New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-02-13
UT THE PEOPLE SPEAK OUT:

Wa have already recorded the holding OF several
mportant public meetings TO protest against the pass
ACE Of the Territorial bill before tue Senate and
this morning we give at some length the proceedngso
ono held al Chicago the residence OF Mr. Douglas, and
counting among its prominent members many nuentla!
,ersons who have hitherto been the friends and sup
norters of that Senator. We commend this example
to the men of the North of every party, except that
miserable few whose souls what there Is OF them are
the property of their superors in Office. 1t is time
that great and powerful expression oil northern
opipion should be brought to bear on this question
The apathy caused in many quarters by the BELIEF that
the Administration will certainly be able 70 carry
through the bill is mistaken, and should be shaken oil
We have ,he most Trustworthy adyices from wash
ineton on the strength of which we can assure the
public that there is chance to defeat the bill in the
House. and TO this end every effort should be directed
But that it can only be done after fierce struggle may
be seen from the following facts The Administration
expect to carry the bill by decisive majority Inelr
estimate is something Ike this the whole oil the hep
resentatives OF the Slave States expecting Mr. Benton
and possby enough others to swell the number to five
or sx votes are expected to 20 for it, to carry the
hill there is therefore needed about FIVE and twenty or
thirty votes from the Free States they expect to OBJ
tain them as follows: from NewYOrk, 10 or IL; from
Pepnglyania, II or IA from New-Jersey about ,;
from Ohio, not more than or 2 Indiana, or 4 from
Illinois. 4 from Iowa, from Michigan 3 or I; from
Wisconsin / ; from Maine, / from New-Hampshire'
2or g. Thus they expect to obtain majority OF IL or
IS for the bill.
There are a number ofWhg Representatives from the
slave States who would like TO vote against the BILL OF
whom no account is taken in this calculation WHAT'S
wanted among them is stiff backed aud influential lead
er Several are new who 90 NOT like to take the re-
spopsbility OF leading OF when those Who should 90
So are playing shy. and among those members from
the North who are counted in the above estimate,
are several who lot indisposed to wait, and take
things lesurely in order to sec what may turn up
They have no particular love for the Administration or
Mr. Douglas, or the bill itself.
If an energetic and inHexibe opposition is therefore
made to this piece of Internal rascality at once
throughout the North, there is a chance to defeat
the scheme But there is no tine to be lost Some
lucky turn of events may strengthen the opposition
from the South, and weaken the support of the bill
from the North. There is enough in the prospect
ahead under its most unavOrable aspect to encourage
the most determined eXertiOns TO avert the lamentabc
and farreaching consequences of this nefarous plot
But the people must The circumstances OF the
present bill are totally unlike those of the adjustment
measures of 1850, whose supporters increased during
their discussion by the gloomy representations and
fierce threatenpgs which to be realized FROM the
failure Of their passage Nothing OF the sort exists
now. Every days delay is gain, and every speech
weakens the bill 1t has recuperative power, and
every hours deliberaon it tends to create and
deepen convictions of the dangers and disasters which
will inevitably follow its train. Still vote taken on it
to day in the House would insure its passage by de-
cided majority.
Do the friends of freedom and the friends of the
Union realize from this brief aud unvarnished state
ment the tremendous responsibility that rests upon them
at this moment Let this bill pass and their services
may hardly be needed in the future except for far more
desperate endeavors Let the People move while it is
time Hold public meetings everywhere, and pour in
upon Congress petitions against the bill