The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-06-03


and the constitution. That is the object Of the or
ganization, declared in the very words of the nitia
tory obligation. Where Is the wrong in this2 What
Is there here which can cast reproaoh or even sus
pici0n, upon the people of Kansas? Grant that the
Legion was constituted can you extract from 1t any
apology for the original crime, or for its present
ratifcatonl Secret societies with their extravagant
oaths justly ofiensive but who can find in this
mistaken machinery, any excuse for the denial OF all
rights to the people of Kansas All this, say. on
the suppositon that the society was q reality.
which II was not. Existing in the fantastic brains
of few persons only, it never had any practical
lie. 1t was never organized The whole tale, with
the mode Of obtaining the copy OF the constitution.
is at once cock and bull story and mares nest;
trivial as the former, absurd as the latter. and 70
be dismissed with the apology founded upon it, to
the derision Which trivality and absurdity justly
receive.
1t only remains, under this head, that shoull
speak OF the apology infamous, founded on false
testimony against the Emgrant aid Company, and
assumptions Of duty false than the testimo-
ny. DefyiDg truth and mocking decency this
apology exces al others IN fntility and andacisy.
while, from lis utter hoowne5s it proves the utter
impotence of the conspirators 10 defend their
crime. Falsehood, always Infamous in this case
arouses peculiar scorn. An association OF sim
cere benevolence, faithful to the constitution
and laws whose only Notifications are hotels.
schoolhouses and churches; whose emily weapons
are sawmlis. tools and books; whose mission liz
peace and good will, has been falsely assailed on
this floor, and an GRAND of blameless virtue has
been made the pretext for an objectionable cr ne.
Nay, mOre-the innocent are sacrificed and the
guilty set at liberty They who seek to do the mis-
sion OF the Saviour are scourged and cruced while
the murderer, Barabbas, with the sympathy of the
chief priests, goes at large.
Were to take counsel of my own feelings, I
should dismiss this whole apology to the ineff ,ble
contempt which it deserves; but it has been made
to play such part in this conspiracy that feel Ii
duty to expose it completely
Sir, from the earliest times men have recOg-
nized the advantages of organization, as an
effective agency in promoting works of peace
or war. Especially at this moment, there IL
no interest, public or private, high or low, Of
charity or trade, OF luxury convenience.
which does not seek lis aid. Men organize to rear
churches and TO sell thread to build schools aud
TO sail ships to construct roads and to manufacture
toys; to spin cotton and to print books; to weave
cloths and to quicken harvests; to provide food
and to distribute light to influence public opinion
and to secure votes to guard infancy in its weak.
ness, old age in its decripitude and womsnhood in
its Indebtedness; and now in all large towns when
death has come they are buried by organized socie
Ties, and emgrants to another world they lie down
in pleasant places, adorned by organized skill. To
complain that this prevailing principle has been ap-
piled to living emigration is to complain Of Provi-
dence and the irresistible tendencies implanted in
man.
But this application Of the principle is no recent
invention brought forth for existing emergency.
1t has the best stamp of antiquity 1t showed itself in
the brightest days OF Greece where colonsts moved
in organized bands. It became part Of the the ma
ture policy OF Rome, where bodies OF men const
Lueu tnlb tT1umCt71 uu COtOn0o
deducfndos-(Livy xxxyii, s 46) Naturally it has
been accepted in modern times by every civilized
State. With the sanction of Spain an association
of Genoese merchants first introduced slaves to this
Continent with the sanction Of France, the Society
OF Jesuits stretched their labors over Canada and
the Great Lakes to the Mississippi. 1t was under the
auspices of emigrant aid companies that our coun-
try was originally settled, by the Pilgrim Fathers OF
Plymouth, by the adventurers of Virginia, aud by
the philanthropic Oglethorpe, whose "benevolenos
Of soul, J" commemorated by Pope, sought to plant
free State in Georgia. At this day, such associa-
tions, Of humber character. are found in Europe,
with Offices in the great capitals, through whose ao
tivity emigrants are directed here.
For long time emigration to the West, from the
Northern and middle States, but particularly from
New England, has been of marked significance In
quest OF better homes, annually it has pressed to
the unsettled lands, in numbers to be counted by
ems Of thousands; but this has been done hereto
fore with little knowledge and without guide OF
counsel. Finally, when, by the establishment Of
government in Kansas the tempting fields Of that
| central region were opened to the competition Of
peaceful colonization and especially when it WAS
declared that the question Of freedom or slavery
there was to be determined by the votes of actual
settlers then at once was organization enlisted
| an effective agency in quickening and conducting
he emigration impeed thither. and, more than oil.
| n providing homes for il on arrival there.
The company was first constituted under an act
of the Legislature Of Massachusetts,, 4th of May,
1854, some weeks prior to the passage of the Ne
braska bill. The original act of incorporation was
Il
in February, 1866 in which the objects Of the soci-
ETY. are thus declared
For the purpose Of directing emigration westward ana
aidrg in providing udatops tor the egc q a.
ter arriving IT thsr phase, Of destination.
At any other moment an association for these
purposes would have taken its place, by general
sent, among the philanthropic experiments Of tho
ase; but crime is always suspicious, and shakes.
like sick man, merely at the pointing Of finger.
| The consprators against freedom in Kansas now
shook with tremor real or affected. Their wicked
| plot was about to fail To help themselves, they
| denounced the Enigrant Aid Company, and their
denunciations, after finding an echo in the Presi-
| dent, have been repeated with much par icula-
rity, on this floor in the formal report of your COM
| mttee.
The falsehood of the whole accusation will appear
| in Illustrative specimens
| charter is set out, section by section, which.
though originally granted, was subsequently aban
doIed. and is not in reality the charter of the
| pany, but it is materially unlike It.
The company is represented a. "a powerful cor
poration, with capital of five milons;" when, by
its actual charter it is not allowed to hold proper
ty above million, and in point Of fact its capital
| has not exceeded 100000.
Then, again. it is suggested, if not alleged, that
| this enormous capital, which have already said
does not exist, is invested in canno and rifles, In
| powder and lead, and implements of war'-all Of
which, whether alleged or suggested, is absolutely
| false The officers of the company authorize me to
! give 70 this whole pretenson point-bank denial.
All of these allegations are of small importance,
i
character of the report and also something of the
quicksand on which the Senator from Illinois has
chosen to plant himself. But these are all capped
Of the company "were in perversion Of the plain
provisions of an act of Congress-" and also, ano-
ther unblushng assertion, as certain and undeni-
able,' that the company was formed to promote
certain objects, regardless Of the rights and wishes
of the people, guaranteed by the constitution Of
the United States, and secured by their organic
| law" when it is certain and undeniable that the
9TH In 49,
act Of Congress- while to the extent of its power It
has sought to protect the rights and wishes Of the
actual people in the Territory.
| Sir this company has violated in no respect the
constitution laws of the land not in the severes
letter the slightest spirit. But every other impu.
tation is equally baseless. It is not true, as the
Senator from Illinois has alleged in order in some
| way TO compromise the company, that it was in
formed before the public of the date fixed for the
election Of the Legislature This statement is pro-
nounced by the Secretary In letter now before me,