The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-06-16
Kansas state.

tiers, sent there Tor that temporary pur-
pose, 10 adopt Constitution, recognizing
slavery. Republicanin form, bat virtually
oligarical, and demand admission into the
Union, as one of the sovereign States.
Slavery will ere that time, have been
| fully recognized and initiated into the
Territory, by the men who went there
from Missouri, to threaten lives, destroy
free presses, and choke out and overbear
by violence, and unlawful numbers, the
rights of those who had legal votes to
give.
/ Suppose the influence which determin-
ed the political result, to be continued,
there can be no doubt as to the character
of the Constitution. 1t must be the or
ganic law of slavery progression, for it
can be no other.
Should this result be accomplished by
such means, what will be the duty of
Congress Let us look back and see
what the North owes to slavery, either by
gratitude OF courtesey, for her part upon
questions of dividing policy, during the
past FIVE years. In September, 1850, a
combination of causes, springing from
the principle of slavery aggression on the
part of the South, and from fear for the
safety of the Union, combined with de-
sire to maintain and strengthen personal
and political popularity, on the part of
northern members and Senator's, condu-
ced to the passage of the Compromise
bill, measure which added millions of
square miles to the borders of slavery,
saddled the National Treasury with an OBJ
Litigation of $10,0O0,0O0, and struck a
blow at the moral instincts and principles
of the Moth, by the enactment of the
Fugitive Slave bill, BY making her free
citizens compulsory slave-catchers, con-
verted her jails into slave-pens, and her
tribunals of Justice into arbitrary, mer-
cenary, and irresponsible authorities,
standing aloof from, and holding them
selves above appeal, review, censure and
question.
Thus was the consideration paid, part
In money, part in honor, part in the cor
rupt decisions of legal tribunals, for the
great boon of "repose," freedom from
agitation, and for the full and final settle
ment of the long yexed questions of sla-
very.
The texture of this great measure of
pacifcation and compromise, no sooner
became part of the web and wool of Ma
tional legislation, than its terms and OBJ
jects were directly violated by the repeal
of another Compromise" that of 1920.
Missouri made her application in 817,
through her Assembly, for leave to frame
and present constitution, and from that
time forward fierce and bitter struggle
arose, upon her admission to the Union,
which continued for two years, and
threatened the perpetuity of the Union,
as all questions have done, which have
looked to the restraint of slavery. "Com
promise and the South triumphed, and
slavery gained all she asked, and on the
10Th day of July, 1920, the slavery con-
stitution of Missouri was adopted, with
everything gained by the South, and
nothing by the North, except solemn
compact that slavery should never be car
ried northward of Sc deg. 80 min. At
this time, Arkansas formed a portion of
the Territory of Missouri, lying south of
the line of Sc deg 80 min. but became
seperate Territory upon the State organi-
cation of Missouri, and so continued until
admitted with slavery, as one of the SOW
ereign States of the Union in 1886.
Thus slavery gained her end, by TAX
ing that which made two States, and
yielding nominally all claim to vast,
wild, and unsettled region of country,
which the moment it became available
and open to settlement and cultivation,
the South retook to herself, by the repu-
diation of the Missouri line, on the 18th
of May, 1854.
Werecount these historical particulars,
not because they are new, nor because all
are not perfectly familiar with them but
becase nothing is lost in keeping details in
sight when full understanding, and
fresh recollection of them is involved in
the settlement of an important question.
Such are the merits of the southern
side of the Kansas question, upon the
record, in the shape in which they must
ever be presented by the impartial histo-
rian. Passion, violent prejudice, interest
or falsehood may pervert them, or keep
them out Of sight, but so stand the facts.
With such merits as these, slavery
comes, with fierce aspect and bloody
armed hands, threatening death or ban
isbD,aDf r., Nar+ba-r, Erouo II, ,,;r.,o+;,,,
into Kansas, and when, she finds her
threats unavailing to accomplish her pur-
poses, she oyerruns the polls with hordes
of her citizens, who make not even
shallow pretext of citizenship in Kansas,
and force upon freemen, Legislature for
slavery.
The next step to be taken, viii be the
organization of Convention to form a
Constitution. As certain as that body
assemblies, under the auspices, and by vir
tue of the authority of the Legislature,
a constitution not forbidding involuntary
servitude will be presented to Congress. |
Kansas is really settling very fast, and the
Constitutional minimum viii very quickly
be reached, even by honest reckoning,
Il
and much more quickly if as at the late |
State election, the whole of western Mis-
souri, is poured in TO help swell their num- |
bers; and it is not improbable that the
present House of Representatives in Con-
gress, may be called upon to act upon the
question of acceptance or rejection of that
Constitution. If the present Congress
should enjoy that privilege and distinc-
ton will not the people who elected them,
justify them in keeping out of the UGion,
a State whose Constitution is stepped
from its first conception in fraud?
Should Kansas not apply for admission
until after another House of Representa-
tiyes has been elected in Congress. that
circumstance will form an additional in
centive upon northern freemen who re-
gard the rights of freedom, and the evils
of slavery, to keep up their organization.
to confirm their hold upon the just effec-
tons and sympathies of the masses, and
to give not one inch of ground, so hardly
foughtfor. and so triumphantly redeemed,
at the polls of 1854.