The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-03-24
Rqbiic leetiaas.
Public Meeting at Pawnee.
PAwNEE, Z. T., March 6, 1856.

Ii
bled, as it was, upon subjects of vital i'm
portance to our new and beautiful Terri
tory, they might rest assured of his cor
dial concurrence in sentiment, and coop
Grafton in exertions towards the attain
ment of their principles, the success of
which he regarded as certain as the law
of nature IS paramount to all opposing
influences, the operations of truth, JUS
tice, and virtue dominant power over
deception, fraud, and violence. He pre-
ferred to stand up on the defensive, and
would recommend that moderation be OBJ
served, and no measures adopted tending
to aggravate our opponents to unneces-
sary issues; but that If, in that attitude,
our rights as freemen and severeigns in
Kansas were assailed and outraged, he
should not hesitate upon the pathway of
duty incumbent upon all to follow, how
ever it may lead to that tribunal over
which no human iudicature holds control.
Of our success he entertained no doubt.
Our demonstration, though large and
most auspicious, was but a wave in the
vast ocean of freedom everywhere heav-
ing in responsive sympathy to the uni
versal principles of nature, which alone
dignity and ennoble the human race.
These sentiments were warmly res
ponded to by the audience.
The President was gracefully support
ed by Vice Presidents J. Westover, Fl.
A. Low, II. j. Dolph, A. j. Nc Connell,
G. M. Sweitzer, and w. Carr. Messrs.
Asher D. Gibson, W. Erskine, and w.
Moore, were appointed Secretaries.
On motion of T. K. Mills, that a com
mittee of FIVE be appointed to draft reso-
lutions expressive of the sense of the
meeting, the following gentlemen were
appointed said committee: t. K. Mills,
L. Knapp, j. Radley. w. Erskine, and
John Badger.
The meeting was entertained during
the evening by highly instructive and
impressive addresses from Messrs. Con-
way, Lyon, Hammond, Knapp, and 9TH
ers, who appealed to the laboring classes
to know if they were willing to allow
their individual standing and reputation
to depend rather upon the possession Of
bone and muscle as adapted to labor, than
upon the possession of moral excellence,
prudence, and intelligence. Itwas shown
that slavery does this by degrading labor,
in identifying slavery with it, and thus
reducing the laboring white man, who
must everywhere constitute the great
proportion of mankind, in the estimation
of those not engaged in physical labor,
to the same scale of admeasurement up
on which the slave, alike with himself,
receives his proportion according to his
adaptation to physical labor. Thus, where
slavery exists, labor is regarded with
aversion as degrading, and the most hon
orable occupation is avoided, and the only
resource to the welfare of the human race
neglected by those dependent upon it,
who incur poverty, and even resort tc
clandestine means of subsistence, rather
than incur the tauHts and sneers of negro
owners, and negroes themselves, of being
a "poor white man." This In every
slave country keeps white labor out of it,
and withdraws much physical ability il
it from productivenessswhile the negro is
inferior as laborer to the white man
and these considerations illustrate the
causes of the great disparity between free
and slave Statesin productiyeness, wealth.
and intelligence of the people-wherein
Ohio was contrasted with Kentucky, and
Illinois with Missouri. Other serious
evils, too numerous and some indelicate
to mention, were alluded to as unayoida.
bly, incident to slavery. Disclaiming,
however, any design to affect slavery
where it now exists, the speakers fell
called upon to expose its injurious effects,
in order that the people of this Territory
may not be Indifferent to the extraordi-
nary and unscrupulous exertions making
to introduce and foster this evil upon US.
In allusion to the fraud of the last fall
election, if it had betokened the dark
cloud of slavery as likely to obscure the
sun of freedom, it had only served to
bring out the bright bowof promise which
now spans the heavens, where the NOR
rows sun shall yet rise to shine upon a
free, happy, and prosperous people,
breathing their natural element uncon-
taninated by the pestiferous miasma Of
slavery The enthusiastic response oi
the negro to his brother, who in earnest
prayed that "the Lord might cur;ail the
operations of the Devil," cried out, Eyes,
may he cut him tail ehock ofb' was
thought an appropriate sentiment towards
those Missourians whose operations In
our affairs must be curtailed.
These sentiments were greeted from
time to time with enthusiastic applause
The following resolutions reported by
the committee were unanimously adopt
ed:
WHEREAS, The principle of popular
sovereignty as established in the Terrific
ries of the United States BY act Of Con-
gress, invests the people of Kansas with
absolute authority to establish and ordain
such local institutions as may be agreea-
ble to themselves-and whereas, there
are persons in the Territory, as well as
many of the citizens of Missouri, eager
to introduce and establish among us, ir-
respective of the will of the people, the
institution of negro slavery; obtruding
that measure first and foremost in every
election over all other subjects of public
concern. and making it paramount test
question in the politics of the Territory
and whereas, we believe negro slavery to
be an institution fraught with evil conse-
quenees Of infinite magnitude, and could
regard its legal establishment in Kansas
only as deplorable public calamity, dis
astrous to the best interests of the COM
munity; therefore,
Resolced, That as citizens of this new
and promising Territory. we regard with
the utmost aversion this effort to fasten
upon US and our posterity so odious an
institution as that of negro slavery, and
that we feel it incumbent upon us to re-
sist such effort by all honorable means in
our power.
Resolved, That in the approaching
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