Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-08-24
Kansas LegiAlature.

On the 10th inst, the Kansas House of
Representatives considered tho act TO pun
ish ofTenscs against slave property. The bill
had previously been referred to committee,
aud they reported a substitute, which, after
being ordered mol to be printed, was read
thrice aud passed-ayes "a, nays nonc.-
Death is the penalty for almos, every oilcnso
enumerated in the act, which is as follows.
AN ACT TO PUNISH OFFENsEs A.
GAINST SLAVE PROPERTY.
Sec. !. Every person, bond or free, con
victcd of raising rebellion Of slaves, free /
negroes or mulat,oes shall suffer death.
Sec. .. Every free person who shall aid .
in any cbellion Of slaves, or do any overt /
act in furthcrauco thereof-shal suffer death. /
Sec. B II any free person shall by speak /
ing. writing, or printing, advise, induce, &c.
any slaves to rebel, conspire against or muir /
der any citizen of Kansas, or shall import or
aid in importing such documents, he shall SUI +
fer death.
/ Sec 4. If any person shall entice. decoy, |
! or carry out of Kansas any slave belonging
/ TO another, with intent TO deprive the owner
/ thereof of the services of such slave, or pro-
cure the freedom of such slave, he shall sui /
fer death, or be imprisoned a, hard labor for
not less than ten years.
Sec 5. VI any person shall assist in emit
cling, &c, las above)--shall suffer death or
be Imprisoned at hard labor for not less than
ten years.
Sec 6. If any person shall entce or car
~ away out Of any State or Territory OF the
United States, any slave aud shall
bring such slave TO this Territory, &c.
a / 1. -. ,l. b,r,
labor for not less than ten years
Sec. z. If any person shall entice any
slave to escape from the service Of his mas.
ter or owner = or shall aid any slave in
escaping he shall be imprisoned at
hard labor tor not less than frc years.
Sec. 8. lfany person m this territory shall
aid or harb0r any escaped slave from moth
er State such person shall be punish
ed in like manner as if such slave had csca~
ped from his master in this territory.
Sec. .. If any person shall resist any Off
Ger while attempting to arrest any slave that
NAV have escaped = . or shall rescue
such slave. or aid such slave to escape from
the oficer-the person 50 offending shall be
imprisoned at hard labor for not less than
two years.
Sec. TO- If any marshal, sheriff or consta-
BILE, or the deputy of any such officer, shall,
when required, refuse to aid or assist IN the
arrest or capture of any slave that may have
escaped, such officers shall be fined not less
than SlC0, nor more than $500.
Sec IL. If any p'rson print write, intro
duce into, publish or circulate, or cause 10 be
brought into, printed, written, published or
circulated, or shall knowingly aid or assist
in bringing into, printing, publishing, or cir
culating within this territory any book, pa
per, &c, containing statements, doctrines,
Sc. calculated to produce disaiicction a.
monr the slaves Of this territory he shall be
punished BY Imprisonment at hard labor for
not less than five years.
= Sec -. II any free person, by speaking
or by writing assert or maintuin, that per-
sons hare no right 10 hold siar,s in the terri.
= tory, or shall Introduce into Kansas, print,
publish write, circulate, or cause to be in
PRODUCED mo the territory, written, printed,
published, or circulated ~ this territory, any
book, paper, magazine. pamphlet or circular,
: containing any denial Of the rights Of per
sous 20 hold slaves 10 thls territory, such per-
son shall be deemed guilty Of felony, and
punished by Imprisonment and hard labor
for term not less than two years.
Sec. l3. No person who il conscientious
~ opposed 70 holding slaves shall
ST as a Juror, on the trial Of any prosecution
Of any violation Of any Of the sections OF
tins act.
, Ac, to be 10 iofco after Sept. Is, 1853.
The ST Louis Democrat condemns the act
in strong language. Calling attention to the
l2h section, it says:
f " This is neither more nor less Than max
+ ing difference Of opinion on constitutions
al question penteniary oifeuse. Il cstab-
fishes the prison aud the pillory as ths arbi
70 ter Of constitutional law, in preference lc
the judiciary Of the land, and makes The hu-
man mind squire its convictions 70 the ideas
OF a fen accidentally elected legislators
The 'Procrusican bed has been n,yth hero
iolore il promises soon 10 be shlmbie and
( q slaughter house in reality. Men are ma
] longer TO be permitted IN the new Territory
10 express abstract opinions on moral cues
} tons wltlout suffering the ignomluous pen.
4 altics Of State Penitcnuary, and thls Is
E what is called opening the Territories to tho
people Of the whole Union, and admitting
y oil persons TO the enjoyment Of It's fair land.
! Squatter sovereignty was much lauded by
b General Cass and Mr. Douglas ~ the out
set, and yet, under this phase of It, both Mr.
Douglas and Cass would be sent To the
q State Prison, if they dared to utter in Kan
sas Territory what they have repeatedly SAID
. 10 glowing language IN the Senate Of the
" United States.
1t ia regard 10 this law We have bat few
words 70 say, and they may be said very
briefly. W. are in favor Of the protection
+ Of slave property and the rights Of slaveho
ders, where slavery exists, by all laws unt
statutes that can be enforced, and human 10
J. telligence does not revolt at. But this ID
If none such. It could not be enforced, as wa,
A. well said in the debate on its passage, ever
in South Carolina, much less in Kansas Il
> Is foolish in operation, and will prove rcac
J. iionary.
Massachusetts assurcdy destroyed lh'
f Know Nothing party in the United States
by the ultra course Of her Legislature by
Ignoring the Fugitive Slave law-and by en-
acting The Personal Liberty bill The result
too will prove that the Kansas Legislature
has done more to destroy the prospect o
d making that territory slave State, by IT
il-tempered, sen.eless, sehoolboy legislation
and by the enactment of the present 'Blacl
! laws than could have been effected by al
the cohorts OF the Enigraut Aid Society, o.
by all the zeal of northern fanatical diYines
For The Waterman & Journal