By an act of Congress, passed in May, 1854, the territories of Kansas and
Nebraska were organized, and in a section of that act it was declared
that the Constitution and all the laws of the United States should be
in force in these territories, except the Missouri Compromise Act of
1820, which was declared inoperative and void. The act thereby repealed
had confined slavery to the region of the Louisiana Purchase south of
latitude 36°, 30´ North. Foreseeing the probable success of this measure
to increase the area of slavery, Emigrant Aid Societies had been formed
in Massachusetts first, and later, in Connecticut, which assisted
Northern emigrants to the settlement of this fertile region. Settlers
from the Northwestern States also poured in, and also from Missouri,
the latter bringing slaves with them. A fierce struggle, lasting for
some years and attended with bloodshed and barbarities, began at once,
hordes of armed men from the border state of Missouri constantly voting
at Kansas elections and intimidating the free state settlers, and even
driving parties of immigrants out of the state. Franklin Pierce was
then President, and threw the influence and power of the administration
on the side of the pro-slavery party in Kansas. Despairing of redress
from Washington, the settlers from the free states appealed in their
distress to their friends at home, and sent Mr. Whitman, Rev. Mr. Nute,
and later, John Brown, to make known to them their wrongs, and ask
moral and material aid, especially arms to defend their rights, and
reinforcements of brave settlers. Meetings were held, not only in the
cities, but in the country towns, and, certainly in the latter, were well
attended by earnest people who gave, a few from their wealth, but many
from their poverty, large sums to help “bleeding Kansas.” In response to
the petitions of the friends of Freedom, who urged the Legislature of
Massachusetts to come to the rescue, a joint committee was appointed by
the General Court to consider the petitions for a state appropriation of
ten thousand dollars to protect the interests of the North and the rights
of her citizens in Kansas, should they be again invaded by Southern
marauders. John Brown addressed this committee in February, 1856. He
made a clear and startling statement of the outrages he had witnessed
and the brave struggles of the settlers, and told of the murder and
imprisonment and maltreatment of his sons, seven of whom were in Kansas
with him during the struggle.[F]
Mr. Emerson always attended the meetings in aid of Kansas in Concord,
gave liberally to the cause, and spoke there and elsewhere when called
upon.
[150] _Page 263, note 1._ George Bancroft, the historian, said of the
conclusion of this speech:—
“Emerson as clearly as any one, perhaps more clearly than any one
at the time, saw the enormous dangers that were gathering over the
Constitution.... It would certainly be difficult, perhaps impossible,
to find any speech made in the same year that is marked with so much
courage and foresight as this of Emerson.... Even after the inauguration
of Lincoln several months passed away before his Secretary of State or
he himself saw the future so clearly as Emerson had foreshadowed it in
1856.”[G]