Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-10-23

uVCduSICe Oi slavery MOI ds 10 lilc IIstt Vi
the people of the territories to elect their own
officers, and make their own laws; not as to
the evils of the old territorial system, and of
sending horde of government office holders
into the new settlements but it is whether
the people of a territory can properly vote on
the question, shall one portion of the commu-
nifty enslave another portion By admitting
that they may vote on this question, Mr.. Thay-
er precludcs himself from Directing to their
decision. He has acted consistently. The
people of New Mexico having established
slavery there, he is bound by his theories not
to interfere, and he stands by them. No mat
ter when the vote may be taken and the de-
cision made no matter how few or how many
are the Squatters who undertake to decide the
question: no matter by what secret fraud and
underground machinery the decision is brought
about no matter how small the majority by
which the vote is carried Mr. Thayer is
pledged TO non interference. The most de-
te>table slave code of New Mexico is to him
sacred, because it is the work of the people,
speaking through their legislative body the
Indian territory by secret slavehOlding ma
chlnerv and governmental influence, may be
| turned in the same direction, and no remon-
STRANGE must be made. 1t is the act of the
| people; let the people get rid OF 1t. Slavery,
| after all, does no great harm it is not sogreat
an embarrassment in Virginia as ''tog on
/
in some respects, for it cheapens lands. And
besides, it has its natural periods, increasing,
stationary, and declining, and will by and by
| go to decay. Therefore it is not best to med
| die with it. This is true and a fair picture
of Mr. Thayer's policy and its probable results.
But Kansas! Kansas is Mr. Thayers' great
example OF the benefits of his theory and
practice of non,interventOn. Now, how is it
about Kansas ! shall not presume to set up
! m lode nj
| Mr.. Thayer's, for he has been in that territory,
and have not. However, as he acknowledges
! (see his speech in congress, Feb. "A, 1881
! that he abandoned Kansas in 1856 the contest
| having begun to grow insipid for want of OPP
position. | may well question his right to
speak with authority as to controversy which
is hardly yet ended. | think if he had re-
manned there till 1860 he would have found
the contest as lively and exciting as anything
which he has found at CeredO, where | have
not yet heard OF any bloodshcd, or even of the
cutting down OF a republican liberty pole, as at
OccOquan. Doubtless they have stirring times
at Ceredo, but the people have not yet heard
the particulars. l, for one, am tired of looking
for great news from that outpost OF freedom
l have read the Crescent; it has not even a
good word for Abraham Lincoln a drearv
waste of sherifs' sales of homesteads meets
the eye whenever l look for lively and gushing
appeals tor freedom in Virginia, or even for
free discussion there. II Kansas, in 1856 was
too mslpld Tor our valiant knighterrant of
freedom Kansas, with its historic names-its
Browns its Montgomcrys, its Lanes its his
toric places also-the Swans Marsh. where
"From the hearths of their cabins
The fields of their corn,
Unwarmed and unweaponed,
The victims were torn =
cannot imagine what of rapturous strife there
is in Ceredo to comfort him, | do not wonder
county, where at least there is mounting in
hot haste though it is only for a ride from
Leomlnster to Sterling, and where there is
"hurrylng to and tro," though it is only to
arouse the inhabitants of the IXth district to
the paramount importance of eecting Mr. Eli
Ihayer to congress.
Kansas has free constitution, by the votes
OF her own true-hearted citizens. Freedom
has substantially triumphed there. after a
costly and bloody struggle of six years. In
1854 freedom was the law OF Kansas That
law was broken down by the devotees of popu.
lar sovereignty and nOn-interventionism. Then
began struggle, not as MIR. Thayer would
lead the people to suppose, between the inter-
Venlng government and the people of the terri
tory, but the intervening government and the
intervening people OF the north. Is there a
| town in the lXth district which did not in.
| terVene for freedom in Kansas in 1856? Not
one. What republican fails to remember the
demand that was made upon the people for
ald, and the response that was so nobly made to
1t! VIII the people OF Kansas ever forget The in
| terventlonists OF Massachusetts, the money, the
clothing, the arms, by which they were ena.
bled to make Roadway against the Intervention
| OF the administration Never. Ii | under
stand the position of the Kansas people, it is
this that with fair play they do not distrust
their power to keep slavery out OF that terrific
ry; and the contest being over, they ask for
no congressional intervention But will any
body presume to say that they are so in love
| Win border warfare as to prefer a strife of six
| years to the quiet establishment of freedom
| by law? Ii they are, the country is not An
overwhelming majority of the people condemn
the repeal OF the law which ensured freedom
10 Kansas to say that the republicans, of
Kansas OF OF the country are f0rHon nterven-
except when 1t is a necessity, against interven.
ton for slavery, is absurd. A man will 90 TO
law rather than lose his farm but very few
| men Will go to law for the fun of it. Mr.
mayer dishonesty cites the vote of the re.
publicans for the CrIttenden- Montgomery bill.
as evidence of their commitment to the doe.
lrne OF non-intervention Nothing could be
more nnfaIr That vote illustrates what said
! is the position OF the republicans-non inte,yen.
tion 'ce must not nOn-intervention as a good
thing III itself That bill was supported as the
only way of defeating the Lecompton consti-
tuition, but not man of the republican party
VINO supported 1t considered it a good, or as
embodylng good principle in itself 1t was
necessity choice of evils. Gen Wilson.
in his Bangor speech, tells us OF the knavish
ness of Stephen A. Douglas, who after scout.
ing the idea that he should ever claim the re-
pubhcans as endorsers of his doctrine, on the
strength OF that vote, went back to Illinois
and did so claim, making the plea that he was
pressed so hard by Abraham Lincoln that he
could not avoid it, Mr. Thayer, who knows
the facts OF the case as well as Mr. Douglas,
has still less excuse for misrepresentation.
AND now that we are on the Threshold of a
new administration; now that we are morally
sure to have for the next four years a president
who will exercise all his constitutional power
and legitimate official influence to secure free
dom and free institutions TO all the present
outlying territories; now that there is fair
prospect OF changing the pro-slavery govern
nors and judges and land officers of the various
territories, tor men holding opinions adverse
to the barbarian institution of slavery; now
comes Mr. Eli Thayer, and asks us to give up
all tlese advantages; to give fair play to the
STAKEHOLDER and his ruffian leaders, the Blu
lords and the Hamiltons and to make the
half dozen territories whose destiny is to be
settled before 1864, the theater of Just such a
contest as has been witnessed in Kansas.
Are the republicans of the ninth congress
slonal district fools enough to indulge him in
this modest and moderate request?
Yours, truly, WARRINGTON.
| The Oldest postmaster in the United States,
who has never been out of office since the
date OF his appointment, is John Billings, at
! Trenton, Oneida county, New York His
appointment was made on the 18th of June,
1906.
Mr. j. w FOrnev was hurned in afRgy on