they should hang upon the gallows of their own building, I shall not be among the mourners for their fate.  In my humble sphere, I shall advocate the restoration of the Missouri Compromise so long as Kansas remains a Territory, and when, by all these foul means, it seeks to come into the Union as a slave State, I shall oppose it.  I am very loath in any case to withhold my assent to the enjoyment of property acquired or located in good faith; but I do not admit that good faith in taking a negro to Kansas to be held in slavery is a probability with any man.  Any man who has sense enough to be the controller of his own property has too much sense to misunderstand the outrageous character of the whole Nebraska business.  But I digress.  In my opposition to the admission of Kansas I shall have some company, but we may be beaten.  If we are, I shall not on that account attempt to dissolve the Union.  I think it probable, however, we shall be beaten.  Standing as a unit among yourselves, You can, directly and indirectly, bribe enough of our men to carry the day, as you could on the open proposition to establish a monarchy.  Get hold of some man in the North whose position and ability is such that he can make the support of your measure, whatever it may be, a Democratic party necessity, and the thing is done.  Apropos of this, let me tell you an anecdote.  Douglas introduced the Nebraska Bill in January.  In February afterward there was a called session of the Illinois Legislature.  Of the one hundred members composing the two branches of that body, about seventy were Democrats.  These latter held a caucus in which the Nebraska Bill was talked of, if not formally discussed.  It was thereby discovered that just three, and no more, were in favor of the measure.  In a day or two Douglas’s orders came on to have resolutions passed approving the bill; and they were passed by large majorities!!!!  The truth of this is vouched for by a bolting Democratic member.  The masses, too, Democratic as well as Whig, were even nearer unanimous against it; but, as soon as the party necessity of supporting it became apparent, the way the Democrats began to see the wisdom and justice of it was perfectly astonishing.

You say that if Kansas fairly votes herself a free State, as a Christian you will rejoice at it.  All decent slaveholders talk that way, and I do not doubt their candor.  But they never vote that way.  Although in a private letter or conversation you will express your preference that Kansas shall be free, you would vote for no man for Congress who would say the same thing publicly.  No such man could be elected from any district in a slave State.  You think Stringfellow and company ought to be hung; and yet at the next Presidential election you will vote for the exact type and representative of Stringfellow.  The slave-breeders and slave-traders are a small, odious, and detested class among you; and yet in politics they dictate the course of all of you, and are as completely