The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-10-25

ence to us. All we know is, that they want to
go to Kansas, and we aid them by all the means
III our power.
We are perfectly willing, however, what you
must already be aware of, that when we organ
lied ourselves to extend such facilities to the
emigrants from the East, we knew that they
would be men who meant to live in a free State.
They are men who live by hard work, as we all
do; and they would not go anywhere where
they thought the permanent institutions of the
State would make hard work disgraceful. They
knew that, by the principles of the Kansas-Ne-
braska act, the actual settlers must control the
institutions of Kansas and Nebraska. They
were willing to take the chances of an appeal
to this principle.
We have never thought of marching men
into Kansas for an election, and then bringing
them home again. We have never seized upon
Indian lands against law and right If we
cared to recriminate, we might say that certain
associations have committed these outrages !;
but all the world knows that it was not the New
England Emigrant Aid Company. We have
relied, and the settlers rely, on the principle of
"Squatter Sovereignty" which leaves the act
ual settler unmolested in his hard-earned home.
We were almost as confident when we began,
as we are certain now, that under this principle
the actual settlers of Kansas will make its laws
such as shall prohibit Slavery in that Territory.
But the action of these settlers will be on their
own soil in Kansas. They have enough to do
there, and have neither wish nor thought to
interfere with you. They have interfered with
no mans rights, nor will they long allow any
man to interfere with theirs.
We trust that this simple statement will sat-
isfy all good citizens of Missouri, that they have
been deceived in regard to the plan and pur-
poses of our company. We have done nothing
to encroach upon you or yours. We have done
nothing that friendly brothers of the same great
nation should not do. We claim no rights in
Kansas, but what are given us by the Consti-
tuition and the laws. We claim none which We
are not ready to concede to every living man.
The Misrepresentation which have been made
of our company do not injure US. 1t is only
to defend the character of our friends in Kan
sas, that we have felt called upon to notice
them at all, and we write this friendly address
to you, and claim your candid attention to it,
that you may be no longer misled as to the
peaceful and legitimate purposes of the New
England settlers in that Territory. They are
people who know their rights, and are resolved
to maintain them. But they respect also the
rights of others, and will make no "aggres-
sions" upon neighboring States.
JoHS CARTER BROWN, Providence, r. l.,
President.
ELI THAYER, of Worcester; J. M. S. VIII
LIAMs, of Cambridge, Vice Presidents.
AMOS A. LAWRENCE, of Boston, Treasurer.
William B. Spooner, of Boston Samuel Cab
OF, jun, do. John Lowell, do; c. 8. Higgin-
son, do: lie Baron Russell, do. William j.
Rotch, of New Bedford J. p. Williston, OF
Northampton W. Dudley Pickman, of Salem
r. ?. Waters, of Beverly r. A. Chapman, of
Springfield John Nesmith, of Lowell; Chas.
Fall River; VIM. Willis, of Portland, Maine
Franklin Muzzey, of Bangor, Maine; Ichabod
Goodwin, of Portsmouth, N. H.; Thomas NJ.
Edwards, of Keene, N. II. Albert Day, Of
Hartford, Observation-Disclosures.
THOMAS H. WEBB, of Boston, Secretary.