The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-12-15

WOulu udIe 10 Tttsu, OF indOuuco tlsO hue
Territory, the debates of the u. S. SEN
ate or the speeches of the greatest states
men of the nation. The 18th Sec. clo-
ses the Jury.box against every man who
does not believe that slavery exists in the
Territory.
The presumption laws of the United
States are repealed, and, although, by
their provisions settler is allowed but
160 acres, this legislature, paying no
attention to the express prohibition in
the organic act, extends his claim to
$50.
The members ofthe bar, too, come in
for their share Of attention, and no man
is allowed to be admitted unless he takes
the oath to support all the enaetments of
the Legislature.
The organic act forbids them to confer
the right of suffrage on any other than
citizens of the United States and declar-
antsand yet the Legislature in their Elec-
ton law provide that all Indians 'twho
conform to the custom of the white man, .
shall be considered Citizens and shall be
allowed to vote.
Thus they not only violate the organ
ic actand usurp the power of Naturali-
cation. confded by the Constitution to
Congress alone, but they make the cleo
ton officers the judges of who has ICON
formed to the custom of the white man.
and what custem must be conferred to,
and thus enable them to admit or reject
whom they please.
Avowing in the legislative halls the
determination to allow the people to elect
none of their officers, they appoint for
each of the counties Probate Judge,
Sheriff and County Commissioners,
and for each district Prosecuting Attor-
neys,-many of these officers residing
in the State of Missouri when appointed
and to hold their offices until October
/, 1857-that being the time when the
next election takes place for a Legislative
council and when the ill-gotten power
must be renewed by another INVASION
They declare in their election law that
every man who offers to vote shall be
presumed to be qualified, and thus, if the
vote of nonresident is objected to, the
challenger must prove the negative or
the vote is received.
No residence previous to election is
required. When challenged, the Judges
may swear the voter first; and then it is
provided that no evidence whatever shall
be heard to contradiction they may
hear other evidence in preference to the
voter, thus enabling them to make one
rule for one man and different one fol
another. A voter, to be qualified, must
swear to support the fugitive slave law
of 1793-the fugitive slave law of 1850
and the Kansas Bill, thus making a
mans vote to depend to some extent, on
his political opinions, and he must pay
to the sheriff, appointed by the Legisla-
ture, poll tax of one dollar. This lat
ter requisitton, however, was removed.
when it was ascertained that the Free
State men would not vote at their polls.
To this election our people could moi
would not go. They were unwilling
to go through the moekery of an election
where they were to be DISTINGUISHED by
foreign voters and drunken Indians who
conforIaed to the "custom" of drinking
bad whisky-where one rule could be
made for them and another for their OPP.
ponents-where they must recognize g
foreign elected Legislature and pay taxes
into the hands of non resident Sheriff
for the expenses of their invaders and
where those in favor of, as well as those
opposed to the laws invidiously pointed
out, must accept as boon on condition
of political opinion, that privilege O
suffrage which was theirs of right
These contrivances and restrictions they
well knew, were intended to cripple anc
smother their numerical strength anG
that no effort would be spared to enforce
them in the most odious way.
In strong and beautiful contrast t.
this intolerant and unjust legislation, i,
the platform of the Free State party ;
set of principles to which any nationa
man may freely subscribe and which a.
| have already said, fully vindicates then
from all the SANDER that has been heapec
upon them. They assert the right o
self government and free suffrage, fol
! the actual residents of Kansas anc
against all interference by non resident:
from any quarter.
| They assert, as they have the RICH
to do, their preference for the free labor
over slave labor, and their determination
to make their future State a free one
they assert the doctrine of State right:
and denounce all interferences by citi
zens of Kansas with the slave property
of Missouri or any other State. They
recognise the constitutional rights ofthe
slave States to mould their own institu
tons in their own way, and to hold and
recover their own slaves without any
molestation. They contain provision
for exclusion of all free blacks, SO desira-
bic and acceptable to contiguous slave
States, as diminishing the chance O
harboring fugitives. They assert the
intention of the party in the adoption O
State Constitution, to guard the own
ers of slaves in the Territory against In
justice and loss, by reasonable provis
ion for their benefit and therefore by ne