New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-08-29
IAs-.~rtsementI
IAs-,ertsementI
No slavery In r.ebraskn-Ne slavery In the Nassss-
slavery Outlaw.
SPEECH OF GERRIT SMITH
THE NEBRASKA BILL,



;n,so,;tv a. AN opponent Of Slavery, has called |
,non N. % Give place in our advertising columns,
"a :, Al, the editions Of TIE TRIBUNE to his
.peech delivered in the House Of Representatives.
,eaio.t the Nebraska BILL in order that the public
NAV know what his position really is on that
snbiect. AZ the same time, az compensation for
th;s service he has forwarded TO US the sum Of FIVE
hundred dollars Though we have done Mr..
Smith no such injustice az he surposes and though
the FIVE hundred dollars is barely sufficient TO pay
the cost of the blank paper required to print SO
enormous number Of copies of such document,
we have not felt at liberty to refuse the demand OF
a gentlemen of Mr.. Smiths character ind public
services. We regret TO be obliged to print the
greater part of the speech in type so small but Its
exceeding length leaves VS. no option.-Ea. Tfb.j
81. Mr.. Chairman. the Slavery question is up again
no again, even in Conpess' II viii not keep down.
At no bidding, however authoritative, will it keep
down. The President Of the United States commands
il to keep down. Indeed, he has hitherto seemed to
make the keeping down Of this question the great end
Of his great Office Members of Congress have so far
BUNDLED themselves 10 pledge Themselves ON this
floor 10 keep it down. National political conventons
uroise 10 discountenanco en- to resist the ag
tation of Slavery both in and ont of Congress. Com
rnerce and politics afraid Of this agitation as
Macbeth was OF the ghost of Banquo and many
titled diviDes, taking their cue from commerce and
politics and being less serviie than merchants and
demagogues, do what they can to keep the Slavery
question out of sight. But all is of no avail. The
saucy Slavery question will not mind them To repress
ii in one-quarer is only TO have II burst forth more
prominently in another quarter. If you hold 1t ba'
here Il will break loose there, aud rush forward with
an accumulated force, that shall amply revenge for
all it, detention. And this is not strange, when we
consider how great is the power Of truth. IL were
madness for TO bid the grass not grow, the waters
not TO run the winds not 10 blow. IL were madness
for him to the mastery OF the elements OF the
physical world. But more empbstically were it mad
pees for him to attempt t, hold in his puny fist the
forces Of the moral world. Canue's folly, in setting
bounds to the sea, was wisdom Itself, compared with
the no much greater folly of attempting to subugate
the moral forces Now, the power which is ever and
anon throwing up the Slavery question into our
unwilling and affighted faces, is truth. The pas
sion-hlinded and the infatuated may not discern
this mighty agent. Nevertheless, truth lives and
reigns forever; and she will be, continually, toss
ing up unsettled questions. We must bear in
mind too, that every question which has not
been disposed of in conformity with her requirements,
and which has not been laid to repose on her own
blessed bosom, is unsettled question. Hence
Slavery ia unsettled question: and must continue
such, until il shall have fed forever from the pre-
sence Of liberty. Ii must be entirely unsettled
queston because not only is il not in harmony with
truth but there is not one particle of truth III it. Sa
very IL the baldest and biggest lie earth. In redu'
Va Ia chattel IL denies that mau 10 man; and,
M denying that ls man, It denes that God Is God
for in His own image made lie mantle oitck mao
- ~ - -- flc white man. Distorted
A., . ,,...,.s a., A.. eludCe and shrifeled as arc
our souls by the spirit Of ste this essential equality Of
the varieties ofte human family may not be apparent
10 us all. Were delivered from this prejudice and
this spirit much Of the darkness which obscsres
vision would be scattered In proportion as we
obey the truth able TO discern the truth. And
If all that wrong within us were made right notonly
would our darkness give place TO cloudless light but
like the angel of the Apocalypse we should stand IN
the sun.
But TO my argument. am opposed to the bill for
organizing the Territories of Nebraska and Kansas
which has come to from the Senate, because in the
first place, it insults colored men, and the Maker OF all
men, by limiting suffrage TO white men, am 0p-
posed TO il because in the second place, ii limits SUIT
frege TO persons who have acquired citizenship The
man who comes TO us from foreign land, and de-
claros his intention TO make his home among US, and
acts in harmony with such declaration, is well entitled
90 vote with He has given one great evidence OF
possessing American heart which our native could
not give. For, while our native became an American
by the accident of birth, the emigrant became one
from choice. For while our native may be an Amerl-
can not from any preference for America, the emf
grant has proved that be prefers our country to every
other.
am opposed to the bill in the third place, because
II is 70 drawn as to convey the deceptive idea Il do
not ray Intentionally deceptvel that the bill recog-
nzes the doctrine of nonntervention. call 1t de-
coptve idea for in point of fact the bill does not
recognize the doctrine of non-intervenon. liz die
taee TO the Territories the form of their Government,
and denies TO them the appointing of their principal
officers. The bill is ITSELF therefore, the most emphatic
intervention. One hundrcth much intervention on
the part of the Federal Government with State Gov
eminent would be condemned outrageous and IN
toerabe Intervention.
But must be frank and admit that II the bill did real
~ reooe nize the doctrine of Bon-ntervention should
stil be opposed 10 it--ay and for that very
This whole doctrine of Congressional non Intervention
with our Territories i regard as perfectly absurd.
Congressional intervention with them is imperative
and unavoidable duty. The reasoning TO this end is
simple and irresistible The people of the United
States acquire Territory. Being theirs, they
spOntible for it's conduct and character; and being
thus responsible they not only have the right, but
absolutely, hound 10 govern the Territory. So long
the Territory Is thoirs they more abdcate SOW
erei, MY II than State abdlcate sovereignty
Of it's counties. But the people of the United
States govern through Congress and, hencs in re-
spect to what Is the peoples, there must be Con-
gressiona Intervention. In the nature Of the this
nust be go. But the Constitution also shows thai il
must be So The Constitution declares the fact of the
government OF the nation by self and il also rec0y
GKes the fact of the government Of State by itself
bat nowhere does II 50 much hint at the gOycrn-
men OF Territory by itself On the contrary il ex-
freesy subjects the regulation government Of Ter
Ttorioe to Congress, in other words TO the whole
peoIi e of the United States.
l add, incidentally, that in the light of the fact of
the American peoples responsibility for the conduct
and character of their Territories il abserd to claim
that New Mexico ADD Utah are 70 be exempt from
th -. ~