The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-06-30
eeQefai 1qteiiigepce.
The Battle Ground.

What is to become of Kansas? Will
slavery take and hold that territory p
These inquiries, often and anxiously put,
indicate avery general misgiving in view
Of the position of affairs there. We say,
slavery will not get it; and we say this
with an assurance still strong and abid-
ing.
1t is evident that no settlement can be
made against us daring the continuance
of the present Congress. Ne state will
be admitted whose constitution allows
slavery-certainly none applying under
such circumstances. We are fftclined to
think that our new northern members
may be trusted for time. They will
not dare to be recreant. There is voice
of warning that sounds too distinctly in
their ears, still ringing from the deserted
seat of many once popular man whose
place in the halls of national legislation
will know him no more forever. But
this refusal to admit will keep the whole
question open and afford acontinualstim-
ulous to the advocates of freedom during
at least the next two years. There will
thus be given time to introduce into the
territory, if not a majority of freemen,
yet certainly strong and resolute mi
nority. Now slavery neither has been nor
ever can be permanently established in a
community where large and influential
portion of the dominant race are reso-
luiely opposed to it. True, it may exist
and flourish where the slave masters form
but small part of the population but
it is only by sufferance; or through the
stupidity, ignorance and consequent pow
erlessness of the non-slaveholding class
es, which gives opportunity to stitie dis
cussion and repress agitation. This will
not be in Kansas. The condition of things
is not there as in Tennessee and Mississip-
pi, where the slave men might with some
show of reason claim to be on their own
ground. Kansas is ours, and the men
who 60 there from among US go to take
possession of their own. And, moreover,
they will be men who cannot be managed
as the poor non-slaveholding whites of
the southern states are managed. Men
for whom, in long struggle like that, a
southerner is no mateh-society builders
by habit-and taking with them New
England thoughts the nature of which
is to grow. They will talk-they will
ask questions-they viii agitate; and
when the cause of freedom is at issue,
talk, inquiry and agitation are victory
They will go into the legislature-they
viii move continually for law abolish
ing the whole system. Slave property
cannot be held in the presence of such
men. 1t is not pleasant; they are not
good neighbors. Slave property is un-
certain in such circumstances it gets to
thinking and behaves badly. If there
be only certainty of such an uncertain
ty. slave property to any great amount
will never go to Kansas.
We believe, then, that Kansas may be
saved by the vigorous efforts of its own
liberty loving citizens, backed as they
viii be by the aroused moral sentiment
of the north.
But again-and tending to increase the
insecurity referred to-emaneipation may
at any time take place while Kansas re-
mains a territory, by act of Congress
And so it may by the decision of the U.
S. Courts, and that such a decision as
men would give. 1t is true, indeed, that
these courts have not of late been guilty
of the atrocious crime of favoring FREE
dom, but since the executive power to re-
move territorial judges isnow settled, it is
Just among the possibilities of the near
future that man may be sent in that ca
pacity to Kansas who will not be ashamed
to have it known that he holds justice and
law and right and God, above fraud and
violence and tyranny and the devil. Nor
viii the effect Of this be lost, though an
appeal be taken from his court.
These suggestions bring TO view the
paramount importance of securing the
control of the general government That
done, all is safe. The guns of that cen
tral fortress sweep the whole field. lt is
our purpose ere long to point them.
We wish that, after having thus refer
red to the moraland legal influences that
may be brought to bear on the determin-
alton of this question, we might pause
here New Englander naturally pauses
but we must go further. Plain hints
are given Of another solution-powers
not specified in the federal constitution
are coming into action. We had supposed
that voice of indignation and stern re-
buke would have been sent from aii the
south that would have qusIled the ruf-