Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-05-09

TINS is n cautious and guarded election law
How so' If a man goes over from Missou-
ri and takes up II residence Of an hour,
and pays tax, he may vote. 1t is provided
that the sheriff shall attend Mt the pgls at
every election, with his book, and receive thn
rolI-taX from every man who tenders 1t, aud
shall give him a receipt. \ man may como
/ from Missouri an hour before and say, "
| have paid my tax here il my receipt, aud
am resident and then he would have Il
/ right to vote.
Can any man on earth possibly avoid per-
/ ceivins the purpose Of this provision 1t
was cnacted for the purpose Of allowing per-
/ sons to come over from Missouri and control
the elections in Kansas, when and as often az
/ they please.
shall not 60 through Other ohrctianl
features in the territorial laws, derriying th,
people of the power Of eectins their officers,
| appointing them by the Legislature. and d..
f"rrins their election for lon. periods.
shall not allu1e to these matters, because ]
wish to keep the three laws to which / hayo
referred, perfectly in view.
Now, Mr.. President, in what a condition
/ do these enactments leave the people OF the
Territory We can all sec their purpose.
/ 1t IL t. drive out every man who euterlain-
the opinion that Kansas ought u be 4 Tree
Territory, and free State or, If he cannot
be driven out 70 subject hIm entirely T. the
influence Of persons In Missouri The pcor!e
are bound hand AMI foot They are suhiu-
gated, as much SO as the Romans were when
the Samnites had them in the Caudine forks
They We're suhiugated they passed under
t ie yoke, and history says they were strirpet
Of all but one garment This is the coadi
tion in which these people are lcn They
call upon US to correct this violence and
usurpation, and to remove thrs, tyraunical
laws from them They are told that thcy
can 20 on and correct all this in the next
election.
Is it possible that they are to be treated
with such species Of mockery 1t j. like
tying man, head and foot in a net. and
throwing him out to the world and telling
him to help himself Make an election
"Why, cannot pronounce your ,hibboleth." ."
Make an election about the subject Of slave
ry "lou would not let Inc agitate it
You would not even let me compare notes
with my neighbor in relation to our notions
about it. Sir, how is it possible for these
people to make an election They cannot
pronounce your shibb5leth they are not
permitted to discuss the subject about which
an election Is to be held. The provisions Of tha
election law of the Territory, to which have
alluded, would enable Missourians now, with
out violence, according to the forms of law,
to 90 into the Territory and outvote the in.
habitants at their pleasure
Then, there is no measure Of redress in tho
idea Of leaving it to the rcorle to be set
tied by another election. If thev cannot be
relieved in that way, can they not be allowed
hereafter to make constitution and State
government for themselves But will not
that be an election Must thev not choose
delegates to the convention to make the con
stitution Will it not be subject TO the
same difficulties They must choose those men
under these very laws The bill before the sem
ate provides that. when they shall have a pon-
ulation orninetv-t thousand. they NAV rr1-
reed to form a convention and mako a State
constitution t) be presented to Congress-
Who is to elect delegates to that convention
You are brought back again to the same con-
dition Of things You throw them into the
same position in which they are now. You
require them to make bricks without straw.
Ou Obl5e them to make an election when
the existing laws will not permit them to
have u free election
The people of Kansas thus conditioned do
sired to obtain some relief Where were they
to look for it Surely, not in the admins
tration Of the laws t. which have alluded
by court \ court cannot help the statue
it must carry it out Could they look for
redress to the Executive of the United
States Tie President tells Ms plainly that
he has no power to correct usurpatiDn. 1t
would, however, seem to me that, when the
President wls informed Of the acts Of the
people Of Miss ouri. which he calls in his
message illegal and rcprehensibe." ." if he
found the Executive without the power to
redress, as he ltimates, he should have pre-
Sented the same to Congress, recommending
tne proper measures Tor redress tie does no
such thing lie distinctly tells US there is
no no rellef to be had from him, and that those
la"s' Such as nave described them, will be
s'rrlso ifi'G execution oy tne whole military
power Vi t"Is nation we are told by tho
ot""tur cr from llilh9ls' that not only the peo-
PIE Oh hahsas VINO nave been subdued will be
troi upon' nut that those OF us who make OBJ
.ecI!oh 10 IL Will be subIued lie says,
we mean to suhdue YOU. Perhaps,
IL may pc 50. Inns manifesto Is, in sub
stance TINS MI You who would sustain and
restore the Missouri compromise all who
are opposed 10 the extension OF slavery into
Tree territory all who will not approve of
tne Suhlngatlon OF ireemen by force, that
slavery may succeed, and thus the relative
weight OF the slave states be made, though
Il ueclded mlnorty'Ioreyer paramount in this
'oNerhmeht' are to be Sn'dH'd. know
very well that there is power in the Govern
meht ol the mted States to crush out tho
V'ople oI hahSas' know that justice
may be denied where 1t ought to be granted,
|, that be so, 1t VIII he hut the beginning Of
tne enI' 40 quiet ana peaceful result can
no" n," from Su'n source. ne sentiment OF
""erI! anu justice OF the people OF TINS
country cannot. be Snbdv'd, Party may sue
ceeu i'r uhe' nut the maj triumph OF
'ru'n ana justice Is certain
But, sir, what did the people Of Kansas
cndeavOr to do They could get no relief
from the court Of the President, and what
did they do They presumed to assemble
together and to discuss in various meetings.
Finally they apnOinteQ lelerates to form A.