The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-05-22

in the soundness of our principles, which oar
opponents would be sure to use against us with
terrible effect. Let us not give them such an
advantage. If we fail to affirm the principle
OF Congressional prohibition in the Territories.
we surrender all our distinctive principles, and
will not have an inch of ground to stand on. /
hope with some that the Republican Convention
will consider these things, and will act up to
the demands of the crisis. If they will meet
the case openly, frankly, and honestly, next
November's sun shall kiss the golden letters of
victory on the banner of Freedom. IF they
should, unfortunately, be seduced again by the
false counsel of compromisers and trimme.s,
victory will certainly perch once more ON the
black andhideous banner of the Slave Oligarchy.
j. NJ.
THE VAST IMPORTANCE OF. THE
CRISIS.
PHILADELPHIA, May 9, 1856. !.
To the Editor of the National Era:
Whoever does not see in the present crisis
in the affairs of the country in no degree second
in Importance to that of the Revolution, fails to
see the matter in its true light-fails to see it
at all. Had not the Revolution occurred at the
time it did, few years, at most, would have
resulted in its certain contamination. But we
are now on the eve of a series of events, which
must decide the question, whether Freedom or
Slavery shall control the destinies of the coun-
try for long time to come.
twill not do for the North, (now only slightly
in the ascendant in the National Government)
to fatter itself that there is no danger. The
great barrier against the introduction of Slavery
into its domains is already battered down, and
the great West thrown open to its unrestrained
and unlimited extension. That Chinese Wall
must be rebuilt, seven-fold stronger than be-
fore. Whichever of Freedom or Slavery shall
obtain and hold possession of that Great West
ern National Reserve, will soon necessarily
and inevitably obtain and hold possession Of
the Government of the whole country. In
creasipg as it is, the Atlantic States will become
comparatively powerless. That, then, must be
held for Freedom, at any cost, and at every
hazard. Not only so, but Freedom must, now
and hereafter, take the aggressive.
Under this state of things, the idea of allow
ing Slavery to blast the virgin soil of that vast
country, once and forever dedicated to Free
dom, should not for an instant be tolerated by
the freemen of the North. Better a thousand
times that the slave States be suffered to with
draw from, yea, be thrust out of the Union,
than that Slavery be permitted to cross the
Threshold of free territory. That territory,
now exceeding the slave States in geographical
extent, will soon excel them all in free popula
ton and wealth, and would a thousand. fold
more than compensate for their loss. But no
such alternative, either now or ever, will exist,
while sanity holds sway in the minds of the
Wise men of the South. That state Of things
will put the South quite too much at the mercy
not only of foreign Powers, but even of her
own slave population.
In view of this great evil impending over the
North, and assuming character altogether too
grave to be regarded otherwise than with the
deepest apprehension, what is at this time the
duty of the people of the North? AS before.
said, if Slavery gets possession of the West, it
soon has possession of the Government, and
Southern statesmen who, while the South has
been in the minority, have been loud in their
advocacy of State Rights, would then at once
turn round, and concentrate all possible power
in the Federal Government, and thus weaken
and cripple the power of the individual States.
This the free States would feel too deeply, and
in too many ways, to be here adverted TO- III
is the very principle of Slavery to appropriate
to itself all it can grasp, without any regard e.
right or wrong. Heaven deliver the free Stasss,
from ever coming under the rule of slavehoids
ers. Even our common school system woplts
be reached and crippled by such an inauen e
There is one reason, above all others, why S,ae
very should be driven back, now and forev sr,
from all that is at present free territory.
The twenty millions of freemen now in THU
country owe it to their children to keep opels
this great avenue to free emigration. Befor,.
this generation shall have all passed away, there
will no doubt be fifty millions in this country,
Where are they to go, if not to the great West?
Should that avenue be closed ten years, our
manufactures in the Atlantic States would be
thronged with men asking for work at twenty
five cents day. Again j ask, what is to be
done to avert this great evil? The South eoiU,
and the North mast UNITE, else all is lost--lost
beyond recovery. Marvellous as it is, there is
still a small portion of the people of the North
a remnant of the Democratic party-so infatu-
ated with party, who will sacrifice everything
to its shrine; and at this crisis, these men are
as much traitors to their country as were the
Tories-in the days of the Revolution. The next
Presidential election will be almost certain to
decide this great question between Slavery and
Freedom. This remnant of the Democratic
party, together with large portion of the for
eign population in the free States, will unite
with the South on the Democratic candidate
This may be relied On. Up to the eve of elec-
ton, the South will keep up loud clamor in
favor of the American party, with the design to
make an effectual split between that and the
Republican party in the free States; but, when
they come to vote, they will desert in a body, as
they deserted their candidate for Speaker of
the House, the present session. To meet and
overcome these adverse influences, the free
States must unite on ONE candidate. If, by any
means, the Republican and American parties
can be brought thus to unite, Freedom must
triumph. Should liberal, judicious, and able
policy characterize the course of the Republi-
Id al IL, Ill.
should the American Convention, to be held at
New York, see the utter absurdity of still further
creating divisions at the North, this great OBJ.
ject can doubtless be attained. All minor con-
siderations should be at once sacrificed to this.
The nomination of Fillmore and Donelson was
kind of sham affair, any way, and entirely
fails to give anything like general satisfaction.
An effort of this purpose should be entered
upon at once. There are men who embody
the sentiments of both parties, so far as to be
entirely unobiectionable. Some will object to
this; but of such / would ask, would it not be
infinitely better to have such man, than by
an opposite course to insure the election of
an outand-out Pro-Slavery man? The case
admits of no other alternative. If the Repub-
lican and American parties insist On running
each candidate, they will only make sure to
defeat each other, and secure the election of
the Democratic candidate, whoever he may be;
and both might as we'll give him their votes at
once. This great and important question will
turn wholly on the doings of these two Conven-
tions. The responsibility will rest on them to
decide, in a great measure, what shall be the
fate of this country ages to come. The people
of the free States have right to expect their
deliberations will be characterized by calm,
dispassionate, and harmonious spirit, and that
no narrow minded policy will be allowed in any
degree to influence their proceedings.
PENS.