Squatter sovereign., 1855-02-03

our slaves to escape, to lead them to iinsur-
rection and rebellion.
Though we fully recegnize the duty of
all good citizens to obey the law, to rely
upon the law; where there is mo- law, the
right of sef-defence reqs,isss that we should
resort TO the strong hand 10 elf-proteetion
| we have no law by wh5eS ehc expression
of abolition sentiments is made i penal
offence, and yet it is crime of the highest
grade. 1t is not within even the .lnuch
abused libeftyof speech; but in q slave
holding community, the expression of such
sentiments is a positive act, more criminal, ;,
more dangerous, than kindling the torch Of
the incendiary, mixing the poison Of the
Assassin. The necessity for a. law punish.
ing such a crime, has not, until now, been
felt in Missouri. Until such law is en-
acted, sen-protection demands that we
should guard against such crimes.
Such are the means we propose TO adopt
for the immediate projections of our proper
lty. We have thus fully stated Them. not
to excuse Our action, but.to awaken otir
| friends in other portions of our slayehold-
ing territory, to the dangers which viii ere
long surround them, if we are overcome:
to arouse them to the necessity of coming
to our aid, and thus keep the enemy from
| their borders.
There is another measure which we have;
proposed, which may be deemed local and
personal, and which has been grossly mis-.
represented by the abolitionists and their
sympathisers. We have been charged with
pledgding ourselves TO assist in the expul.
sion of all settlers WHO go to Kansas from
the non-slaveholding States. This, like
most other abolition statements, is purely
false. On the contfarys the only pledge
we have given touching the expulsion of
any person from Kansas, is one which we
expect ere long to be called upon to re-
deem by the good men who have gone to
i Kansas from the non-slaveholding States.
That pledge is, that we will, when called
on by the citizens of Kansas, aid them in
expelling those who are exported to that
Territory by the Abolition Aid Societies.
|, With these, the honest men. who go to
Kansas from the non-slaveheIding States,
are not to be confounded. The latter 90
{ with the spirit of freemen to secure home
, for their Children, they go respecting the
. rights Of others; the former go, the slaves
of Thayer & Co., and his associates, to do
their masters bidding, to drive others from
, the Territory, to steal negroes from Mis-
souff.
For the ofie class, however, mitch we
may regret that they should differ from as
in opinion, even though that difference may
, in the end result in our ruin, we feel re-
, spect, such as one freeman should feel for
5 another. To them we shall appeal, as to
good men, equally interested in the pros
perity and happiness of our common ceun-
t try; to them we shall present s1ch argu-
ments, as should influence true hearted
patriots.
But to- that other class, hired slaves OF
: corrupt masters, who are sent for the pur-
| pose of driving our brothers from Kansas,
of stealing our property, driving us from
our homes, we offer no argument, but that
, of the strong hand. We have not, it is
f true, done that, which natural right would
i have justified in doing. There IS NO law
to bind them to keep the peace-there can
a be none, until il is enacted by the Legis-
: 1lature Of that Territory; they are to US as
: would be- a band of Blackfeet or Canaan
D ches, who should eneamp upon our borders
4 fer the asosed purpose of stealing otH cat.
tie and horses of plundering our farms
1 and villages. We would be justified IN
marching to their camp, and driving them
!, back to their dens, without waiting foi
: their attack. We are not bound to wait
. until they have s.stolen our negroes
: burned our slaveholding towns p But we
T have been so siaw abiding and orderly
: that we have not done this: we have si,np.
e ly said, s.we win when called upon,r gote
J, the aid of our friends, and assist In expel
T ling those who proclaim their purpose tt
be the expulsion of our friends. Robbef.
+ and murderers have no right 10 call on the
y law for protecfioRs
vi In connection with these immediate am
= local features Of the contest, it IS prope
b we should say word Of the character 0
U the Territory. and IFS adaptness TO slave
hesding population. Politicians may prate
: and lester-writers may scribble, about tn,
: homes for the poor, to be found in Kansas
y bat Il is not the less true. that it is fhe leas
Il desirabl couafry 10 fhe poor man srer epe,
e for seslismenf.
al The absence Of timber there nes bein,
enough for fuel and fencing, mttch less