The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-04-21

Fire-eating address.

The following is the opening and con-
cludiag paragraphs of an address deliver
ed By aesperead Leander Kerr Il Platte
City. Missouri. on the eve of he recen.
Territorial election in Ksnsl 1t de-
dervssa place among the records of our
Territory. and as such We give s "a place
in the HERALD OF FREEDOM.
Gsniisnsen and Feilou Citizens -
Were thiss political meeting, | would
not be found in the position. in which
your request has placed me. A minis
ter of the gospel has no business public
ly with politics. 1t is not his vocation;
although it is becoming too compion IN
some sections of our country for this
lciassof men, TO take an active and lead-
ing part in the politics of Che day. This
should be condemned and repudiated.
But the circumstances that have called
US together this day, are such that feel
justified in accepting your call, and IN
taking part in your deliberations, AS
| an American citizen. / have a right to
speak in defence of her rights, her lnsti-
tutions and her laws; which are at this
time assailed by wicked and Infamous
faction, with a violence that IS only
eaualled By It's nlalignity, And as be-
lever, defender and proclaimer OF the
truths contained in this sacred volume
in my hand-whieh is no less assailed By
means ofthe same faction; it IS no less
my duty than my right to be here to
speak In It's defence.
And now. gentlemen, do you under
stand your position, in this contest and
the position of your adyersaries! And
| If you do, what are your duties in the
contest before you? To ascertain these
let us ascertain, the cause, for which you
are eontending. What is that cause!-
tits the most Just, righteous and holy IN
which men were ever engaged The
most just because it is in defence of your
rights, interests and property. which the
laws Of God and of your country have
left you, which they sealed with their
lives and baptised with their blood; and
last but not least, il is in defence of this
precious treasure, which the abolitionists
are trampling under their feet-the only
hope and salvation of the world.
And who are your enemies? They
are the most INSCRIPTIONS of men: steep
ed from the crown of their heads to the
soles of their feet In the blacklist infamy
of perdition. Can you for one moment
think that these men are of God; raised
up by him. and called by him to over
throw his word and destroy his work !?
As they impiously contend they are
No, they are not of God: they are of their
Father, the Devil. and the soorks Of their
Father they are doing, and viii do, If let
alone.
Is. Go then, as men, as patriots, as chris
tians and do your duty to yourselves,
your country and your God.
Do gentlemen talk of lawful and hon
orable means, to prevent all this mass OF
Eastern abominaEion, moral, social and
infdel, from entering among you'll If "a
midnight robber were to attempt to
break into my quarters, | would avail
myself of the most efficient means at my
command to expel him. l would not sci
down to ponder upon honorable or lawful
means; the only law I would recognize in
the case would be the law of self-preser-
Walton. Talk not of honorable and law-
full means save the law of self-preserva'
ton, against men, who trample alike the
laws of heaven and your country under
their feet Talk not of honorable means
towards men, from whose hands you
might as well expect honor, and justice
and magnanimitY, as to look for grapes
and oranges among the polar hills Of ice
and snow, or the roseate blush of health
on the cheek of death. Men, men, who
know as little of honor in their soul as a
monkey knows of the complicated mech
anism of steam engine. Away with
such paltry sentimentalism, it is as much
out of plaeea lullaby songs and nursery
tales are out of place in the heat of battle,
or In the midst of storm and ship-wreck,
Honorable warfare is for honorable he
roes, not for robbers, and banditti; and
such these Abolitienists are. They are
coming here to run off your slaves; they
ayow their purpose; and when they have
stolen your last slave, they viii steal your
! other property too; and they will do it on
principle; for these Fascals do every thing
on principles they will rob you of other
property to prevent you from purchasing
more slaves. And when one of these
men are caught in the act, and whipped
d or strung up, or tared and feathered; whs
a howl of pious indignation rings through
all the abolition communities against thu
! barbarity of the slave owners; as wei
might the highwayman or the midnigh
robber exclaina against the law that ar
rests him, or the hand that strikes hin
down in his deed of crime.
i Gentlcmen, you know that | woult
not council violence and btoedshed, ne
> do unless in the defence of your legiti
mate rights and interests, and you wer
compelled to do it, then you would b
justified by the laws of God and you
country. But resist evil; resist tn
Devil and he will fee from you; and re
sist his children-this vile abolitioi
spawn already transported to Kansas lik
cattle to the shambies, and more 70 b
transported; resist them and they vi
scatter, for they are as cowardly as the,
3 are infamous, contemplate and vile
3 The wicked fee when no man pursuesf
while he--he is not only doubly armed
but doubiy brave, "who has his -quarrt
Z Just. = sss si
ri Census of Shareholders.
81 According to the last census, thel
6 are only So, 1876 Shareholders In the [
/ States, of whom only too owR over 100
6 negroes, only .ffiy-six own over 800. on
8 husdred and eightg-sepea Own over 20l