Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-05-02

inen'F Snppisr II hid gone lnto that Terri.
tory ne fgrner IN settle. and the honorable
gentleman l-om Missouri had settlcd there
as a lawyct Seeing tirt J., was nv duty to
take part in the settlement of the question
OF slavery, which was left TO the people of
the Territory ! would Of course first desire
10 know what the existing law was II
would be necessary 10 know this in order To
see what law it was necessary to mike
suppose ! should 20 10 the honorable gentle.
man from Missouri as lawyer, add gravely
put 10 him The question, Can man hold
slaves IN this Territory without law au.
th1uzng H." As lawyer he is sworn to
support The laws of the Territory lie saws
TO me will say nothing about H." | respond
want your opinion as a lawyer, and / am
viking 10 pay iorit." lie roads to me the
language of certain statute Of the Terrific,
~, providing that if he should express a GER
tom opinion be would be liable TO severe
penalties.
T. what would yon give for lawyers opin.
ION wrh halter about his neck The OBJ
ject The purpose, the clear intent and mean.
ing OF tbs statute was to say to the people.
You shall not debate this question. % d ques-
ton which lies IN hmlae, the first one which
ought 10 be settled in order to arrive at
proper conclusion in regard to the point sub
miled 10 the decision of the people The
former territorial law 10 which I alluded,
called the law of Acknowledgement. This |
call the gag law
Another statute hos been passed by this
so-called Legislature which It is equally i'm.
porinnt for MS 10 notice, because we are
looking for what We ought To do. Its pro-
vided that every man may vote at any future
/ election who is a resident at the time-no
| length Of residence Is fxed-pfovided he has
/ paid tax in the Territory. We are told
That this Is cautious and guarded election
.lw. How so ? II a man goes over from
Missouri and takes up residence Of an
1 hour and pays tax, he may vote II is
I provided that the sheriff shall attend at the
] polls at every election, with his book, and
/ receive the poll-tay from every man who ten
/ ders lt, and shall give him receipt. A man
may come from Missouri an hour before and
/ say, have paid my tax; here Is my re-
/ ceip', and am a resident" and then he
would have a right TO vote.
Can any man on earth possibly avoid per-
ceyu1 the purpose Of this pnoyision2 It
was enlcted for the purpose Of allowing per-
sons 90 come over from Missouri and control
the elections IN Kansas, when and as often
as they please.
] shall not 70 through other Objectionable
/ Features in the territorial laws, deprvng the
/ people Of the power Of eecung their Off
GERS appointing them by the Legislature, and
/ deierrng their election for long periods. |
shall not aIlude % these matters, because
wish 20 Keep the three laws to which have
referred, perfectly IN view
Now Mr.. President. in what condition
d.. g D.. al. D.
TerItOyi We can all see their purpose.
IL Is To drive out every man who entertalns
the opinion that Kansas ought TO be free
Territory, and free State Or if he cannot
be driven out, to subject hun entirely to the
lnti1cnce of persons IN Missouri. The peo-
pie are bound hand and foot They are sub
Jugited, as much so as the Romans were
when the Slmnites had them in the Caudine
forks They were subjugated they passed
under the yoke and history says they were
stripped of all but one garment. THIS ls the
condition IN which these people are left
[ They call upon US to correct this violence
and usuipauon, and to remove these tyran-
-..---i i---- Sou u'-ni. 1ney are tOld tnai
/ they can 20 on and correct all this ia the
| next election.
/ Is It possible that they are 10 be treated
with such a species Of mOckery? It,s like
/ tying a man, head and foo, in a net aDd
throwing hw ont tp the world, and telling
him to help himself Make an election -
Why, ! cannot pronounce your shbboleih.n
Make an election about the subject of slave
~ fou would not le, me agittte it,
You would not even let me compare notes
with my ne.ghbor IN relation 10 our notion.
about IT," SIR, how Is It possible for these
people To mike an election They cannot
pronounce your shbhoeh, they are not per-
mItted TO discuss the subject about which an
election is TO be held. The provisions of
the election law of the Territory, to which |
have alluded, would enable Mssourians now,
without violence, according to the forms of
law, to 90 into the Territory aud outvote the
inhabitants at their pleasure.
Then, there is no measure Of redress in
the idea of leaving It TO the people to be set
lied by another election II they cannot be
relieved in that way, can they not be allow>
ed hereafter to make a constitution and State
government for themselves But will not
that be an election? Must they not choose
delegates to the convention to make that
constitution: VIII It not be subject to the
same difficulties /? They must choose those
men under these very laws. The bill before
the Senate provides that, when they shall
have population of ulnety-three thousand,
they may proceed 10 form convention and
make State constitution to be presented to
Congress. Who Is to elect delegates to that
convention? You are brought back again
TO the same condition OF things You throw
them into the same position in which they
are now. You require them to make bricks
without straw. You Oblge them TO make an
election when the existing laws wall not per-
init them 70 have free election.
The people of Kansas thus conditioned
desired to obtain some relief Where were
they to look forit? Surely, not in the ad
mlnistratlon OF the laws to which have al
luded by court. A court cannot help the
statute It must carry It out. Could they /.
look for redress to the Executive Of the Unl- /.
ted States2 The President tells US plainly
that he has no power to correct usurpAuon.
do not say that he has the power; shall
not argue the point. 1t Is barely possible
that he might be estopped as a court would
be. 1t would, however, seem to me that
when the fresluuut was lufUtuIud vi tiu ats
of the people of Missouri, and which he
calls in his message illegal and reprehen-
slble,n if he found the Executive without the
power to redress, as he lntinates, he should
have presented the same to Congress, recon-
ulNhulHB tlb pi"pIl lhSaoul'9 l"' l'NiN'9'
He does no such thing lie distinctly tells
US there is no relief to be had from hin, aud
that those laws, such as have described .
them, will be carried into execution by the
whole military power Of this nation. We
are told by the Senator from Illinois, that .
not only the people Of Kansas who have been /
subdued will be trod upon, but that those of
US who make objection to 1t will be subdued /
lie says, VIZ mean to subdue you" Per- /
haps, 1t may DO so. This manifesto Is, IN
substance, this All you who would sustain
aud restore the Missouri compromise all |
who ARE opposed to the extension Of slavery |
lulo fcee territory all who will not approve |
of the subjugatlon Of freemen by force, that
slavery may succeed, and thus the relative I
weight of the slave States be made though |
decided minority, forever paramount IN this .