Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-02-27
Kansas to be CONQUERED.

/ 1t is well known to every intelligent man that
set of laws were created for Kansas, by the Mis-
souri, Elected Territorial Legislature, that free
man could live under or support. That was the
object of the border ruffians in making the foray.
They determined to make laws so obnoxious that
no Freeman could or would live under them, and
then force submission or drive every squatter
from the territory who resisted their execution.
This was their rolc-this was their plan of max
ing it Slave State. These laws were so inhu-
man and barbarous that they have never been
published in legal form. But many of them have
found their way into the public prints. Freedom
of speech and fthe press is denied. The bare
denial, verbal or in print, of the right of persons
to hold slaves, in that territory, is punished un-
der their beautiful code, with imprisonment at
hard labor for t,co gears The trial by jury is ef-
tectually denied, by provision which incapaci-
tates any man who is in favor of making it a free
State, from sitting on jury The death PEN
atty is extended to all persons who in any way
tamper with the colorcd chattes illegally held in
bondage. These are but few, very few, of the
odious features of the laws enacted for Kansas
in the making of which the squatters had no
voice. And to cap the climax of iniamy and
perpctuate the rule of the borderers, it was pro-
vidcd that no citizen could exercise the right of
suffrage or hold any office, unless he would
swear to uphold these laws, while non-residcnts
were permitted to vote by paving small sum.
This mock legislature appointed Sherifs and
Clerks, and filed every official station with their
own infamous conspirators, cutting off the people
from any voice or say in the government, and
rendering it impossible for them at any future
time to exercise the right of self government.
To execute such laws as the above, and to
crush out every right ofthe settlers there, Wilson
Shannon has gone back to Kansas clothed with
all the powers of the General Government. To
execute these infamous enactments, in the MAX
ing of which the people had no voice. the army
of the United States is to be called into the field!
The code sought to be forced on the people there
is one more despotic than that of the Emperor
of Russia. 1t is as oppressive and calling as the
| most infamous slave code of the South. The
plantation negro of the cotton field has just as
many political rights as the Free State settler in
Kansas, under the laws which the President has
signiicd his determination to execute. The
settler has not the right of free speech or tIia
by jury. For any offense that may be trumpet
up any person can be brought before mock
tribunal and tried by jury of slave conspirator:
and sentenced to fine, imprisonment or death
without a shadow of justice and in direct viola
ton of the spirit and letter of the Constitution
the United States and every sentiment of ou
free institutions
We hope our readers will look at all this ant
see to what we are verging. We put it too ever.
intelligent freeman of Iowa, what would you do
were you in Kansas? Would you submit to b.
thus ensaved? Would you acquiesce in th
overthrow of your personal and political right
would you submit to the loss of the deares
right of American citizens-the right of suffrage
Would you be ruled and governed by the bar
barous enactments of the people Of anothe
States Or, would You, like the patriots of ses
enty- six risk your lives in defense of what
dearer to freemen?