The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-05-03
The character of Our Struggles.
ssTruth crushed to earth will rise again,
The eternal years of God are hers;
While error, wounded, writhes in pain,

The Senate and Executive of the Uni-
ted States. taking their cue from David
Atchison and the Border Rufians. have
commenced the process Of crushing out
freedom in Kansas. Liberty is under
foot, the tyrant is on her neck. Human
rights are kissing and by-word.-
The right of self-government is ignored.
The slave power is triumphant. We are
like the Poles crushed by Russia, or like
Hungary ground down By the Austrian
despot.
Slaveholding minions are here with
their dogs of war, hunting down our
peaceable citizens. Men who have COM
mitted no offences are put under arrest
by an ignorant usurper, called "deputy
sheriff" This fellow, who can scarcely
read writ, drags our unsuspecting cit
izens from their homes, and taking them
to distant town, finds no court or Judge,
himself requires them to give bonds OF
$500 to appear at some future time for
a trial. These men consider themselves
the same as condemned, whenever their
names are mentioned in writ. The
slave power is one and indivisible. To
be accused is to be condemned; to be ar
rested is to be punished. So well do our
people understand this, that many Of our
enterprising men leave the State rather
than fall into the hands of this slave
holding inquisition. When the sheriff
was recently informed that man had
left the State, for whom he had writ,
he replied, that was ali he wanted. If
he could make them all leave, then they
could make it Slave State. We have
no doubt but what all these writs, arrests
and harrassments are entered into now
simultaneously over the State for the pur-
pose of preventing improvement, and,
SO far as possible, of driving out Free
State men. The people of the country
are astounded at this state of things
They are taken by surprise, when they
see the pro-Slavery party armed and
equipped at every point, and ready fol
war. The peaceable citizens of Kansas
are equally surprised. Where they ex-
pected to find eountrymen and friends,
they have found enemies and ruffans.-
Where they expected to spend their time
in the peaceful pursuits of agriculture
and improvements, they have been call
ed to leave their homes, and assemble at
central points of defence to save themselves
from outrage and death. To them, the
use of arms was an uncommon thing
Most of our young men had never fired
pistol, and few had ever contemplated
the necessity of resisting by arms. Our
enemy, the slave-power, on the other
hand, always in state of war, is always
armed. always watchful, always ready
to offer up on its bloody Molock, whatev-
er victims are necessary to secure its
triumph. So, here in Kansas, the dear
est rights of American citizens have
been sacrificed. The elective franchise
has been stricken down; the ballot box
destroyed; the sanctity of private dwell
lings invaded; the right to hold and
bear arms denied; the right to life and
liberty sacrilegiously outraged by murders
and Imprisonment. But, thank Heaven,
there is sequel.
Patience friends! The human heart
Every where shall tai . our part;
Every where for us shall pray
On our side are natures laws,
And Gods life is in the cause
That We suffer for to-day
True courage will often endure, for a
time, what rashness would instantly re-
sist with blood. Goodness, in the midst
of danger, 6rmness when assailed, and
forbearance, when insulted, have so Ear
characterized our party in Kansas. With
but one exception. the firing upon jones,
we have done no indiscretion or hasty
act. We do not know who did that, but
we presume it was some one whose rash
ness had overcome his patience. We do
not wish for even the beginning of strife,
on our part. We dread civil war, and
shall use every means in our power to
avert it; and so far as patience and endu-
rance go, will inculcate them till they
cease to be virtues. At present, we see
that We must suffer yet awhile longer
We dc not yield, but rather strengthen
our manhood by this unwavering and
peaceful opposition. We not only in
crease our own power by this patient suf-
fsring, but we do what is equally impor-
tant on the other hand-we cause slavery
to throw off her mask and show her true
character. The people of this country
do not begin to know the enemy they
have been SO long cherishing in their
midst. States have been so long nursing
fathers. and churches nursing mothers to
this giant evil, that it has outgrown and
oyergrown all things else; and now, in