Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-07-28
dge 9allg Spg,
TUESDAY, JULY Is. 1857.
Mr., Bank.,. po.itio...

NArs bNMAAfe E0sHtROu,
Some persons, in the interest of the opposition
to Mr.. Banks, having minated doubts of
that gentleman's position on the great issue of
the day, as judged by his antecedents, and mas
much as Nj. Banks himself refers to those
tecedents as more particularly defining his posi-
tion we will give an extract from his great speech
on the Nebraska bill, made May Is 1854 one of
the first he made in Congress. Recolleet, this
was delivered when Mr.. Banks in regular
standing as member of the Democratic party,
and that it was this speech and the prominent and
influential stand taken by him in opposition to
the new pet scheme of the party, the repeal of the
Missouri Compromise, for which he was thrown
overheard in his district by the irrational De-
nocracy," and a servile Of the administration
nominated for Congress by the Boston Post and
Custom House clique in his stead. Mr.. Banks,
however, it is needless add, receiving the votes
of threefourths of the people of his district, on
the issue raised was trumphantly reelected,
This speech of Mr., Banks, Of three years ago,
covered the whole ground Of the question of
the restriction of slavery from all the national ter
rtories BY congressional enactment, and sustain
ed the doctrine subsequently laid down in the
Philadelphia platform, and in the following ex-
tract from his letter accepting the Republican
nomination for Governor, in which Mr.. Banks
says, referring to his course in Congress -
81 resisted the repeal of the Missouri Compro-
mise, and l am still opposed to that measure, as
am to all acts of the late and the present adj
minisrati0a, whether of an executive, legislative
or Judicial character, which have been devised to
maintain or to per petuate the original purpose of
that fla itious wrong; and / shall earnestly advo
"a IL he adj nF intn 4ho
States under its own charter Of freedom am
opposed to the further eTteaSton of SlnueYV or TO
the increase Of its political power believe that
the Constitution cofeyS upon Congress Sogereiqa
po,oer the territories of the United States for
their government, and ttut, in the exercise of its
authority 1t is ITS duty to prohibit sta0ery or poly
gany therein. shall support the most energetic
measures which the Constitution admits for the
development of the moral and material interests
of the American people defend the sovereignty
OF the States against executive or judicial en-
croaehment. and contribute all in my power for
the restoration of the general government to the
principles of the fathers of the Constitution and
the Union
Read, now, the following from Mr. Banks's
speech referred to- IN May of 1854, against the
Nebraska bill, and then judge if he is not sufi-
GENTLY committed by his antecedents to Repub-
lican principles and the Republican platform, to
entitie him to the votes of all tue Republicans
and other friends of freedom, in the ensuing CUB.
ernatorial canvass. Combating Indignantly the
doctrine advanced by the slavery propagandists o.
the South and their Northern allies, that the re-
striction of slavery by Congress from the terrific.
ries would operate unjustly to holders of certain
species Of Southern property, Mr.. Banks said -
Sir, deny the charge. That which the North
holds as property, is made so by universal law
1t makes no local claim to property. Has not
the South the same rights with the same proper
ty! What class Of possessions which the world
recognizes as property, is excluded
But there IS species of property, made SO bv
local laws, existing IN the South not existing in
the North, that exists by favor and not of right;
the extension of which by the ordinary modes Of
increase, is prohibited by law ana denounced as
piracy; that loses its character if found out of
the pale OF its restricted locality, and has no ex
stence until taken back to the place of its origin
this unique species of possession is to be made
generic it is to be stripped Of its local character
and invested with attributes Of universally it is
to go where no statute nor the Constitution goes
but BY special act it is to be made unit with
the government, neither to he perfect without the
other it is to follow the flag Of our country over
its territorial possessions, if it were the institu.
ton symbolzed by the ensign; as if the lashes of
one were the stripes of the other, and every wave
OF the starry ensign were accompanied by the
clankng Of coffles and chains.
Sir, we resist this claim and deny its iustice
We will recognize this institution where the Con-
stitution covers it we will give it the protection
that 1t has by covenant we will yield to its rep
resentatiye power, though unjust we will do all
that the Constitution requires, but zee 1cU 90 no
further No cords have strength to draw US be-
yond that line, Lthough