, doubtless, by compelling the whole
commerce and the whole travel between the
Fest and the West to pass for hundreds of
miles through a slaveholding region, in the
heart of the continent, and by the influence of
a Federal Government controlled by the Slave
Power to extinguish Freedom and establish
Slavery in the States and Territories of the
Pacific, and thus permanently subjugate the
whole country to- the yoke Of a slaveholding
despotisrn. Shall plot against humanity and
Democracy, so monstrous, and so dangerous to
the interests of Liberty throughout the world,
be permitted to succeed
We appeal to the People. We warn you
that the dearest interests of Freedom and the
Union are in imminent peril Servile dema-
gogues may tell you that the Union can be
maintained only by submitting to the demands
of Slavery. We tell you that the safety Of the
Union can only be insured by the full recog-
milton of the Just claims of Freedom and Man.
The Union was formed to establish Justice, and
secure the blessings of Liberty. When it fails
to accomplish these ends it will be worthless,
and when it becomes worthless it cannot long
endure.
We entreat you to be mindful of that funda-
mental maxim Of Democracy, Equal RIGHrs
AND EXACT JUSTICE for all men. Do not SUBJ
NIT to become agents in extending Legalised
Oppression and $ystematized Injustice over
vast Territory yet exempt from these terrible
evils.
We implore Christians and Christian Minis.
ters to interpose. Their Divine Religion requires
them to behold In every man a brother, and to
labor for the Advancement and Regeneration
of the Human Race.
Whatever apologies may be offered for the
liberation of Slavery in the States, none can
be urged for its extension into Territories where
it does not exist and where that extension in
wolves the repeal Of ancient law, and the vio-
lation of solemn compact Let all protest,
earnestly and emphatically, By correspondence,
through the press, by memorials, by resou-
tons of public meetings and Legislative Bodies,
and in whatever other mode may seem exped-
ent against this enormous crime.
For ourselves, we shall resist it by speech
and vote and with all the abilities which God
has given u.s. Even if overcome 10 the i'm
pending struggle, we shall not submit. We
shall 90 home to our constituents: erect anew
the standard of Freedom, and call on the
People to come to the rescue of the country
from the domination of Slavery. We will not
despair: for the cause of Human Freedom is
the cause of God.
S. p. CHASE,
Senator from Ohio.
CHARLES SUMNER,
Senator from, Massachusetts,
j. R. GIDDINGS,
EDWARD WADE,
Representatives from Ohio.
GERRIT SMITH,
Representative from New York
>4ALEXANDER DE WITT,
Representative from Massachusetts,
p. s. The amended. Nebraska Bill intro
duced by Mr. Douglas was promptly printed at
length in the Washington Sentinel. AS print
ed it did not meet the views of certain South
ern gentlemen, and it was then discovered that
an important declaratory section. legislating
into the bill the principles of the Compromises,
bad been omitted by clerical error! Even
after this remarkable clerical error had been
rectifsd, the bill was unsatisfactory, and now
Mr.. Douglas proposes more amendments-to
divide the Territory into two; to charge the
Treasury with the expense of two Territorial
Governments; to strike out the clerical error
section, and insert elsew here in the bill clause
excepting from the laws of the United States