Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-10-27
LETTERS FROM W INGToN.-No. 4.

LElIEhS FhUM 1NGIUN,-No. &,
MAIDEN, Oct &c, 1860.
My Dear SW:-I have suggested that the
worst thing that can be said about Mr. Thay.
er's course in congress is that it has been con-
sistert with his avowed principles. When
man sets out with the dogma that sit is better
for any political community to do wrong by
their own voluntary act than 10 be compelled
to do right ty any outside power" and that it
is of no uss To try to legislate religion or
temperance, or christianity Of heaven" into
man, (which means, if it means anything, that
all legislation on moral and religious subjects
is absurd and wrong,) we need not be surprised
to see him giving votes in opposition to the
principles and desires of his constituents In
refusing to vote for the abrogation of polygamy
in Utah, and for the abolition of the inhuman
slave code OF New Mexico, and for the pro.
hibiion of slavery in the new territories, Mr.
Thayer behaved consistently. And ON the
territorial question he has boldly defended his
vote. But | am sorry to say that on the
polygamy question and the slave code question
he has shown the white feather, not precisely
after the style Of Harry of Navarro at the
battle of Ivry, but in another fashion. His
cote was in precise accordance with his prin-
ciples. The people OF New Mexco-that is to
say, the squatters, instigated by the slave
spirit and acting through their Legislature.
have adopted a code of laws for the protection
of slave property The game has been played
and the shareholders have won. The people
have spoken, and their voice is the voice of
God" Mr. Thayer would have been glad,
perhaps, if they had decided differently, but
according to their light, they have decided.
There is, therefore, nothing to be said We
may regret that the renowned and pussant
Thiyer, when he retired in disgust from Kan
sas, in 1856, did not direct his vast. energies
towards the salvation of New Mexico, instead
OF taking the contract for abolshing slavery
in Virginia, b. setting up blacksmith's shop
in Ceredo; but we cannot help it, We must
not expect impossibilities, even of Thayer.
His biographer gives us TO understand that
nobody but he could have saved Kansas
We cannot expect omnipresence and omnipo-
tence in him. He cannot liberate New Mexico,
enfrauchise Nebraska, wake Idaho to the glad
light OF freedom, and pour increasing day into
the vallies OF Dakota, all at once. We need at
least half dozen Eli Thayers to preserve all
Walton. And what if he should give out
Then the experiment would wholly fail the
argument for popular sovereignty would fall
TO the ground and we should pertorce have to
return to intervention. AT any rate, if we are
going to rest this great scheme upon Mr.
! Thayer's shoulders, we should withdraw him
from congress, and let him give his undivided
attention to it. While he is quarreling with
his constituents, Idaho may be lost; while he
| dor H., ID
| Everetts and DOuglasites, Dakota may be en-
| shaved while lie gallops his Roland or Ros
! mantle from town to town, startling the farm
erss pigs and poultry from their propriety,
| exhibiting himself four times in one evening
to the astonished gaze aud hearing OF the SLOW
! people of the district, Nebraska may follow the
example of New Mexico and adopt a slave
code. BY all means, if we are to rely upon
popular sovereignty, and Mr. Thayer is the
only man capable OF administering that RENE
| dy, let us give him time to do it. Further
more, why send him to congress at all He
has acknowledged, by every vote he has given
on the question OF slavery, that he is impotent
for good and incapable of preventing evil
while member OF that body. He cannot vote
against slavery, or against poly gamy, or
| against an inhuman slave code. What
can he do? Nothing but make speeches
which tickle the proslayery members and
disgust his own party. By all means, and
on every consideration, let the people keep him
| at home hereafter.
But this is depression. l was proceeding
to say that the people OF New Mexico having
decided in favor of slavery, Mr.. Thayer is
bound, by his allegiance to the theory not to
object or complain. When asked to explain
his vote against Bingham's bill abrogating the
slave code, he should say, Gentlemen | am
bound by my theory; that will not let me vote
as GU wish me to vote !; l must stand by my
principles. What does he say Why, he
casts about for apologies, and, after painful
search, says, substantially, that a vote to re.
peal the code would be to recognize its con-
stitutlonality and that such vote would
have had no effect against the code itself!
He says that the republican platform declares
the slave code unconstitutional and vote to
repeal it is an admission that it is legal and
valid unless repealed! | am not quoting Mr..
Thayer himself but stating, in the words of his
organ, the Worcester Republican, his reasons
for his vote. They are substantially the same
as those which Mr. Thayer himselfgives in his
speeches. Did mortal man ever before hear such
driveling nonsense from the mouth of a man
pretending to be sane =? What would the re-
publican OF District No. have said to their
representative if he had voted against abolish.
ing the infamous border ruiiian code of Kan
sas on such pleas as these! The spirit of
1856 would not for a moment have tolerated
such absurdites. What is a man sent to con
gross for, but to make good laws and to get rid
of bad ones? II an nhuman law is passed
by territorial legislature, and congress has
power TO repeal it, no matter if it is thousand
times unconstitutional, no decent man will re.
fuse 10 vote for repeal. II to inhumanity is
added plain and papoble uuconstitutionaty,
the obligation to repeal it is increased. The
oath which Mr. Thayer took to support the
constitution, what did it mean Merely that
he, in his individual capacity, should refrain
from violating that instruments? Not at all.
II bound him to see that, as far as in him lay,
the constitution should not be violated by