The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-11-17


upon in relation to Territorial Govern
ment, was expressly confined to the
Territories of Utah and New Mexico
Nobody intimated then, or at the Balti-
more Conventions of the Democratic
and Whig parties, which sanctioned
that arrangement, that it disturbed or in
any way affected the Missouri Compro-
mise. At the last session of the thirty
second Congress, a bill to organize
Territorial Government for Nebraska,
defining its southern boundary by the
parallel of 36 deg. 30min. north latitude,
was introduced in the House, was op-
posed by some southern and few
northern members, on the ostensible
ground that the rights of the Indians
were not respected, but was passed by
an overwhelming majority. The slavery
question was not named in connection
with it. 1t went to the Senate, was
brought up at late period of the ses-
sion, resisted by several southern Sena-
tors, and lost for want of time. Had
there been plenty of time, it could have
been carried against the feebly organized
opposition.
Little was said about it during the
interval, except by the National Era,
which exposed the secret influences that
had defeated the measure, and admon-
ished the friends of freedom that con-
spiracy would be organized by the open
ing of the next Congress, to battle it, if
again introduced.
Some time before the meeting of the
first session of the thirty third Congress,
Senator Atchison traversed various slave
holding counties in the State of Missouri
pointing out to them the dangers which
threatened ''siave property" from the
organization of Nebraska as free Terri
tory, and doing all he ecould to enlist their
Prejudices against that policy. He, for
himself, declared that he would never
consent to the organization of a Terri
tOrial Government, unless his constitu-
ents were permitted to emigrate to the
Territory with their slaves-in other
words, till the Missouri Compromise
should be abrogated. The project of
repeal, and the division of the Territory
in two parts, with view to throw Kan
sas directly under the influence of Mis-
souri,, and subject it to slave colonization
was broached in an obscure Atchison
paper, in Western Missouri, before it
was brought forward in Congress. The.
bill, as first introduced by Senator Doug
las, provided only for one Territorial
Government. and did not propose to re-
peal the Missouri Compromise, but to
leave the question of its validity to the
Courts. This bill was sustained by the
Washington Union, on that express
ground, and, as the country had a right
to believe, by the Administration. But,
itdid notsuit Mr.. Atchison and the Prop
aganda. Senator Dixon, of Kentucky,
Wing, who has since joined the Pierce
Democracy, moved an amendment (di
rectly repeating the Missouri Compro-
mise, which was opposed by the Wash
ington Union. But, the Propaganda
were now organized. They wanted the
portion of Nebraska bordering on Mis-
souri,, for slave-colonization, and they
determined to have it. Accordingly,
Senator Douglas brought in substitute,
providing for the erection of two Terri
tories, Kansas and Nebraska-the boun-
daries of the former being so defined. as
TO make it as much as possible, geograph-
ically, continuation of Missouri, and
the repeal of the Missouri Compromise
being expressly enacted-the very meas
ure announced in advance by that OBJ
scure Missouri psper! To this measure
the President, as the country knows,
and his Defence avows, gave his sup
port, adopting it as a measure of his Ad-
ministration-in fact, as the measure,
adhesion to which was thenceforth made
a test of party allegiance.
Now, he knew perfectly well, from
the course of the Propaganda, and from
the bold declarations of Mr.. Atchison
and his Missouri organs, that the one
great object of the bill was, to wrest
from freedom Territory which had
been consecrated to it by a solemn COM
pact for onethird of a century, and to
subject it to slavery. He knew, too,
that no State Legislature, no Convention
of the People, no leading Press, North or
South, had demanded such measure
He knew that simple, legitimate bill,
for the organization ola Territorial Gov
ernment. without the slightest reference
to the subject of slavery, such as had
passed the preceding House with little
opposition, and would have gone through
the Senate, had there been time, would
have succeeded in the thirty third Con-
gress. had he yielded to it his counten-
ance and support.
In rejecting, then, such a measure,
and adopting that of Mr.. Atehison, with
a full knowledge of its purpose and in
evitable working, he adopted the policy
of Slavery-P -Propagandism. This, and
not the principle of popular sovereignty,
"as the controlling element of the
bill.
In his Defence he finds it convenient
to pass in silence over this chapter of his
responsibilities, as an ally of the slavery
propaganda. The Territories might have
been organized without repeating the
Missouri compromise: he knows il and
had they been, our country would have
been spared the disgrace of those Van,
dal outrages which now affiict our from.
i tiers and threaten civil war; Why, then
did he repeal the compromise Why
hut to give the propaganda the privilege
ttey had desired, of planting slavery il
Kansas. And yet this man pretends t.
be impartial and national, partisan
neither of Missouri nor Massachusetts,
The bill itself was sectional measure
carried by sectional majority, for sec
tional purposes. Its object was, to taks
Kansas from freedom, give it to slavery
aud to aggrandize the slave interest Th'
President who sanctioned it, and makes
: it tie measure of his administration, In
} suits common sense when be claims t