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


snce of the Yankee to set himself against the
popular current,-these have made slavehold-
ers and apologists for slavery out OF many
man born in Massachusetts, educated in her
free schools and brought up in her workshops
or upon her farms. In Mr.. Thayer's own case
we see how easily the spirit of landspecula-
ton has transformed free soiler of 1S48-50,
and a rigid republican of 1856 into an apoogist
for slavery and negro prescription, confeder
ate OF shareholders in congress- and despiser
and contemner of anti-sayery men and anti
slavery principles so that now he seems will
ing to put up with slavery because it makes
lands cheap and Ceredos possible, and his
zeal for freedom, which once threatened to
burn up or root out the institution from the
face OF the earth, now resembles that specula'
tive and moderate form OF crusading of which
the rustic poet OF the Connecticut valley is the
representative when he sings
''ROll on. blest Connecticut,
Long hast thou ran,
Bringing Shad to South HGdley,
And freedom to mani"
In the second place do not understand that
there is any controversy with Mr. Thayer as
to our past general territorial policy. He may
be right or he may be wrong on this subject.
1t is sufficient to say that it is not an ISSUE
and cannot be made one Ii he undertakes to
represent himself as being in favor OF giving
the people OF the territories the power to elect
their own officers, and to say that that was the
question involved when he went in with the
whole pro-Slavery force to kill off Mr. Grows
territorial bills, he grossly misrepresents the
fact, For find by referring to the proceed
ings on that occasion that Mr. Kellogg of Illi-
nois offered, by himself or by MIR. Grow, the
following amendment to every one OF these
bills -
Sec. Is. And be it further enacted, That whenever
the actual resident inhabitants of said territory shall
amount TO twenty thousand, the territorial egisla
ture shall, and it is hereby made the duty of such
legislature to- provide by law for the election Of all
territorial officers herenbefore by this act provided
! to be appointed by the president, all of whom shall
! be commissioned by the governor of the territory
except the governor; and the governor so elected
| shall be commissioned by the president; and the
terms OF Office ana the salary Of such officers shall
be established and fixed by the legislature Of such
territory.
Sec. 49, And be it further enacted, That such ter
ritorial Legislature shall provide by law for the
ner IN winch such officers shall be qualified before
entering upon the duties of their respective offices
and that when such officers shall be duly qualified,
they shall enter upon the discharge of the duties of
Their offices respectively, and the term of the then
lncumbents OF said Offices shall theIeupon and
| expire.
This republican effort 10 introduce a genu-
Inc popular sovereignty upon questions which
| In their nature may be properly determined by
the popular vote, met with no favor from MIR.
| Ihayer. L cannot ascertain that his Oppos-
ton to the bills was in any degree modified
thereby; on the contrary, lie forthwith pro.
ceeded to move TO lay the bills on the table,
and with the aid of the shareholders, carried
his point So far as there is any record on
the subject OF electing territoral officers by
the people, Mr.. Thayer is against it, His zeal
to attend the funeral and celebrate the wake
OF the territorial Victims could brook no de-
lay.
In the third place, there is no controversy
as TO Mr.. Thayer's land bills Those bills
never had any friends in congress worth men.
uoning. If Mr.. Thayer supposes that the
contest in which he led the slaveholding forces
to victory was between Crows territorial bills
and his land district bills, his selfconceit has
led him astray. Nine out of ten Of the mem.
berS, on both sides voted without the slightest
reference to his land bills. The contest was
for and against the policy of prohibiting slave.
ry in the territories. Crows bills contained
this proyiso =
! provided, That whereas slavery has no legal ex-
istence in said territory. nothing herein contained
shall be construed to authorize permit its exist
ence therein"
If this clause had not been in the bills, Mr..
Thayer would not have mustered a corporal
guard of shareholders, to vote the bills on the
table. 1t was this which excited slaveholding
luminosity; and with their usual mastery ex
erclse OF political strategy, the southern men,
bers avaied themselves OF Mr.. Thayer They
set him astride of his hobby Of popular sover-
eighty, patted his shoulder called him good
follow told him TO 90 ahead and take the lead
and they would follow which straightway
he did, but they didn't! After he had given
them his aid, they chuckled over his green.
ness and when Mr.. Thayer called on them
TO lift his land district bill into notice, they re.
specially declined Having killed the anti.
slavery provso, they wanted nothing more of
Hon. Eli Thayer | say, then, that his land
district bill, which he talks about so much
never was an issue before congress. The issue
was the antl.saVery proViso, and this alone :;
and this proviso Mr.. Thayer helped to defeat
len or twelve years ago. the northern mem.
beers of congress did their best TO make the
Wilmot proviso part of the law Of the land
Iimid and treacherous politicians kept them
from succeeding, and their timidity and treach-
cry was one OF the chief causes Of the uprising
OF the republican party. Shall towards and
traitors keep this party also from doing what
the people demand shall be done
Let me here notice Mr.. Thayer's attempt to
bolster up his cause by the citation OF honored
republican names. The Hon. Edward Wade
OF ONO furnished Mr. Thayer some facts re-.
| latng to bad territorial management under the
Qua system; and his name is cited in way to
leaVe the impression that he is with Mr. Thay-
er, on the questions in dispute | find that
MI: wade voted against laying Crows terri.
torial bills ON the table, and in fdror OF Bing.
ham's bill TO repeal the New Mexican slave
code; IN both cases against Mr.. Thayer SO
much for him John Sherman (says Mr. I. !
boosted that he had gone for honest popular
sovereignty, and would go for a law allowing
the people OF the territories to make their own
laws" So he would So would every other
republican. But John Sherman voted with
Edward Wade and the republicans generally
on Grows bill and Bnghan's bill thus show
ing that in his opinion the territorial bills did
allow the people to make their own laws but
that law for enslaying any portion of the PEG.
pie did not come within the proper scope and
junction Of the aw-making power. Salmon
\ Chase and b f. Wade are also cited as if
! in favor of Mr. rhaycrs policy This is all a