The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-09-08
General 1QfeNigeQce.
A Good Rejoinder.

The New York Spectator, conserva-
tive and highly influential Journal, has
an excellent article in late number in
reply to an editorial in the Journal o.
Commerce, which was giving the argu
ment of Missourians for resorting to mol
violence in Kansas. The people o
Missouri claim that they are prompted
in their movement by their hostility tc
the Emigrant Aid Company, and villa
they are pleased to term forced emigra
ton. The Spectator is pointed, an,
may be read with profit by our neigh.
bors of the Free State:
In the course pursued by the free
States there was nothing illegal, nothing
that the slave States might not have
equally done had they been so disposed
The Territory is the common property o
both, and there is no law, common Of
statutory, political or moral, agains
men beneyolently combining to assis
their fellow-men who desire or have
need to emigrate; or 10 prevent those
having such desire OF necessity from
avaiIing themselves of such benevolent
aid. 1t is sufficient that those who go
into the Territory, do so with an honest
purpose of settling there ifit proves ad-
vantageous. and that while they behave
as good citizens, performing honestly
and fairly their political and social du-
ties. If they do this they have an un-
questionable, inalienable right to dwell
there, in the full enjoyment of life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness, without
slaves as wellas with, whether they ap-
prove or disapprove of the system OF
slavery. Whatever protection or sane
ton the constitution gives to the holder
of slave property, it at least gives equal
protection aud sanction to the citizen
who prefers to do without involuntary
servitude and TO employ free labor
That viii not be denied, surely
The emigrants from the free State:
then have violated no law-infringed nc
provision of the constitution, either in
spirit or letter. But the reverse is the
case with those men from the slave- hold
ing States who have for the present
usurped power over the Territory I'm
like the peaceful emigrants from the free
States. they have trampled under foot all
law aud all constitutional guarantees,
and with the pistol aud the knife, by
bullyism and intimidation, have defed
constituted authority, and crushed not
only liberty of speech. but freedom of
opinion. Their conduct has been no
defense of the institution of slavery, no
punishment of abolitionism. They have
not only said. "you shall not prevent us
coming here with our slaves, or deprive
us of the benefits of the constitution. -
for then there would have been no cause
of quarrel, the stakeholder having at
present the same right to take his slaves
there as the Free State man to go there
without slaves. But they have said,
and by illegal and foul means enforced
it, "you shall not come here, or shall be
driven hence, unless you give up youl
own opinions and practice and conform
to ours. We will not permit even the
silent protest of your presence without
slaves and without pro-slavery opinions
We care not what the constitution guar
antees or what the law ordaius. Yol
must approve ofslavery, make its estab
lishments and exaltation your first ant
chiefest care, or leave Territory tha
We know is as much yours as oass. or tn
halter, or the river, or the assassin
knife or bullet, awaits YOU =
This is plain statement of the case
Now man may have no opinion on tn,
question of slavery-be positively in
different about it-nay, he may believ,
ita blessing to the slaves, and yet IL h
be true republican and a good ci:izel
his judgment and his heart, his politica
discernment and his patriotismtliorouyh
" condemn and revolt against such ille
s.-,.issy and tyranny. lie will know anJ
feel that tanely to submit to it. TO con
nive at and tolerate it, to LET it grow int.
a precedent without an attempt to rebuk,
and resist and oyerpower it, is unworth,
of free people and free government
preiudicial TO true liberty and subyersiss
of its principle. No provocation cal
justify a resort to such proceedings, n
resentment" at course in itself per
fectly constitutional aud lawful, Cal
afford shadow of a pretense for them
and the South are as deeply interested
as the North IN expressing unqualife'
condemnation OF them. and in insis.in:
upon their discontinnance. Least of al
ought any citizen. desiring 20 see th
constitution Of the republic UNIVERSAL,
respected and held in reverence. tojusli
fy, palliate, OF apologize for them.