Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-08-07

oSihousu otioH vi oul Ledl III lHS Cduoc VI
Freedom. N.
MARTINsvILLE, August 5th, 1856.
Topeka July 22d, 1856.
To the Editor of tie Belmont Cironicle:
take pl easure in sending you copy of
the appeal of Kansas, to the voters of the
free States.
came to Kansas three months ago, am
well pleased with the country and think il
is the bes: country for farming that l have
ever seen. The land is generally rOl ing
prairie. the soil is from two to ten feet deep
and of the best quality. Timber is not very
plenty-there is plenty of good building
stone-we have good coal mines, all we
want now is free State, and we depe Id on
you of the North for that.
In the election this fall depends the fate
of Kansas; if we lose Fremont, Kansas is
lost. Fremont is the man that we can de.
pend on to save Kansas from the curses oi
slavery, and to save the Union, we hope
that every true Republican will give his vote
for Fremont and Dayton. This ;is too nice
a country ever to be cursed by the Admin.
istration of another man like Frank Pierce
! know you will do US justice in your paper
| must close. Your subscriber from Topeka
Kansas Territory. *** xxx
Appeal of Kansas to the Voters Of
the Free States.
Believing that there is a continual endeav.
or on the part of Administration Journals to
suppress the facts, and misrepresent The con.
ditiun OF Kansas, and to throw a cruel dis
credit upon the complaints of an oppressed
and outraged people: The following brief
summary Of the true state of the Kansas
question is earnestly commended to candid
men of all parties, and we entreat and con-
fidently hope that you will do US justice.
/. The Free State men Of Kansas con-
stitute very large majority of the popula-
,ion; and we are ready and have always
been ready to prove this by any test which
| it is possible to require with any show of
fairness.
2. We were not only willing but earnest
ly desirous to organize territorial govern
ment in accordance with the provisions of
The Kansas act. but were forcibly prevent
ed from doing 50.
8. Our polls were violently seized BY an
overwhelming force of armed invaders, re-
sidents of an adjoining State, and offensive
to the great majority of legal voters of
Kansas. and hostile to their interests, were
chosen to constitute the Kansas Legislature.
4. This pretended Legislature, having
neve: been invested with any power by
those whom they attempted to govern, have
always been and are still regarded by the
great majority Of the people of Kansas, as
usurpers to whom they owe no obedience
5. Having been prevented by violence
from carrying out the provisions OF the or
ganic act-the people of Kanias had then
no alternative but to submit to enslavement,
and be ruled by their enemies as conquered
ize government for themselves.
6. Tney chose the latter, and following
the example Of California. framed a State
government, and are now asking for admis-
sion into the Union
7. This was not the movement of more
party. The call was addressed to the ac-
tual residents OF the Territory, anG every
legal voter had full opportunity to either
concLr in the movement or to express his
opposition to it.
POSITION OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
l. The organic act contained distinct
guaranty to the people OF Kansas that they
should decide the question of slavery for
themselves; yet when body of men who
were not 'rousy lsurpers assumed to de-
eide the question. for Us the administration
utterly regardless OF his guaranty, has en-
ployed all its power, direct and indirect to
compel us to submit to, and abide by the
decision.
2. To this end the President has upheld
the bogus Legislature in their usurpation-
has caused the State officers elected by the
people to be arrested and imprisoned on a
charged OF high treason, and has appropri-
ately crowned his tyranny by sending q
military force on the fourth of July to dis
per,e the peoples representatives, when
tney had assembled at Topeka according to
adjournment.
8. To be compelled to submit to a Just
code diciated by foreign power aud imposed
without our consent, is sufficiently degrad-
ing but to have the most odous of 1nstitu-
tions and most bdrbarous of codes, forced
upon US by mob of our enemies, backed
by the very Execut We whose sworn duty it
is to protect us, is a thing unprecedented in
American history, and appears to Us intoler-
able.
4. The code to which the Administra-
ton il pledged to compel us to submit, e>tab-
fishes Siavery-abois1es Freedom ol Speech
and Freedom of the Pfess--atfixes the peu-
atty of DEATH to sundry offences agaius
slave property, and provides against the
possibility OF repeating any of these enact
mems, BY on uct which di ,franchlses all who
will not swear to support the Fugitive Slave
Law. anu dt Ihe eduhe lihie enaO.es nun-re
s.dents to vote, on the payment of one dol
lar.
5. The President has placed o, er us, and
sustains as Governor, a man who has never
manifested the slightest sympathy with the
People of Kansas, nor cultivated their ac. |
quaintance, but when intoxicated is the
Iaci lie tool OF the rutfians OF the border, and
their coroial accOmplice when sober.
s. The enforcement OF the laws,
has not consisted in the impartial punish
ment of murder, robbery, arson, THEFT, etc
by whomsoever committed, but solely and
exclusively in sndeavoring to compel citi-
zens to acknowledge the authority of the
bogus officers, aud particularly of the Sheriff.
whom the usurpers nave appoinLed oyer lis |