Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-04-17
lFor the Daily Spy.l
HON. ELI THAYER.
WORCESTER, April

WORCESTER, April l6, 1860
Mr.. Editor will you permit me briefly to
notice in your paper your review of Mr..
Thayer's speech, contained in this mornings
Spy.
! Mr.. Thayer voted against the polygamy
bill, because, Gas an expression of the moral
sense OF the country, it is superfluous that,
as penal statute, it is powerless that, as a
vindication of the honor and authority of this
government, it is worse than useless for it
would bring both the honor and authority of
the government into ridcule and contempt"
To this you reply, "Honest laws, with hon
est and honorable men for judges and execu-
tive officers in Utah. would easily accomplish
what has sometimes seemed impossible" The
offender against this polygamy law must be
tried before 'Jury of his peers"-i. C. Nor
mons. viii you inform us how "honest
judges" can 'easily accomplish" the execution
Of this statute under such circumstances
Will not the prosecuting attorney be in "pur-
suit of knowledge under difficulties 2" Allud.
ing to Mr.. Thayer's system of popular govern
ment you say, Suppose a company OF immi-
grants from Europe should settle somewhere
on our unoccupied territory, and establish there
All iilC dHll-lSpubilCdl Oh LllG leu
dial system, as they exist in Russia, with a
hereditary great baron for governor Would
there be no right in Congress to interfere 90
Please observe that Mr.. Thayer does not
claim for auy people in our country the right
to frame q system of government in contra
vention of the United States constitution
Art 4th, sect. 4th of that instrument reads as
follows 1.-THE United States shall guarantee
to every state in this Union republican form
of government" If this permission is lac to
the people of the states it is no less so to those
occupying the territories. Therefore, will
| you inform us how, under a ust construction
and application of Mr.. Thayer's views, any
people within the jurisdiction of the constitu-
ton can Establish all the dntirepubcan pc
cularities of the feuda systems as they exist
in Russia :"
Again, abiding to Mr.. Thayer's bill for
dividing the territories, you add Of Con.
gress can do that, it is not very considerable,
or proper, to say it has no authority to pro,
hibt polygamy and slavery in Utah lie
(Thayer) goes entirely beyond himself and
brushes out his own doctrine" Mr.. Thayer
does not deny the authority of Congress over
the territories, but objects to attempting its
exercise by enacting penal statutes which will
be ''powerless" under eriSting circumstances.
In regard to the prohibition of slavery, Mr.
Thayer is opposed to attempting to do, BY fed
eral legislation, what will inevitably be done by
the free exercise of popular suffrage. lie be-
lieves if Congress will only guarantee free
expression of the popular voice in the terrific
tories, it Is impossible to further extend tho
institution of slavery. lie even goes further
and declares that we have reached that degree
| of national progress, in which freedom is SUR
TO triumph against any possible pro slavery
legislation. Hence, he is opposed TO any jed
erd prohibition of slavery IN the territories.
Nor does Mr.. Thayer stand alone, as a re-
publican, with these views. On the 18th ult.
Mr.. Blake, of Ohio, offered in the House the
following resolution
Resolved, That the committee on tho Judiciary
be, and the same are hereby instructed, TO inquire
INTO the expediency of reporting bill giving free
uom TO every human being and nterdicting slavery
wherever Congress has the constitutional power 10
legslate ON that subject
Have you forgotten the fate Of this resolu.
tionf Out Of one hundred and sirteen republican
members, only sirty voted to Inquire Into the
erpediency' of federal legislation against slave
~ IN the territories. Are Mr.. Thayers doc