Article Title

One Hundred Guns for Nebraska!

Authors

Newspaper Title

New-Haven Daily Register

Publication Date

5-24-1854

Publication Place

New Haven, Connecticut

Event Topic

Nebraska Bill (Jan-May 1854)

Political Party

Democratic

Region

free state

Disclaimer

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Quote

At sunrise this morning, one hundred guns were fired from the Public Square, by order of the Democratic Town Committee, in honor of the passage of the bill

Document Type

Article (Journal or Newsletter)

Full Text Transcription

At sunrise this morning, one hundred guns were fired from the Public Square, by order of the Democratic Town Committee, in honor of the passage of the bill giving Territorial Governments to the people of Nebraska and Kansas, and the triumph of the principle of Constitutional freedom involved therein. Thirty-one guns were first fired for the 31 sovereign States, then 1 each for Kansas and Nebraska; then 13 for the original states; and the majority for the bill; then a salute for the President -- followed by salutes to honor Messrs. Toucey, and Ingersoll, of this state, Douglass, Richardson, and the friends of the bill.

We are not particularly partial to demonstrations of this noisy kind, on party triumphs -- but there has been such an amount of misrepresentation, both of the bill and its friends -- such a bold-faced system of abuse, and calumny, from the press, pulpit, and stump -- that no one can question the propriety of the manifestation of gladness which is felt by the friends of the bill, on its final passage.

The settlement of the vexed question of Slavery, by the establishment of the principle of non-Intervention, and leaving the whole question to those interested; under the guarantees of the Constitution, will put an end to that agitation which has been so fruitful of mischief, and of danger to the Union. It can no more distract the legislation of Congress -- or prove a bone of contention between the North and the South - but to the highest courts of the country will be left all cases involving either its existence or perpetuity. Confidence will be restored between the different sections of the country -- trade will develop a new impetus -- good feeling succeed to jealousy and hatred - and the measure will soon be one of the most popular, ever adopted by Congress. The friends of the Union will take their position upon it, in such numbers as to defy opposition, and keep the fell spirit of a ruthless and blind fanaticism within proper bounds.-- Based upon the Constitution, carrying out the first principles of our republican institutions, yielding nothing but what fairly belongs to State sovereignty and individual rights - it is emphatically a peace measure, and impregnable to assault. The free States are not injured by this act; but by a reasonable concession will be greatly benefitted. The Territory in question will be as free from slavery, as if the restriction of 1820 had never been adopted - while a hateful geographical line, over which one portion of the Union has taunted the other, and attempted to act the conservator where they were not as particularly interested, (and over which Nature itself had established laws irrevocable by man,) will be obliterated, and the forms of local government take such shape as the inhabitants of the new Territories may desire, subject only to such restrictions as are imposed by by the Constitution of the United States - the highest authority known to the people.

Looking, therefore, above the bluster and bitterness with which this bill has been assailed, and which is one of the natural consequences in the establishment of all great reforms, it is essentially a season for rejoicing with all well-wishes of their country.

Edited/Proofed by

Entered by Lloyd Benson. Proofed by Lloyd Benson

Identifier

cnnrkn540524a

Recommended Citation

"One Hundred Guns for Nebraska!" (1854). Secession Era Newspaper Editorials. 22.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/secession-editorials/all/editorials/22

Rights

This item is in the public domain, and can be used by anyone without restriction.