The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-05-29

\ Mr. President, men are wisely presumed to in
tend the natural consequences of their conduct
| and to seek what their acts seem to promote
Now, the Nebraska Bill, on its very face. openly
cleared the way for Slavery, and it is not wrong
to presume that its originators intended the nat
ural consequences of such an act, and sought in
this way to extend Slavery. OF course, they did
Ana TINS is the hrst stage in the Crime against
Kansas.
But this was speedily followed by other de-
| velopments The bare-faced scheme was soon
| whispered, that Kansas must be a slave State.
| In conformity with this idea was the Government
OF this unhappy Territory organized in all its de-
partments; and thus did the President, by whose
completely the Prohibition of Slavery had been
| overthrow, lend himself to a new completely
giving to The conspirators lease of CONN.,
| vance, amounting even to copartnership. The
| Governor, Secretary, Chief Justice, Associate
Justices Attorney, and Marshal with whole
| caucus of other stipendiaries nominated by the
President and confirmed by the Senate, were
all commended as friendly to Slavery No man,
with the sentiments of Washington, or Jefer-
| son. or Franklin, found any favor; nor is it too
much to say, that, had these great patriots
| once more come among us, not one of them, with
his recorded unretracted opinions on Slavery,
could have been nominated by the President or
confirmed by the Senate for any post in that
| Territory. With such auspices the conspiracy
proceeded. Even in advance of the Nebraska
Bill, secret societies were organized in Missouri
ostensibly to protect her institutions, and after
| wards, under the name of Self Defensive Asso-
Citations" and Of "Blue Lodges" these were null
tiplied throughout the western counties of that
| State before any counter-anoUement from the
| North. 1t was confidently anticipated, that, by
the activity OF these societies. and the interest of
| shareholders everywhere with the advantage de-
| rived from the neighborhood of Missouri and the
influence of the Territorial Government, Slavery
might be introduced into Kansas, quietly but
surely, without arousing confict-that the
| crocodile egg might be stealthily dropped in the
sun-burnt soil, there to be Matched unobserved
until it sent forth its reptile monster.
But the conspiracy was Unexpectedly baked.
The debate, which convulsed Congress- had
| stirred the whole country. Attention from all
sides was directed upon Kansas, which at once
became the favorite goal of emigration. The
Bill had loudly declared, that its object was
TO leave the people perfectly free to form
| and regulate their domestic institutions in their
own way and its supporters everywhere chal-
| lenged the determination of the question between
Freedom aid Slavery by competition of emf
grafton Thus, while opening the Territory to
Slavery, the bill also opened it to emgrants from
every quarter, who might by their votes redress
the wrong. The popuous North, stung by a
sharp sense of outrage, and inspired by noble
ised soon to establish supremacy of numbers
there, involving, of course, a just supremacy of
| Freedom.
Then was conceived the contamination of the
Crime against Kansas. What could not be ac-
complished peaceably, was to be accomplished
forcibly. The reptile monster, that could not be
quietly and securely Matched there, was to be
pushed full-grown into the Territory. All efforts
were now given to the dismal work of forcing
| Slavprv on SoiI In faur ant NJ
the very Popular Sovereignty, whose name help
ed to impose this Bill upon the country, the
atrocious object was now distinctly avowed.
And the avowal has been followed by the act.
Slavery has been forciby introduced into Kansas,
and placed under the formal safeguards of pre-
tended law. How this was done, belongs to
the argument.
| In depicting this consummation, the simplest
outline, without one word of color, will be best.
Whether regarded in its mass or its details in its
origin or its result, it is all blackness ilumined
by nothing from itself, but only by the heroism
of the undaunted men and women whom il envi-
rOned. A plain statement of facts will be pic
ture of fearful truth, which faithful history will
preserve in its darkest gallery. In the foreground
all will recognise familiar character in himself
a connecting link between the President and the
border ruffian-less conspicuous for ability than
| for the exalted place he has occupied-who once
sat in the seat where you now sit, sir; where
once sat John Adams and Thomas Jefferson; also,
where once sat Aaron Burr. | need not add the
name of David r. Atchison. You have not forgot
ten that, at The session of Congress Immediately
succeeding the Nebraska Bill, he came tardily
| to his duty here, and then, after a short time,
| disappeared The secret has been long since dis
closed Like Catiline, he stalked into this Cham
Der, reeking with conspiracy-immo in ISenatum
Uenit-and then like Catiline he skulked away
d6ia, ereessit eodsa, crupit-to join and provoke
the conspirators, who at distance awaited their
congenial chief. Under the influence Of his malign
presence the Crime ripened to its fatal fruits,
while the sinlilitude with Cstiline was again re-
newed in the sympathy, not even concealed,
| which he found in the very Senate itself, where,
beyond even the Roman example, Senator has
not hesitated to appear as his open compurga-
| tor.
And now, as I proceed to show the way in
| which this Territory was overrun and finally
subjugated to Slavery desire to remove in ad-
vance all question with regard to the authority on
which rely. The evidence is secondary; but it
is the best which, in the nature of the case, can
be had, and it is not less clear, direct and peremp
tory, than any by which we are assured of the
campaigns in the Crimea the fall of Sevastopol.
In its manifold mass, confidently assert, that
| it is such body of evidence as the human mind
Is not able to res list. 1t is found in the concurring
reports of the public press in the letters of cor
respondents in the testimony of travellers; and
in the unaffected story to which have listened
from leading citizens, who, during this winter, have
"come fiocking here from that distant Territory
1t breaks forth in the irrepressible outcry reaching
us from Kansas, in truthful tones, which leave no
ground of mistake. 1t addresses us in formal COM
plants, instinct with the Indignation of people
determined to be Free and unmpeachable as the
declarations of a murdered man on his dying bed
against his murderer. And let me add, that all
this testimony finds an echo in the very statute
book of the conspirators and also in language
dropped from the President Of the United States
'fbegin with an admission from the President
himself, in whose sight the people of Kansas
have little favor. And yet after arraigning the
innocent emigrants from the North, he was con-
strained to declare that their conduct was far
from justifying the illegal and reprehens6le coun-
ter-movement which ensued" Then. by the re-
luctant admission of the Chief Magistrate, there
was counter-movement,a at once illegal and rep
rehoaSi6H. ! thank thee, President, for teaching
me these words; and l now put them in the front
of this exposition, as in themselves confession.
Sir, this illegal and reprehensible counter
movement" is none other than the dreadful
Crime II under an apologize alias by which,
| through successive invasions, Slavery has been
forcibly planted in this Territory
| Next to this Presidential admission must be
placed the details Of the ipvasions, which now
present as not only illegal and repreheisihle,n
but also unquesti6nabie evidence of the result.
| ing Crime.
| The violence, for some time threatened, broke
forth on the 10Th November, 1854, at the first
election OF a Delegate to Congress, when COM
panies from Missouri, amounting to upwards of
| one thousand, crossed into Kansas, and, with
| force and arms, proceeded to vote for Mr.. Whit
| field, the candidate of Slavery. An eyewitness,