Minnesota weekly times., 1856-10-11
SATURDAY, OCT. A, 1856.
Freedom Of the Press.

That an untrammeled press, ina free govern
ment like ours, is an Incompatible blessing to
the people, we believe to be generally conceded
fact and hence, when the Administration re-
cognized the validity of code of laws abridging
the freedom of the press in Kansas, it was uni
vsrsally looked upon by the American people as
an attempt not only to curtail their rights under
the Constitution, but an assumption of power
leading to the establishment of the most absolute
and degrading despotism. Never before in the
history of our country, had the Executive arm
aimed such a direct and deadly blow at the liber-
ties of the people as when its power was felt in
the suppression of free discussion on the subject
of Slavery in Kansas. Men who had beer. taught
by the Constitution, that there was nr, question
they had not a perfect right to discuss in the
freest and fullest manner, in public or in private,
provided they acted with an honest intention to
subserve the interests of their country, and ad-
dressed themselves to the unde rstandinps of man
kind, are threatened, by ai illegal Legislature,
with Imprisonment for fe) ony, for daring to write
or speak on the subject of Slavery, and are sus.
tanned in this high-h,Anded usurpation of author
ity, by the inauerce and power of the Federal
Government. This provision, which surpasses in
despotism the worst features of Austrian tyranny,
reads as fellows:
''lf any free person, by speaking or by writing,
assert or maintain that persons haze not the riof
10 hold slaUes an this Territory, shall introduce
into this Territory, print, publish, write, circulate
or cause to be introduced into this Territory,
written, printed, published, or circulated in this
Territory, any book, paper, ns,gaSine, pamphlet,
or circular, containing any denial of the right of
persons to hold slaves in this Territory such person
shall be deemed GUILTY OF FELONY, and punished
by imdrisonment at hard labor for q term of not
less than two years."
The above section is very fair sample of the
bloody code of laws the Administration has en-
forced at the point of the bayonet, and policy
which MIR. Buchanan is pledged to carry out,
"with the standard lowered never an inch" In
view of the fact that James Buchanan, in his let
ter of acceptance, made the declaration that he
was sno longer simply James Buchanan, but the
representative of the great Democratic party,"
which party has been solely responsible for the
suppression of freedom of speech and freedom of
the press in Kansas, it exhibits a very deranged
state of the brain for the editor of the Pioneer to
quote from Mr.. Buchanan's speeches, of years
SouS ny, al orueT W SHOW MS - 0Stlmate OF the
value of the Freedom Of the Press"
For these and similar outrages, which denied
to the citizens of Kansas the Constitutional right
to regulate their own Territorial government,
forbidding even public discussion of measures
of grave and weighty Importance to the people,
the Administration and its followers have been
justly stigmatized as enemies of Free Speech and
Free Press. This odium has been basely VIC
by their subserviency to the interests of Slavery;
and when MIR. Buchanan consented to step on the
Cincinnati platform, he tacitly submitted to bear
the reproaches under which Franklin Pierce so
ignobly fell. There can be no denying the fact,
that if Mr.. Buchanan is elected, his administra-
ton will be continuation of the Identical policy
of his predecessor, which will be chiefly aimed to
secure the extension of Slavery and as this can
alone be done by the establishment of q censor
ship over the press, we would look upon his elec-
tion us the worst calamity that could befal our
people.