The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-08-05

Kansns was 10 ~ n slave state.
The Democracy Of this year OF grace
1857, stand up pretty square to the defence Of
slavery as we'll in the North a. in the South
and there Is hardly politician amongst
them in either section who has not been
heard TO sheer at the Declaration OF indie.
pendence. and TO maintain the doctrine, OF
at least quietly acquiesce in the dogma that
slavery is the perfection OF human society
But it will be remembered by those whose
recollection extends three years back, that
the Democracy at that time, in the North
claimed to be the special friends Of free
dom, and declared their obiec. in the repea
Of the compromise was that they might rasl
in Northern emigrants across the line o
Sc deg. 80 min, and wrest the unappropr
ated territory in that section from thu
clutches of the Shareholders, and consecrat'
it to freedom under the glorious influence Of
"squotter sovereignty
But while in that way Northern Lecofocc
demagogues were humbugging the people
with these idle pretences, and thus inducing
them to sanction the Nebraska act, their
leaders intended that that law should fix
Slavery forever upon the soil Of Kansas
That shch was the understanding and objec,
Of the Leadsrs is attested by the following
letter Of Mr.. Mason, one of the chief nego-
tiatiors in that foul bargain, concocted by
the most unprincipled politicians that ever
cursed a country with their presence.
WINCHESTER, Va, July %, 1857.
To the Editors Of the "South -
DEAR SIRs In your paper Of Monday last
in an article headed "Walker's Usurpation,' y
observe the following paragraph:
"But we are told that Hunter and Mason,
and other distinguished Southern Senator'S,
in the debate on the Nebraska Kansas bill,
expressed the same opinion that Kansas must
be free State.'
cannot undertake to say what opinions
may have been expressed by my honored col
league, or by other senators from the South,
in reference to the probable condition OF
Kansas though, from general knowledge
Of their views in regard to that Territory,
should not doubt that any opinions SO ex-
pressed would have reference to circumstan.
ces and contingencies necessarily qualifying
them. To avoid misconstruction, however,
think it proper to say that never express :
ed the opinion thus ascribed to me because
Inever entertained it. At the time the law
passed organizing the territorial government,
there were few with whom ! conversed who
did not believe that the future state would
take its place with those recognizing and
eherishing the condition Of African slavery.
there was ut that time, certainly, every reas.
on to believe why this should be so, and
none why it should not. The state of Mis-.
souri,, bordering its eastern frontier, was a
slaveholding state, holding at that time near
~ one hundred thousand slaves, and these
were chiefly held in the border counties.
The state of Arkansas, adjacent to the
territory on the south, was likewise q slave
holding state. The soil and climate Of Kan
sas were we'll adapted to those valuable pro-
ducts, chiefly hemp and tobacco, which gave
value to slave labor in Missouri. The prox
unity of its population, with the attractions
Of new, fertile and cheap land, believe
would lead the Shareholders ia Missouri to
diffuse themselves speedily over Kansas, AMI
the prohibitory line Of sc 30 being oblitera.
ted, there was no reason why they should
not. | had no fear Of fair competition in
such appropriation of the new territory from
any quarter. Unfair competition did not
look 10.
What may yet he the result as to the con.
/ diton of Kansas, notwithstanding the ex.
traordinary and INSCRIPTIONS efforts Of
Northern Abolitionists to force population
there, cannot undertake to say. Nor viii
+ | allude in this place to the new and unex
pected aspect now exhibited Of affairs il
that territory, WITH so much propriety repre-
hended in the columns Of the Sc South. -
Whatever may be the information Of others
! certainly am not sufficiently informed o.
the existing state Of things in Kansas t
form a clear opinion one way or the other
yet will venture to say this much, that i
African slavery be ultimately excluded iron
Kansas, it will be effected by the numerical
force or organized majoritics, operating
against the usual laws which govern cmigra
ton; and will present new and most in
structive lesson to the Southern states.
Very respectfully, am yours, &C.,
J. NJ. Mason.