Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1855-12-15
POSITION OF THE FREE STATE
CITIZENS OF KANSAS.

The condition, progress nad termination of
the difficulties in which the squatter soycr-
eigns Of Kansas are now engaged, excites the
deepest interest throughout the country. The
details of foreign news, including dispatches
/ from the seat of war, are overlooked in the
magnitude Of the interests involved in the i'm
pending conflict between Freedom and Slav-
cry at home; and the proceedings Of Congress
are sanvasscd only as their action affects the
prospects Of one or the other of these oppos-
| ing elements. Under these circumstances we
make no apology Tor the amount of space we
occupy in calculation of those matters which
have On immediate bearing upon the struggle.
In another column we have given what we
believe TO be a perfectly reliable account Of
the immediate causes that have operated in
bringing the Free State men of Kansas and
the Territorial government in open collision.
The champions Of border ruffianism commit
ted foul assassination, and then sought TO
arrest, on specious pretext, the only man
whose testimony would be likely TO lead to
the conviction of the murderer. Several of
the Free State party rescued Branson from
the hands of the Sheriff upon the ground that
they did not recognise any authority in the en-
actments passed, or in the officers appointed,
by the late pretended legislature of that Ter
ritory. Under these circumstances Gov. Shan
non called out the miltia and called upon the
President for troops to enforce the laws.
The chief fact of importance in the case is
the persistent and consistent refusal of the
Free State men to place their lives and prop
erty under the control of the creatures of the
legislature elected by the votes of marauders
from Missouri, at the point of the bowie-knife
and within range of the revolver. When
this class of emigrants left their houses in the
East, they were assured by all the Democrat
ic organs that the Territory of Kansas had
been expressly organized upon the principles
of squatter sovereignty; that no restrictions
were to be placed upon their enactments, but
that they were to be left at full liberty to de-
termine for themselves the character of the
institutions under which they should live
"Squatter sovereignty" in its most ample sig
MITIGATION was to be their portion.
How has this promise been kepti 1t is I'M
necessary to recapitulato the circumstances
under which the first Legislature of thatrerri-
tory was elected; how hissourians came over
by hundreds and controlled the ballot-boxes;
and how the Free State voters were kept
away from the polls through fears that their
lives were endangered by attendance, without
one word of remonstrance on the part of those
who had solemnly sworn to see the Constitu-
ton and laws of the United States faithfully
executed. 1t is unnecessary that we should
give the history of that bogus legislature; of
its sitting in Missouri; of its electng sheriffs
and other officers for six years; and of its en-
acting statutes making it penal for any indi-
yidual to express publicly any opposition to
slavery. These are all facts with which our
readers are probably familiar, and facts which
they will do we'll to bear in mind when con-
sidering the position in which the friends of
Freedom in Kansas now stand. j
The Free State inhabitants Of this Terrific