The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-03-01
and man for the sea of blood through
which freedom in Kansas may yet have
to pass to Its ultimate triumph.
SHAWMUT.
Thanks.

| Thanks.
The Governor of New York viii ac-
cept our thanks for copy OF his annual
Message to the Legislature of the State.
We make the following extract from his
message touching Kansas affairs, and
thank him, in behalf Of the people of
this Territory, for his words of cheer in
this important crisis:
''rhe people of our State have OBJ
events resulting from the passage of the
act of Congress, organizing the terrific
ries of Kansas and Nebraska. Those
Territories comprise very large portion
of the region expressly shielded from
slavery by the compromise of 1920. By
virtue of that compact most reluctant
and partial consent was wrung from the
representatives of the people of the Free
States to the admission of Missouri into
the Union as slave State. That act, so
prejudicial to the fame aud prosperity of
the American people, and even of Mis-
souri, herself, was slowly aequiesced in
by the North, under the conviction that
the evil it involved was instant and ire
parable, while the good it stipulated
would be greater and more permanent,
becoming more and more positive and
obvious in coming years. But at the ex-
piration of thirty years, after large and
valuable stripof country had been trans
ferred quietly, if not clandestinely, from
free soil to slaveholding Missouri, the ia
vorable occasion presented by an unprc-
cedented triumph of the slaveholding in
terest, was seized to press The repeal of
the Missouri restriction, and consequent
ly to open Kansas and Nebraska to slay-
cry. No congress that ever yet assem-
bled, except that just dismissed and re-
bukod by the people of the free States.
could have been induced to sanction this
repeal and it is believed that no other
federal administration, but that now going
out of power, could have been compelled
to urge it. The opportunity was i'm
proved with desperate assiduity and en-
ergy, and the effort was too successful.
All legal barriers TO the establishment of
slavery in Kansas and Nebraska were re-
moved by Congress; removed, too, by
the aid of votes from this and other nom
slayeholding States. The assumption of
unconstitutionality, which any earnest
effort seems to restrain any great moral
and social evil seems fated to encounter,
was invoked to excuse the reputation
of solemn contract by those who had
secured all its advantages. And thus
the Missouri Compromise, SO long the
theme of general and extravagant eulo-
gism, was overthrown by the very inter-
est which had proposed and constrained
its adoption.
"The consequences of this act of peril
dy have thus far fully justified the appre-
tensions, and fulfilled the predictions of
the champions of freedom and public
faith.
Nebraska, entrenched behind free
States only, will probably be permitted to
add another to their number without -
serious contest. But Kansas, on the
other hand, bordering on a populous por
ton of Missouri, fanatical in its devotion
to slavery, and through which nearly all
emigrants enter the new Territory, has,
in some respects, become a subjugaLed
province of that State. By Missourians
its Delegates to Congress have been cho-
sen, and the semblance of its Legislature
organized. That Legislature has ap-
pointed its county officers for term of
six years and the same authority assum-
ed to establish slavery on its soil, and to
fortify it by most extraordinary inhibi-
tons and penalties. And when its fed
eral Governor called for military force to
uphold these outrageous enaetments, his
orders were responded to, not by the in
habitants of Kansas, but by armed bands
from Missouri. The sympathies of the
North and West have been keenly alive
10 the menaeed subjection by the rifle and
the knife of the free soil citizens of the
Territory gathered at Lawrence. Their
calm courage and determined attitude
rolled back this first demonstration of
slavery to conquer Freedom by force Of
arms. They are entitled to the respect
and gratitude of all who love the repub-
iic.
"The voice of New York has been
repeatedly heard in the assertion of the
Jefersonian policy of restricting slavery
and extending freedom. l trust that it
will be uttered again with an unaninity
and an emphasis worthy of her history.
ho. ,.,;,a;,.IaS end har aoaviafsonz -