The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-03-29
Kalsas Matters.
Dessncs Of Kansas.
BY HENRY wAKD BEEcHRR.

A battle is to be fought. If we are
Fise it will be bloodless. If we listen
b the Pusilianimous counsels of men
Fho have never shown one sympsthiz-
blg throb for liberty, we shall have blood
b the horses brides. If we are firm
snd prompt to obvious duty,if we stand
BY the men-of Kansas and give them all
{hs help that they need, the fame of war
ill be .9uenclied before it bursts forth,
And both tieyzof the West, and wa of
The East, shall. after some angry mutter-
3ngs, rest down in peace. But if our ears
ire poisoned by the advice of men who
lever rebuke violenceo on the side of pow
er. who never fail to inveigh against the
$elf-defense of wronged liberty, ne shall
invite aggression and civil war. And
ut us know assuredly that civil war will
bot break forth in Kansas without spread
ing. Now, if bold wisdom prevails, the
conflict will be settled afar off in Kansas.
and without blows or blood. But timid-
fly and indifference will bring down
blows there which will not only echo in
bur houses, hitherward, but will, by and
zby, lay the foundation fer an armed strug-
gle between the whole North apd South
Shall we let the spark kindle, or shall we
5quench it now? But, that the intelligent
citizens may the better jud dge, let the facts
zOf this case be reviewed.
At the adoption of our constitution, a
system ofsslayery. thought to be then
declining. and that would be rejected by
the us medicatrix of the spirit Of liberty
among the people and in their institu.
tons, received unexpected sigor and
growth, from various commercial and
political reasons and from being q mere
peccant humor in the blood, it has we'll
nigh come to the blood itself of this
great government So that with an out
ward form of freedom, with laws and in-
stitulions bearing the civil aspect of lib
erty. the veins Of this government are
filled with black blood. and the heart and
every artery beats with the fatal current
of slavery.
In 1919 slavery demanded a portion
Of free territory. 1t was refused. The
herce battle that followed was not fought
out to the end as it should have been.
The compromise of l890-like every
compromise since, and like all comprom-
ises since the world began, between un-
scrupulous Power and simid Liberty
was but a device of Knavery for taking
breath. The peace always promised for
such concession is peace for repairing
damages. for forging arms, and for ar
raying new influences and implements.
Liberty was bribed to yield 8 noble prov
luce to the devastations Of slavery, with
tho solemn guaranty that no slavery
should ever touch soil north Of given
line; that, by the moral pledge of the
whole South, was made inviolate to free.
aOm. 1t was treacherous pact. 1t was
hollow from the beginning. While the
territory concerned lay far beyond the
reach of emigration. while it was = hun
,er's Ter wilderness. it was not molested.
ihe moment that the growth of our
country brought our population to the
borders OF this territory. and it was soon
70 be settled, Slavery, without an appeal
20 the people, Without the suspicion of
a,,e coming up of such q question in
congress, by = coup d. etas. snnulled this
agreement for liberty. and declared Kan.
sas and Nebraska alike open to all set
aersrand that their institutions should
oe determined Tor fresdom or slavery ac-
tiers.
The feet of freedom are nimble. The
ec'of slavery, shod with iron for crush
.ss' move slowly. A thousand free set
uers will move with all the utensils to .
region, before 0 hundred men. with the