Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-08-28


CENT JIMMY. He fairly won it.-AB. Eue
Journal.
From the Philadelphia NorIh American, July 81.
The Laws" of Kansas.
The other day we looked at these laws in
connection with the whole Kansas iniquty,
and gave them their place amid the other
parts and pieces of the mechanism, in order
10 make it apparent at a glance that, as the
obvious design of all that stupendous scheme
was the establishment of slavery in the ter
ritory, even though the inhabitants did not
consent to it, so it must be the covert de-
sign of the modified bill before Congress,
shaped by Toombs and endorsed by doug
las.
II we know the contents Of mans mind
we can foretel his history so far as Circum-
stances will allow him TO act himself out
And his outward 'acts are revelation. a
publication Of his real nature. We, there.
fore, lock more losely at these laws, in or
der that bv tasting and handling the fruit,
we may Judge OF the tree, whether. if it be
lefi TO stand, it VIII not hereafter yield the
same kind, though, for purposes Of tempor-
ary ealtnent, the ripcst and rankest Of
lis apples of death are just NOW shaken of
| /. We first ASK the attention Of our read
ers 10 a class OF these laws which mIv be
labelled as tawlsss, which the mo dsrn Dracos
enacted IN their lighter moods, perhaps jus t
after they had pleasantly stimulated them
selves with the tortures Of their victims, or
| gorged their strong appetites with blood. In
these claws" ihev set aside, with the most
admirable simplicity OF Impotence, the Or
ganc law o: Congress for the reg ula;ion Of
the territory which their own friends had
framed for them. We can only exhibit a
few samples that prove how justly entitled
they are to the appellaton OF Law AMI order
men.
BY the organic law OF Congress the lowe:
House of the Territorial Legislature was to
be elected for year, and the Council for
two years. But in order to proong their
own official existence, these Kansos legi,-
lators contrive to bestow on either branch
an additional. term OF nearly one year. Per-
haps they intend to go stil further, in imi-
tation of the long Parliament.
By the organic law, the Governor has the
exclusive right of determining who are cleo
ted to the Legislature. But that body ove:-
ruled his decisions, and called back tho ,e
whom he had ous5ed from their seats.
By the organic law, the pay of certain Of
ticers IN Kansas was specified. But that
body vote an increase of pay, which is 10
be taken from the federal treasury.
By the organic law, the Legislature of
Kansas is restrained from interfering with
the primary disposal of the soil. But sever
al OF their laws defantly set aside this en-
actment.
By the organic law, all civil off GERS in
Kansas are to be qualified by taking n oath
to support the constitution of the United
States, and to discharge faithfully the duties
of their respective Offices. But, by the i'm
proved code, they are made to swear that
they will support the constitution, and sup
port and sustain the K1nsas act and the |
Fugitive Save law.
Thus they ride over the organic law. If
their friends, the authors Of tina; act, should |
find fault with them, they would probably
say "You have endowed us with popular
sovereignty, and we take it (like property
under fraudulent bill of sale) whether you
intended it or not. We accept the officers |
YOU furnish us--Governor, Secretary, Chic
Justice AM his associates, Attorney and
Marshal, because they admirably suit our
purposes. But as to those specific regula-
tions of your organic law which interfere
with the one design which we and you alike
have at heart, we just set them aside in
obedience TO the higher law of slavery, SUBJ
stitu,ing other regulations that will make
assurance doubly sure, trusting that IN your
eyes the end will sanc;fy the me ans, and
that you will be 20 our faults little blind"
And SO it proved, and their laws wera sane
toned.
2. But We turn TO part OF the code |
where the higher OF lower law Of siav erv !
SETS aside The constitution, as well as the fun |
damental principles OF the common law -
The constitution is the great bulwa-k o. |
defence to the personal rights of the sub
ject. Its primary provisions were framed
with great care and infinite cost, by the |
master builders of England liberty, s!rug- |
power and prerogativc-one buttress or tow |
err erected after another, as some newly ex- |
posed or defenceiess right of the ritizen
proved it necessary.
These parts were brought together, and
the whole made comparatively perfect in |
OR constitution, whose theory is that the
individual shall be shielded from tn least !
inlraction of his rights, come from what
quarter ii may, from the tyranny of the few
or the violence oil the many: & that wrongs
inflicted shall be redressed. But by these
la,rs of a border rufiian legislature the very
Redan and Malakoff towers OF this cons,i-
ton are Frustrated, that there may be no
escape to those who are obnoxious TO the
slave interest.
Freedom of speech. expressly guaranteed by
the constitution, without which the citizen
is a tongueless slave, is overthrown by that
act which makes it felony to assert that
men have no right to ho slaves in the ter
rtory.
Freedom Of the press is most effectually
destroyed BY that act which makes it felony
to print, or circulate or even possess print
ed paper, calculated Tin the estimate of an
ex-parte Judge and of packed juries,) to pro-
duce disorder among slaves. Speech &presses
may be free, except when they conflict with
the views of the tyrannical usurpers. In
other words, these sacred rights are virtual (
ly abolished. {
The habeds corpus, that great defence OF