The Kansas herald of freedom., 1854-10-21
NUMBER VOLUME |.


years this feature of 1920 remained the
iaw Of the land, as it always would had il
not been for the ambitious motives of those
who cared more for the spoils of Office.
than for the sacredness of compaets, or
the wishes of the masses.
We originally acquired this region on
the s0th Of April, 1908, by treaty with
France, at which time the first Consul of
that nation ceded US the Jenain, aud
the laws which govern it. Those laws
permitted slavery 10 exist there, and SO re-
manned until repealed, as before stated in
1920, By the extension over it of the 9Th
article of the ordinance of 1887. The
late Law. which repealed the Missouri COM
promise of 1920 was not needed to ena
hle freensea 10 locate ia Kansas; for The
Constitution Of the United States express
iy declares that athe citizens of each
State shall be entitled to all the privileges
and inmunities of citizens in the several
States" and as in none of the States is
the ownership of slave the condition
precedent to citizenship, the owners have
had at all times the same right 10 settle
there which non-slaveholders had; none
but Slaves being excluded from locating
there. To establish slavery in Kansas
and Nebraska, if not the express object,
is the sure result of the repeal of the act
of 1920, unless prevented by a very large
emigration from the northern States. Ia
all the ancient Louisiana west of the Mis-
sippi embraced in the recent territorial bill
I-if treaties have the force of law
slavery IS nols an established institutioa,
and can only be put down by an act of
Congress, or by the people Of the terrific
ries through their respective legislatures.
Because politicians have repealed the
Missouri compromise, it does not follow as
a matter of course that the very issue
which that compromise was intended to
avert should now be made between the
free and slave States; nor until the at
tempt to restore the prohibitory clause of
the act of 1920, is met by the hostile OPP
position of the slave States.
| The people of the free States, and all
iopposed to slavery, claim, as their BIRTH
right, all the benefits accruing from the
act of 1920, and for them tamely to sur
render this right, must be but the dscos-
cry that they had necks fitted to some vile
purpose. They, however, can assert and
vindicate their rights without any just
cause OF offence, and without treading up
on any of the rights of shareholders; and
whatever is their right and privilege 10
do, it is their didy not 10 leave undone.
You viii distinctly understand that |
am without affinity for the party denoini-
mated "abolitionist" and that if lived in
a slave State ! should expect to be a
stakeholder, resolved to defend my rights
lnf property TO the LAST extremity. L how
ever, am believer in bonds, IN eolapacts,
as the ligaments which bind society to-
gether, and that when We lightly tear up
one bond and treai it under foot, We
have perpetuated the fimt act that leads
TO the final suicide.
very well understand the reason that
prompted the adoption of the Ordinance
of 1877, and have no more doubt of
the wisdom of the measure, and the hon
esty OF those 80 ordaining, than 1 have of
the patriotic devotion of our fathers who
in 1875 declared these Colonies independ-
ent of the Crown Of Great Britain; nor
can | doubt for moment that if the
whole OF the territory then known. as
Louisiana, and embracing all that region
lying west of the Missouri river, had be-
longed to the United States, that perlion
lying north of the mouth of the Ohio
would have been included in that Ordin-
anee.
| am now sixty-four years of age, and
having from the galleries Of the Capitol
heard nearly the whole debate which led
10 tbs. adoption Of the Missouri eompro-
mise, 1 ain not permitted to doubt that
il was intended by fhe prohibitorv clause
in the act of 1920 10 include all the moral
obligations Of the Ordinance of l7s7; and
this my thirty-four years of fixed belief.
coupled with ray very great fespeci for
the actors, will constlain me, If ever ] am
called TO vote upon the. question In Kan
sas, as ! expect todo ifsaEKe year or Two
hence. to give it against the presence of
slavery there.
You will understand that although I
have been upon the eastern borders of
Kansas, have never travelled over the
territory; but that my information. is de-
rived from such Intelligent and reliable
sources, that in connection with my own
personal knowledge Of the western coun-
try, where | have resided for foTfy-six
years, enables nesto speak as one whose
faith Is fully confirmed, and It Is IN obe-
dience 70 the dictates OF that faith that
am now packed up, and Just ready te-issss-.
out for Kansas, sish my three sons to be
IN time to erect cabins there 10 winter in.
Very Trlly Yonss G. W.