The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-06-30
BY G. w. BROWN & co.


their individual responsibilities? The |
newspapers of Virginia now contain an
advertisement of the fact that two free
colored men from New York city are
now in Virginia prison, for having come
to one of her sea-ports as sailors, and
will. unless saved by The interference of
their friends, and the payment of the
expenses incurred by their incarceration,
be sold for their Jail fees, into slavery
The same federal constitution which Sc
cures to each state the exclusive right to
regulate the whole subject of slavery,
and makes it obligatory on all the other
states to return "fugitives from service
from any state of the Union, guarantees
the free ingress and egress of the citizens
of one STATE into and from all the other
states; and while it is the undoubted
right of the states severally to make citi
zens of colored men, if they deem it right
and proper to do so, most of the slave
holdingstates disregard the constitutiof-
al right, and refuse to acknowledge it in
respect to citizens of color. Even in
MARYLAND where slavery wears its mild
est form, practically. a free eolored citi-
zen of New England, though he may be
native of Maryland, is forbidden by
law to return to the state, and remain
more than ten days, though he visits his
parents on their death-bed, upon pain of
imprisonment and public sale to the high
est bidder.
Now we are confident that these un-
Just and cruel acts of legislation were
only designed to effect local and tempo
rary purposes, even by the majority of
those who enacted them; but it is dan
gerous to the public morals to accustom
the population to any violations of con-
stitutional law; and still more to set
public example in the least derogatory to
the divine law. The constitution of
country is the only security for "life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" to
minorities. Minorities have no other de-
fence against the oppression of the DOM
inant majority than the restraints impos-
ed by the constitution and hence our
forefathers took care that the constitution
should not be alterable by bare numer-
ical majority of the people. But if this
be true in regard to political constitu-
tions, how much more in regard to that
perfect code of law, the eternal rule of
right which God has condescended to
give us as the guide of nations, as well
as of individuals.
AS an illustration of what we have
been saying, We would call the readers
attention to what has recently happened
in Missouri and the adjoining terriioryof
Kansas. The governor of the territory
has announced that people from Missouri,
EARNED to the teeth" invaded Kansas at
the tine appointed for the election for
representatives to their territorial legisla-
ture, took possession of the ballot boxes,
and effected the return of such members,
only, as were favorable to the admission
of slaves. In short, he declares that
Kansas is conquered country, subjuga-
ted and arbitrarily governed by strangers,
contemners of all law, whose avowed
purpose it is to effect the extension of
slavery into this free territory of the
United States, by terrifying into acquies-
ence or submission the settlers, who alone
have any direct interest in regard to the
admission of such a population.
Now we consider this as crisis in our
history as nation. Can our free insti-
tutions be perpetuated amid such elements
as have been recently developed in the
state of Missouri? We must take into
consideration the fact that the violence
committed upon Kansas has not been
done by foreign population ignorant of
our republican institutions, but by those
who claim to be ''par excellence demo-
Gratis, favoring 'the largest liberty. y
But so were Robespierre, Danton, and
Murat, while all who did not follow them
were denounced as aristocrats. They
declared the only adequate argument
against, and remedy for aristocraey was
the guillotine. The Missouri patriots in
their resolutions declare that their only
arguments against their anti-slavery op-
ponents are the waters of the Missouri,
and hempen cords The long endurance
of mob tyranny is impossible. Is there
virtue enough in the people of our coun-
try, and vigor enough in our rulers to
Iput it down? Or will our politicians
succumb and acquiesce in order to effect
the extension of slavery and the creation
tof new slave states, that the Senate OF
1.-THE United States, the President of the
II Republic, and the patronage of govern
ment may be secured to the dominant
iparty? We fear this, though we do hope
for better things. We remember that
the disunion movements of John G. Cal
houn, found Union party who arrested
them and saved the country; that we
found in the President of the United
States-a southern man-one who had
Ithe frmneSs to declare that 'tthe Union
must and should be preserved )" and we
Iencourage the hope that the friends oil
law and order in Missouri will have the
courage to rise superior to this reign oi
terror, and rebuke it like true Americans;
that the slavehelding states will discoun-
Icountenance- the outrage; aud, finally,
that the general government will resort
W tic dkli pic COHStseueiOLt1i pOHOiS "ieu
which it is endowed, to protect Kansas
as territory of the United States in the
enjoyment of all the rights, privileges,
and immunities conferred upon it by
!, Congress. We say we hope this; be-
cause if not, there are those living who
i will see civil war, but none living can
, estimate the calamities which will accom-
pany and follow in the train of such a
struggle.
\ But the strangest thing in this whole
business is the position in which the out
rageous proceedings of part Of the cit
liens of Missouri have placed the NJ. E.
Church. We have an annualconference
whose operations are chiefly confined to
thas state. The pro-slayery patriots have
denounced our preachers, and threaten
all ministers of the sschurch north,' as
tthey are pleased to call it, with star and
feathers" if they dare to bring the mes
sage of salvation. with which they are
charged by their Lord and Master, into
! miSSauri