The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-03-08
ADDRESS.
ADDRESS.
OF the Rebu5lican Members Of the Legislatio.
assembly,
TO THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA.

FELLow-CIrIzENs THE undersigned,
members of the Legislature of Minnesota
now about to adjourn, and also members OF
that great political party which has recently
been formed for the purpose OF checking the
aggressions of the Slave power of the South,
feel it duty Incumbent upon them before
separating, to address you briefly upon the
exciting political topics of the day.
1t has appeared to us, that the time has
arrived when the people of Minnesota should
proceed to organize themselves into political
parties with view of bringing an influence
to bear upon the national policy of our coun-
try. 1t is true, we are yet a Territory; but
a very few years at most must array us with
in the lines of the great confederacy of States
with voice in both branches Of the Nation
al Legislature and also in the selection of
Chief Executive. But more urgent becomes
among the friends of Republican Freedom,
when we reflect upon the high deeds of mis-
rule which have been perpetrated, and con-
tinue to be daily perpetrated, by the corrupt
Pro-Slavery party now in power at Wash
ington.
1t would be reflection upon the intelli-
gence of those whom we address, were we
here to go into detail in regard to the fla
grant outrages committed upon the great and
inalienable principle of Freedom by the repeal
of the Missouri Compromise. 1t is we'll
known fact to all of you, that the principle
of that Compromise is one which received
the sanction of the men who penned our Dec
laration of Independence and the men who
framed the Constitution under which our ma
ton has grown to its present greatness 1t is
the principle of jefferson and his compeers,
who implanted upon the soil of the old North
West Territories the ordinance of 1887, con-
tanning this same restrictive clause to inhibit
the introduction of negro slaves into those
Territories. Wiser men than they have ar
rived at power in our time it would seem !;
and sacred compact has been broken in or
der that the blighting curse of Slavery and
Slave Labor may wither those fair lands of
our great West, which had been distinctive
ly set apart as the future home Of Free Men
and Free Labor.
The natural consequences follow, of course.
The people of Slave State bordering upon
one Of these Territories thus opened to the
aggressions of the sectional institution of
Slavery, seize the opportunity to force that
institution upon the people Of the new Ter
ritory. No means, however illegal or violent,
are left untried to accomplish this end-the
Administration at Washington all the while
aiding the people of Missouri in their foray
upon Kansas to plant Slavery therein, and
opposing the people of the Territory-a great
majority of whom are for Freedom.
The history Of Kansas affairs for the past
year is well known to you. The invasion of
the Territory by Missourians their selling
of the ballot box by force; their control of
the elections; their meeting in a Legislature
purporting to be a Kansas Legislature, and
there passing laws of blood and tyranny such
as never before disgraced an American
statute book; their cold-blooded murder of
peaceable and unoffending citizens, and a
thousand other deeds of darkness and crime
which have resulted from the acts Of this
wicked and corrupt National Administration,
are all understood by you. But the worst
is yet to come. The laws Of the Missouri
Mob Legislature arc to be enforced by the
cannon and bayOnets of the United States
Army. The whole nations money and the
whole nations troops have but recently been
employed by the President to aid in crush
ing the Free State men of Kansas. His
proclamation has been issued Gov. Shannon
has returned to Kansas from Washington
with full power to use all the military resour-
ces on the frontier to this horrible end the
line of march has been taken up ere this no
doubt; and we are hourly expecting to hear
Of the butchery of our brethren of Kansas
for no other crime than refusal to obey
code of laws passed by Missouri mob, of
which the following extract from one of these
laws is fair specimen Of the whole SO far as
the code relates to the institution of slavery:
"44n Act to Punish Offences against &acery.
Sec. A. Ifany person shall entice, decoy
or carry out of Kansas, any slave belonging
to another, with the intent to deprive the
owner thereof of such slave, he shall suffer
DEATH or be imprisoned at hard labor for
not less then ten years.
Sec. 5. Ifany person shall assist in entic-
ing, &C., Gas above -shall suffer DEATH or
be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than
ten years.
SEC. .. If any person in this Territory
s shall aid or harbOE any escaped slave from
son shall be punished in like manner as if
such slave had escaped from his master in
the Territory.
Sec. IL. If any person print, write. or in
troduce, publish or circulate, or cause to be
brought into, printed, written, published or
circulated, or knowingly aid or assist in
bringing into, printing, publishing or circula-
ting within this Territory, any book, paper,
&C., containing any statements, or doctrines
calculated to produce disaffection among
the slaves of this Territory-he shall be pun
sshed by Imprisonment at hard labor for not less
than .foe gears.
Sec. Ii. If any free person by speaking or
writing assert or maintain, that persons haze
not Me right to hold sIares in the Territory or
snail introduce into Kansas, print, publish,
write, circulate or cause to be introduced in
to the Territory, written, printed, published,
or circulated in this Territory, any book, pa
per, magazine, pamphlet or circular. contain
ing any denial Of the rights of persons to
hold slaves in this Territory, such person shall
be deemed guilty Of felony, and punished IN in,-
prisoan,ent at hard labor for term of not less
than taco gears"
Truly, we have fallen upon evil times when
free American citizens must be butchered by
American soldiers, and by order of an Amer
lean President, for not obeying such horri-
BILE code as this-a code in the enactment of
which the people of Kansas had no voice
whatever! And yet We are told that the
people OF Minnesota have no right whatever
TO interfere or express even their disappro-
baton OF these bold attempts of the Execu-
tive to establish Slavery in Kansas at the
point OF the bayonet. We repudiate all
such base appeals of Precipitation to the
weakest and most corrupt Administration
With which our nation has ever been cursed.