President Pierce, supported by jingo Democratic statesmen
From the collection of the New York Historical Society

delivering a terrible philippic against the Nebraska bill. Douglas himself declared that he had heard nothing like it in the Senate. Unfortunately for the archives of American oratory the speech was not reported. However, its argument has been preserved, and undoubtedly in more finished form, in a speech of the same tenor which Lincoln delivered at Peoria two weeks later (October 16) and in the joint debate with Douglas in 1858 [see Vol. V, chapter III].

CHAPTER VIII

"BLEEDING KANSAS"

[DEBATES ON THE ADMISSION OF KANSAS INTO THE UNION]

Foundation of the Republican Party: Its Success in the Elections of 1854President Pierce Sends Special Message to Congress on Kansas in Favor of the Pro-Slavery Party-Answer in the House to the Message by Galusha A. Grow [Pa.]-President Pierce Issues Proclamation Against Interference in Kansas by Men of the Bordering States-House of Representatives Sends Investigating Committee to Kansas-Its ReportDebate on the Report: Anti-Slavery Speakers, Israel Washburn [Me.], Samuel Galloway [O.]; Pro-Slavery Speakers, William H. English [Ind.], Thomas F. Bowie [Md.]-Bill Introduced in the Senate to Admit Kansas into the Union-Debates on the Bill: in Favor of "Popular Sovereignty," Stephen A. Douglas [Ill.]; in Favor of Prohibition of Slavery, William H. Seward [N. Y.]-Bill to Admit Kansas Is Passed in the House, but Rejected in the Senate.

Ο

N May 23, 1854, the day after the passage of the Nebraska bill, some thirty members of the House of Representatives met together to plan their future action on the issue. The leader of the meeting, Israel Washburn, Jr. [Me.], assumed the existence of a new party to which they belonged, and used the name "Republican" to designate it—not as an innovation, however, since it was a term already "in the air," having been suggested at a meeting of "anti-Nebraska' men of all former parties, held in Ripon, Wis., March 20. During the course of the year it was adopted at "antiNebraska" conventions held in various Northern States.

The name, as we have seen, had been the designation of the anti-Federalists, and remained the official name of that party long after it became popularly known as the Democratic party. Indeed, it was still used by a number of Southern members of that party in Congress in preference to the term Democrat.

After the demise of the Federalist party "Republican" was the common element in the name of the two new political factions which arose, the broad constitutional constructionists and the protective tariff men, such as Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, calling themselves "National Republicans." When the faction assumed the dimensions of a party, it officially adopted the popular designation of Whig.

Accordingly, since the "anti-Nebraska" faction was composed of the larger portion of the Northern Whigs and all of the Free Soil Democrats, there was a unanimous and spontaneous desire of these elements to assume a term which was endeared to them by former political association.

The regular Democrats, on the other hand, vigorously protested against this assumption, which they considered an unwarranted and almost sacrilegious misuse of the revered name. Accordingly, they attempted at first to fix the name "Black Republican" upon the new party. This, though it seemed most odious to themselves, rather strengthened the anti-Nebraskans with the Northern people, who were becoming more and more opposed not only to slavery in the Territories but also in the States, and so the new party was enspirited to accept the designation and to justify it by taking a more advanced position than its founders had originally intended, declaring war against slavery per se. While such a declaration frightened away the more timorous Whigs and Democrats, it secured the adherence of nearly all the Abolitionists, who, though fewer in numbers than the disaffected element, were ardent and successful propagandists, and soon swelled the ranks of the "Black" Republicans with converts that more than made up the balance against them.

In 1854 the new party elected eleven Senators and a plurality of Representatives. It was especially strong in the West, the Eastern men who had become dissatisfied with the old parties preferring to join the Know Nothing party, which, however, was tinged with antislavery sentiment and, being a movement of protest rather than fundamental principle, was ready to break

away and join whatever new party would prove the most successful antagonist of the dominant one.

EVENTS IN KANSAS

Even before the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill preparations had been made by the South to introduce slavery into the Territory of Kansas. The only white men in the region were missionaries and Indian agents, who were all Southerners. These men had the first information of the purchase of the Indian reservations in Kansas, which was quietly made by the Government shortly before the passage of the KansasNebraska bill, and they proceeded to organize for the capture of the territorial government. In aid of their project Missourians along the Kansas border formed into various societies, "Blue Lodges," "Sons of the South," etc., with intent to enter the Indian reservations at the earliest possible moment and vote for the introduction of slavery into the new Territory. They did so on the passage of the act, bringing some slaves with them, and holding meetings at which they resolved. that "no protection would be afforded Abolitionist settlers in the region," and that "slavery was recognized as already existing in the Territory," and that "slaveholders should introduce their property as early as possible."

The Northern Abolitionists thereupon organized "Emigrant Aid Societies" to promote the migration of anti-slavery men to Kansas. Hearing of this the proslavery associations in Kansas and western Missouri held meetings at which they resolved forcibly to remove these Abolitionist immigrants from the Territory.

The first company of Northern immigrants was sent by the New England Emigrant Aid Society. It reached Kansas late in July, 1854, and located at a place which they named after the treasurer of the society [Amos A.] Lawrence. While erecting their houses they were visited by an armed party of Missourians but, on their preparing to defend themselves, their visitors retired without molesting them.