The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-09-20
KANSAS.

which was lately submitted to the Kansas "Leg-
isature" by one Of it's Committees
| NJ. Speaker: The undersigned, Chairman Of
! the Special Committee to whom was referred
| House bill No. iS, eXempting slaves from sale
| under execution, begs leave to report the same
with amendments, and recommends its pas
sage.
According to the theory of our Government,
| the people are sovereign, and their
servants. Shall we attempt to change our rea
tive positions with the people, and pOise the
pyramid of Government upon its apex? Who
constitutes us the almoner Of Legislatures favor?
Are the people to be told that they are entitled
to receive oar favors?"
Is il fraud to prevent the household servants
| of the young bride from being sold to pay the
| debts Of her prohigate husband? Is it " fraud"
TO prevent the infant slave from being torn from
the bosom of its mother, and sold under the ham,
mer of the public auctioneer?
Are Shareholders in the States {" not pos
sessed of SIS much honor as is generally allotted
to MANI" Not open for discussion.)
How does the bill :" favor the more wealthy
class Of the community, to the detriment of the
| poorer?" The "poorer individual might linn
it his aspirations to the provisions of the exemp
ton laws: but one would suppose that mem
| Der of the more wealthy class of society
would desire the possession at least of some
| property other than that which is exempt from
| sale under execution. However, your Commit
tee merely subject these questions for the
| consideration Of the House. In our opinion,
| they require no answer.
| Though your Committee report the original
bills with amendments, we have rewritten the
entire bill as amended The most important
notifications recommended by the Committee
are intended to legalize the institution of mar
rage among slaves, and to preserve the relation
of parent and child sacred and invulnerable by
| the rude assaults of fortune. These are not
| chimeras of Northern origin. The people of
North Carolina are agitating this subject, and
it will probably soon be brought before the
| Legislature Of that State. If such q law should
be enacted in North Carolina, as it probably
will be, other States will no doubt adopt the
same policy. 1t has already been adopted in
practice by many of the best planters in MisSis-
sippi and Maryland, and your Committee deem
the subject worthy Of serious, deliberate, and
cautious consideration. Should this bill become
a law, Slavery, in Kansas at least will be re-
garded in new light, and the enemies of the
South will be robbed of the most plausible ex-
cuse for their blind and frenzed hostility to our
institutions.
The design of the bill is not to compromise
with Northern fanatcisn, but to disspossess our
enemies of their armor, to spike their cannon.
QuoHsqHe fandcm dbutere Catilina ldtientja
Ho5tyaf How long will they continue to abuse
our patience? Is there not room enough for
them in Liberia, jamaica and the Danish isl
ands? Have they not open field for the ope-
ration of their philanthropy in Haiti, $50 spelt in
the report,) or ST. Domingo? The people of this
island have, since the bloody massacre that cast
a gloom over their history. been steadily retro
grading, until they have become mass of cor
ruption, moral and intellectual.
In 1882 the export of cotton was 7,004,274
pounds Now, there is not pound produced
in any part of the island, except Gonaives, and
even there the product is barely sufficient for
consumption.
In 1889, the export of coffee was 76.835,2l9
pounds. Now the entire product does not prob
ably exceed one half that quantity
In 1889, the export of indigo was 758,G28
pounds. Now, all that is used on the island is
imported from the United States.
In l7S9, there were exported l4l 900, 000
pounds of sugar. Now, the people obtain their
supply from the United States.
Such are the consequences and the consum-
nation Of triumphant fanatcism 1t is no fancy
sketch. The statistics and the facts relating to
the internal policy Of Individual States are de-
rived from De Bows Review, the recognised or
gan of Southern sentiment and exponent of
Southern principles.
Kansas and who shall arrest the career of Cloths
and Vandals and knghtly pilgrims of the North
led on by some modern Attila, Alaric, or Peter
the Hermit? They look upon Kansas as a mere
resting point, where their exhausted forces may
regale themselves, and prepare for future rapine.
Let them succeed, and the proud columns of our
national fabric will crumbe into ruins. The
MINISTRIES of the South viii drop the Tyre, and
grasp the harp of woe, and wake the mountain
echo with its wall
Respectfully submitted &C.,
NJ. w. MCGEE, Chairman.
The bill reported by Mr. McGee is as fol-
lows:
An Act 10 exempt slaves from execution.
BE 1t enacted DC:
SEC. /. That, from and after the passage of
this act, all household slaves owned by any resi-
dent OF the Territory of Kansas shall be exempt
from sale under execution, except for taxes
PROVIDED, that this act shall not be so construed
as 10 exempt the slave or slaves of anv execu-
Tor or administrator of any estate, or the guard
IAN OF any minor heir, or the securities of such
guardian, executor, or administrator. on the for
fixture of his official bond.
SEC. 2. That male and female slaves living
together as man and wife, BY and with the adj
wee and consent Of the owner, shall not he SEN
ar&ted by sale under execution; nor shall anv
child under the age Of years. born of slaves.
be separated by sale or otherwise from its
mother.
AS might be supposed, this project received
but small favor. 1t was rejected by vote of
seventeen to three.
In the course of the debate, DIR. Stringfelow
said: