The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1855-05-19
Rapsas Matters.
The Kansas outrages.


cent election in Kansas, are calculated tc
cause the most painful sensations in all
rejecting minds. They show that law
lessness is completely triumphant in thai
Territory, and that orderly, law abiding
people are there compelled, at the peril
of their lives, to submit to a despotism
compared with which, that which, pre-
walls in Russia or Turkey is mild and
merciful. What has been done in Kan
sas is precisely as if the men of Boston
were to &C over to Charlestown, and there
vote for the municipal officer and repre-.
sentatives of that city, threatening all
the while to hang the legal voters if they
should dare to open their mouths to OBJ
ject to proceeding SO villainous. What
would the people of Massachusetts, say
if, at some vitality important election,
there should be returned from Hull OF
New Ashford five thousand votes, as
having been given for the gubernatorial
candidate of a particular party, and il
should turn out that those votes had
been cast by rufians from New York,
who had compelled the town authorities
to receive them, or be hanged Yet
this is just what has been done in Kansas,
where thousands of assassins from Mis-
souri, voted into Office the men who are to
make the territorial laws, and otherwise
to carry on the government, of a commu-
nifty which must soon be applying for ad-
mission into the Union. Such is the
first effect of what has been called the
''right of self-gorernment."
We are not disposed to hold the border
communities of the republic to very
strict accountability. A good deal ol
violence is to be expected in the life ol
such places, and we have no right to ex-
peet In their elections that nice regard for
forms, or that reverence for the require
ments of law, which are so common in
old and well established societies. But
the wrongs that have been perpetuated
in Kansas are not such as we expect oc-
casionally to hear of in border regions.
They are not such things as proceed from
heat of blood. They are the results oi
cool, deliberate system of terror, sys-
tenn of fraud, eoncocted by the scoun.
drels who brought forward the Nebrasks
bill against the wishes of every respect.
able man in the nation. These fellows
whether under the patronage of the
general government is not yet known
have organized iawlessness. TbeiI
crimes have all the cold-bloodedness thai
marks the action of selfish, sordid, cal
culating villains. There is not a single
palliating circumstance about their con-
duct. They have eonspired against the
law, and have succeeded in subyerting
it. The rowdics whom they have EN-
ploped are far less to blame than the
chiefs in the conspiracy, the Catalines
and the Cethcgues, who are destined to
fall before the fiery indignation of the
great majority of the people of the I'm
ion. The threats to hang Governor
Reeder have been uttered by yagabonds,
but they originated in the minds o.
those scoundrels to whom belongs the
paternity of the Nebraska bill. It wa:
right that assassination should be plan
ned by perjured repudiators.
What has happened is just what NIGH
have been expected. When the govern.
ment of great nation sets the example
of violating the most solemn obligations
obligations that are of the nature o
constitutional compaets-whatrighthays
We to expect that a semi-brutalized pop.
ulace, the sweepings of southwestern
brothels and groggeries, Just the sort o
criminals to be taken into the pay of the
Atchisons and Douglases, and the res
of that Catilinarian crew, who have dis
turbed again the peace of the country
what right, we ask, have we to expec
an observance of the laws requirement.
on the part of such social scum, whel
men who occupy the position Of states
tmen have become UNANIMOUSLY notorious
for their inter lawlessness7 2 They hay'
made of Lynch law the rule to, not ths
exception TO, Western border life.
Tie Kansas election win open up anew
| the whole slavery discussion. and To
country is destined to be conyulsed onc'
more on the most exciting subject tia
can excite the public mind. AL tn
hopes of peace that were for time cher
ished. have been abandoned, and VI
must pass years in contention, with Wha
sesuIt who can tell We now are begin
ming to understand what q vast amoun
Of mischief was contained in that Nebras
IIka bin, which was brought forward b,
lone set of knases, and forced througl
CONGRESS hr another saf-fhe former Be