Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-08-16
TIE BATTLE-GROUND OF FREEDOM.

john B. HUTCHINSON, Randolph District.
TIE BATTLE-GROUND OF FREEDOM.
The indications are every day thickening that
Kansas is destined TO become the next chief bat
tle-ground between the forces of Freedom and
the mnions Of the Slave Power--that there must
be the fierce and perhaps final struggle, and
that there must be decided whett er our Decara-
ton of independence is hereafter to be living
or dead letter to the American people. The
freemen of the North do not yet seem to realize
the alarming state Of affairs there. They DO
not keep up with The rapid march of the Slave
Power; and the danger is that that the battle,
OF this all important point, will be lost forever,
before this apathy in the Free States shall be
shaken off, and there shall be such an uprising
as shall be adequate to meet the momentous ex-
igency The people of the North last spring
heard the threat of the Shareholders that the
elections in that territory should be carried for
Slavery, if it had to be done by the force of
arms but they did not believe it would be car
ried into execution. They soon saw, however,
how fully that threat was fulfilled They hav0
since learned, through the public resolves and
speeches of this same band OF lawless ruthans,
that, not content with what they claim to be
their victory in legalzing slavery in the terrific
nv, they have decreed the expulsion of all those
who will not become, like themselves slavery
propogandists. But here again, The people of
the North are incredulous And yet, what
earthly reason is there to to believe this threat
will not be carried out, as well as the other
We can sec none. Indeed, we believe there will
be soon serious. attempt made to expel by force,
from Kansas, every Free Soiler it contains and
that, unless che people there have help, that at
tempt will he successful The attempt, indeed,
seems already to have commenced. The last
Kansas Herald Of Freedom, just come to hand,
contains the following startling announcement
MORE mon VIOLENCE.
1--WE learn that party Of some thirty pro-
slavery men met at Hickory Point, ten miles
south of this place, the other day, and made a
move to drive off the Free State voters. They
were soon outnumbered by resident Free State
citizens, who met, and resolved to sustain their
homes to the last extremity. The pro-slavery
men retired from the field andi thus matters
rested until Thursday night last when an armed
body of seventy five Or eighty Missourians were,
found encamped in piece Of wood in that To-
caity. Each was charged with rife, pair
of revolvers, and bowie-knife On Friday
forenoon they continued in the vicinity, appa-
rently waiting for additions to their numbers.
1t is reported that they declare their mission to
be to drive every Free State citizen from the Vi
cinity. Whether their purposes extend any fur
ther than this we have no information. There
is no doubt of the facts, as an cypress, well
known to us personally, has come, to secure re-
lief
What shall be done! An armed force in the
vicinity, and we are resting in quiet Shall
we see our neighbors expelled from the country,
and remain quiet lockers on Or shall we 20
to their relief, and die if need be, in defense Of
one another That we may have reliable infor'
nation in the premises and to contribute our
services if need be,in defense of our friends, we
have resolved on going to the scene Of excite
mcnt. In the meantime the Herald will 20 to
press, without giving us an opportunity to read
the revise proof, hence our readers will excuse
the errors, if any,"
Now, what is this but state of open war in
Kansas! And in the words of the editor, we
ask, what is to be done! The whole territory
does..not probably contain one one thousand Free
State men able to handle musket. The slave
holders in the neighboring counties of Missouri
could probably reinforce the invaders with five
thousand in one week ,sand we repeat, what is to
be done This, to some, may be perplexing
question. But our advice would be to take bold
prompt, and decided action--to rally every able.
bodied Free State man in the territory and
after fair warning, attack the invaders as they
would any other enemy in time of war, shoe
down, make prisoners and drive them from the
territory. Then send the alarm through Min.
nesota, Iowa and Wisconsin for volunteers to
help defend their standard of Freedom, prepare
for a second onset, and irust in God for the re-
suit This may seem bold preaching, but when
the highest officials of a Federal Government
formed to protect the people in their rights
league themselves with armed rufians as they art
virtually doing in the present case, is it mol
time to do something besides talking!