The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-06-02
Ertde Herald IF Freedom.
The Course of Missouri in Relation to
Kansas
Topeka, K, T. June 1, '55.

weakness OF human nature displays itself
more fully, than in the unfortunate selec-
/ ion of means, which people sometimes
make for the accomplishment of their
purposes. Ithas often been asserted and
rarely, if ever, denied, that happiness is
the great end and object of man. II is
alsotrue that he makes some egregious
mistakes in the selection of those subsi-
diary objects which be considers neces-
sary to the accomplishment of the one
great purpose. But it is not till he has
decided on the point he wishes to gain,
and commences to set about the attain
ment of that point, that his want Of dis
cretiOn IS most clearly seen.
The course pursued By many of the
citizens of Missouri, in their. attempt to
fas.en slavery upon Kansas, is case d.
rectly IN point. Instead of adopting a
conciliatory and accommodating tone To-
wards northern people. course which
would, inevitably have won many to their
support, these men, by assuming the en-
tire management and control of the affairs
of the Territory, by attempting to drive
and force their measures upon its citi-
zens, have arrayed the whole northern
population together with many from the
South in direct and permanent political
hostility against them.
Instead of taking legal course for the
protection of what they assume to be
their rights, and thus standing chance
to secure the influence of the General
Government, they have, by depriving the
citizens of the Territory of the privilege
of exercising a right secured by the
Constitution and the laws of the land,
exposed themselves 10 the offended JUS
tice of that Government Instead of
treating northern men as brethren, the
inheritors, with them, Of one common
patrimony, open and free alike to all, they
look upon and treat them as foreign in
truders, mercenaries, hired to overun
and desolate, what they presume to claim
as their own peculiar Inheritance. They
stigmatize as paupers. the very men from
whom they are amassin2, wealth. They
brand, as criminals, those from whom
they Observation-Disclosures in morality
They have attempted to trample down the
dearest ight of man-the right to voice
in the management of his own affairs.
In this way they have provoked direct
issue between Freedom and Slavery.
Let this open warfare continue and
freedom will inevitably be triumphant
In such government as ours, it is only
in the sly working of political intrigue
and compromise, or when the true issue
is lost sight of and false ones raised, that
liberty suffers. Let the issue be direct,
the warfare open between Freedom and
Slavery, and there is something SO lovely
and attractive in the appearance of the
one, something so utterly abhorrent in
the aspect of the other, that the former
enlists all that is good, and noble, and
strong in man, and has nothing to fear
from contest.
But let US for q moment diverge from
the first proposition, for the purpose of
ascertaining the true point in this contro-
versy. The question is not in reality,
whether Kansas shall be free or slave
State il is not confined to any particu
lar locality, inside of our national bounds.
In community where free, candid and
open expression of opinion on all subjects
is allowed, where the people have the
right to make their own laws, and the
ability to carry out that right, the insti-
tuition of slavery is in danger. This is
tacitly asserted by the pro-slavery men of
western Missouri, when they attempt, for
the security of slavery, to deprive their
own citizens and those OF Kansas of the
exercise of these rights. The writer is
willing to admit this, he believes it to be
fact not to be disputed-he believes
that liberty and slavery are antagonistic
principles, and can no more permanently
exist together than water and fire, orlight
and darkness. :
Many of the pFo-slavery men on our
border, believing that if the direction of
/ the affairs of this Territory was left to its
inhabitants, their institution would suffer
in consequence, were induced 10 take the
management of our business into their
own hands. Messrs Park and Patterson
who dared to express their disapproval of
such a course must be mobbed, their
property destroyed, their lives threaten
ed. People who dare to express anti
slavery sentiments are to be driven from
the country. The question now, is not
whether slavery has rights, but whether
her rights are superior to all other rights;
whether those sacred institutions which
we have been accustomed to look upon as
the safeguards of freedom are to be tram
pied under foot; whether the right OF
suffrage, freedom of the press, freedom
of speech, are all to fall before this ruth
less Juggernaut, and be crushed.
Gentlemen of Missouri, are you ready
for the issue-you yourselves have raised
it-you would not have the world believe
that when you came and took possession
of the polls of Kansas anything short of
the salvation of your cause could have
induced you to commit SO great crime
against the laws of your country.
You would not have US think that
when for the expression of honest opin-
ions i'll opposition to your views, or for
the mere suspicion that they exist. your
own citizens are to be driven from their
homes. Any thing less than this could
have persuaded you to such a course.
When the press of Park and Patterson
was consigned to the waters of the Mis-
souri,, surely you would not wish to have
us believe you engaged in such an act,
unless the preservation of your institution
demanded it.
The question then as before stated, is,
whether the free institutions of the coun-
try, or slavery is to triumph. Let Mis-
sourians-let the people of the South
consider before they embark ia this con-
test. whether the success of slavery
would not be more disastrous, even to
them. than its defeat. If slavery is vic
torious, the victory is achieved By tearing
down all the bulwarks of freedom, and
these are needed, as much By the South,
as the North.
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