The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-02-07
THE GREAT WORK BEFORE Us-THE THING
TO BE DONE

Is there'a Republican in the country who
wonld feel the slightest concern in relation to
the struggle now going on in Kansas, were the
Presidential powers lodged in the hands of
Seward, Chase, King, or Wilmot? Would there
be danger of forays from Missouri? Danger of
foreign interference with the freedom of cleo.
tons in Kansas?
The Ohgarchy are quite content that the
People Of the Territories shall be left to regu-
late their own affairs, exempt from Legislative
| Intervention by Congress magnanimOusly
waving any demand upon the Federal Legis-
lature TO protect their assumed rights.Just so
Tong as they possess and direct the Federal Er
ecutire. This is their strong tower--the rock
OF their defence. This is the engine by which
they drag forward the car Of Slavery. What
care they for All adverse Northern majority in
Congress, long as they are masters of the
Federal Executive? Not the free action of
Congress but the power Of the Executive ours
ed the country with the Fugitive Slave Act.
Such abomination could never have been
Matched into the form Of Law, had it not been
for the incubation of Slavery ridden Admin
istration.
of what advantage would the organization of
the Territorial Governments of New Mexico
and Utah in 1850, without the Wilmot Proviso,
have been to the Oligarchy, had they not,
through their possession of the Federal Exec
utve, been able TO place in those Territories,
Governors, Executive officers and Courts, sub
serVient to their policy? Suppose that, by
some miracle, ust before the constitution of
the Territorial Governments, w. II. Seward had
been suddenly placed in the chair Of Millard
! Fillmore-the Governors, Msrshals, Attorney
Generals, and Courts, then appointed, would
have held valid the pre-existing local laws pro-
hibiting Slavery. The power of the Federal
Executive, constitutionally exercised 10 con
tornity TO this state of things, would have en-
forced this prohibition--and well might the
friends OF Freedom have remained tranquil.
Congress, left uninhuenced by the OEgar-
chy acting through the Federal Executive,
would never have repealed the Missouri Com.
promise. The Nebraska act was emphatically
the work of Administrative power But, that
act, bad az it was in intention, could never have
worked out its object, but for the action of the
same Power that gave it birth. Had Frank
lin Pierce suddenly changed his mind thrown
off the letters OF the Oligarchy discussed FROM
nio Gaoiuet It's representatives and agents
selected in their places men representing the
acknowledging interests of the nation-and
resolved that the actual bona fde settlers should
be sustained in deciding for themselves, totally
free from extraneous constraint, the question OF
Slavery, there would have been no occasion for
Sharp's rifles, no threatening premonitions of
civil war. The friends of Mr. Benton, in Mis-.
sonri-no Slavery Propagandists - would not
have been ostracised the Propagandists, with
Atchison and Stringfellow at their head, would
not have been invested with power and conse-
quence: emissaries of the Ohgarchy would not
have received Federal appointments newspa-
pers of the Olgarchy would not have been fat
tened aud rendered insolent by Federal patron
age the real friends Of law and order would
have been treated by Franklin Pierce as his
friends: Judges committed to the monstrous
pretensions of the Ohgarchy would never have
been appointed Governor would have been
sent there, authorized and instructed to see to
it that the People of the Territory alone should
govern themselves, to repel any invasion OF
their rights, and, if unable to do so. to invoke
Federal aid. At the first indication of violent
intrusion, he would have been empowered to
call upon the troops of the United States in
the Territory to protect the freedom and purity
OF the ballot-box. We should not have seen
one Governor removed, because obnoxious to
the Oligarchy, and another appointed, one OF
whose first acts was to invoke the aid of Pro.
Slavery Missourians, to crush the Anti-Sla
very settlers of Kansas We should not have
had armed invasion of Kansas, a mob legis
lature, brutal legislation, destruction of the
ballot-box, Overturning of the press, mobbings
burnings, murders, civil war. We should
not have had special messages to Congress
from the White House, denouncing the free
States, denouncing the Free State men in Kan
{ sas, Justltylng the outrsges of the Olgarchy
aud invoking money to aid Executive Power in
suppressing the spirit of Freedom in the Terri
tory
Place ". h. Seward, S. P. Chase, Preston
King, OF David Wilmot in the Presidential
Chair, and, even should Congress be unorgan
! lied, Kansas would be free.
How is it that the People of the country who
hate Slavery, will forever let slip the staff OF
accomplishment? The Oligarchy, clear-sight
ed, united consistent, true to themselves. com
prehend always the thing to be done. Inevita
bly, in minority in Congress- they are Away,
IN possession of the Executive-and, possessins
this, they control all. The People raise a grea
cutlery against the Fugitive Slave Act, and wher
man is rescued from its diabolism, exult as
they had achieved wonderful success. The,
get up petitions about the recognition of Hayti
Slavery in the District of Columbia, the inter
State slave trade; outraged by the repea
of the Compromise, hurl vengeance against thu
Administration, and send men to Congress
pledged to restore it-nothing more; and thel
J imagine that they have done somethingI
Now, what avails all this, so long as Morde
cal sitteth in the Kings gate2" What is accom-
plished by this display of popular power, $,
D long as the Oligarchy WELD the immense powe
! of the Federal Executive2 Let them continu
supreme here, and their rule will be felt every
where Stop short of their dethronement here
and you have come short of everything.
+ VIII the People ever awake? Can thew eve
be made to see this? Look Franklin Pierre