Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-04-30
uorrespondenos d lhn SPY.

Boston, April q.
Messrs Editors You " correct" my state
ment of what Gen. Wilson said, as follows
q Our Boston correspondent, Paul Pry,'
whose letter we give in another column, is en-
tirely mistaken in the sentiment he attributes to
Senator Wilson. Gen. Wilson never said he was
in favor of leaving the settlement of the slavery
question to the liberal, just men of the South
What Gen. Wilson did say, was, that he was will
ing to leave the question of slavery in the States
to the liberal, just men residing in them"
This is what Gen. Wilson did say in the SEN
: ate, Dec. 22d, last, appendix to Congressional
Globe, p. 95.;
81 want all men who are opposed to slavery,
to take moderate and reasonable position ; to
abandon the extreme notions which those men
phillips, &c } entertain, to oppose the extern
sion of slavery, separate the federal government
from its connection with it, Danish the negro dis.
c,sssions are having IN these halls, and leave
slavery in the slave States where the Constitution
leaves it, to the of the people of those sever
al States. believe that when that is done, the
liberal, high-minded, just men of the South will,
in their ewn way, bring about safe emancipa-
ton" l do not see how that differs from what
quoted him as saying nor indeed, for that mat
err, how your Interpretation of his language diff
fers from mine. said Gen. Wilson was in favor
Of " leaving the settlement Of the slavery ques-
tion to the liberal, just men of the South" You
say he proposed to leave the question of slavery
in the States to the liberal, just men residing in
them" To my mind, it is a distinction without
difference.
Iregarded the question Of the extension of sla-
very as settled by the election of Buchanan
Slavery goes everywhere under the Federal Con-
etitution That election sanctioned the doctrine
Of the Nebraska Bill that slavery has right to
go everywhere; and, though perhaps not dis
tinctly defining my ideas, when spoke of the
slavery question, meant sLAvERY-that terrible
reality to four millions of brethren and sisters.
This is now the only slavery question to be set
tied, and it is this question which statesmen (not
politicians) have got to grapple with, not waste
their energies over the dead issue of extension or
non.extension; and the point of my criticism
was, that Gen. Wilson makes the same mistake
as the Bee, in looking to " the just men of the
South for emancipation. 1t will require a more
desperate struggle than the election Of Mayor Of
st. Louis, under the rallying cry Of freedom for
~hite men" to take Missouri out Of the clutches
Of slavery. Thank God for the Concord fight,
but Yorktown is far off, and between what re.
verses what humiliatiOns what seas of blood
You say, further
"Of course, the creed of the Republican mar.
~, as laid down at Philadelphia, would not adj
init of any further political action, by the people
of the North, upon slavery in the Southern
States, than what we can bring about by sympa-
thy or advice, as outsiders, with the Just and
liberal men residing therein" &c.
You are not fresh In your reading Of the Phil.
adeIphia platform. The Buffalo platform and the
Pittsburg platform expressly disclaimed the right
to interfere with slavery in the States but the
Philadelphia platform made no such disclaimer.
The wise, earnest men who controlled that Con-
Tention meant to leave that an open question.
They did not say they sOOald interfere nor did
they say they s0ould not but they left it 50 as
I" 70 admit Of further political action by the peo-
pie Of the North upon slavery in the Southern
States" when the party should be ready to take
astep In advance. That issue is now presented,
Freedom everywhere Or Slavery epeyyDAye. The
Republican party must meet it, or il goes down
among we oeaa men, PAUL PRY.