Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-03-20
The State OF Affairs in Kansas.
SPEECH OF HENRY WILSON.


sion | will simply say, that Gov. Reeder, in
the cases brought before him, did refuse to de-
liv,r the certificates that be made the refusal
IN the presence Of the men who claimed them,
with bowie knives and revolvers in their belts.
and amidst threats of his life and while he
read the statement he held cooked revolver in
his hand for necessary self defence There were
few devoted friends around him, expecting to
see him murdered on that occasion. In the
cases not at the time contested, in the cases
where at the time no one dared to raise ques-
tion in the cases where ut the time contest
was neglected, the certificates were given. A
new election was ordered in those cases where
the certificates were set aside, and, in pursu-
ance thereof, the people elected Representatives
and Councillors, and commissions were issued
to them. They met on the I'd day of July, at
Pawnee, and both branches of the Legislature,
without examining the facts, and positively re-
tuslng to do 50, voted out the men chosen by
the people Of Kansas, and voted in the men
originally chosen by the Missouri invaders
This Legislature, thus chosen, moved the place
| Of meeting from Pawnee to Shawnee Mission,
against the consent of the Governor, who retus-
cd afterwards to recognize it as q Legislature
They went on, and passed the laws which are
now brought here Some of these laws are as
inhuman as any code ever presented for the gov,
eminent Of Il conquered people.
| wish to call the attention Of the Senate and
of the country to some Of these laws forced
upon the people who were allured to Kansas by
the assurance that they were empowered to shape
their own institutions. Here is q precious en-
actment
:" If any person print, write, introduce into,
or publish, OF circulate, or cause to be brought
into, printed, written, published or circulated,
or shall knowingly aid or assist in bringing into,
printing, publishing, or circulating, within
this Territory, any book, paper, pamphlet, mag
azlne, handful, Or circular, containing any
statements, arguments, opinion, sentiment, ad-
vice. doctrine, or inuendo, calculated to produce
a disorderly, dangerous, Or rebelious diSatfec-
ton among the slaves in this Territory, or to
Undue such slaves to escape from the service of
their masters, or to resist their authority, shall
be guilty Of felony, and be punished by im
prisonment, at hard labor, for u term not less
than five years"
This law, thus enacted, is the law that is to
be executed in Kansas, if need be, by the sabres
Of the United States dragons. If the men
from the free States in that Territory should
print or circulate this sentiment uttered by the
President Of the United States, on the LIST day
of january, 1851, in the Constitutional Con.
yention Of New Hampshire--' would take the
ground OF the non extension Oh Slavery, that
Slavery should not become stronger " What
one thing is there connected with Slavery that
} is not obnoxious - say that if these avow-
ais were circulated in that Territory, the person
circulating them might be denounced as circu
lating a speech that was calculated to excite
disahection among men held in bondage.
, If Il STAKEHOLDER should find in the hand 0
some one OF his bondmen, who may have beer
taught, i'll spite of legal prohibitions, to rea(
the ten commandments, the pregnant question
Of the Chief Magistrate of the Republic, :. W ha
one thing is there connected with Slavery tha
is not obnoxious! Would he not think it a
least, "a dangerous " inuendo," calculated t
create :" dsafection " in the bosom of his slave
And sir, if in his wrath he should make the dis
covery that II son of Ne Granite State hm
, ssisoS to be circul this sentiment \
the prominent soG Of lis iatiye New .Hampshir,
would he not try the virtues to be fond III tn
term of five years imprisonment I If som
stakeholder should find in the hand of his flee
ing bondman the speech of the Attorney Gen
J eral OF the United States, delivered in June
1886, against the admission of Arkansas, witt
Constitution making Slavery perpetual, where
In 6Rd these sentimens-"l do not persuad
myself that Liberty is an evil, or Slavery
blessing g Shall We be brutshly dumb whe
it is sought through us to render Slavery per
petual in new States e" shoald be false Il
all the opinions and principles of my life, if
did not promptly return pcremptory and EN-
phatic No! when called upon to accord m,
sanction to u form Of government which per
petuates Slavery" Nould not the slavcholde
deem it IL ." fixed fact" that the man who cir
culated these sentiments was guilty of a fel
ony,' punishable with five years of imprison
ment Ay, sir, if some son of Massachuset.
should be found circulating the resolutions Q
the Democratic State Convention in 1919, writ
ten by Benjamin T. llalett, then Chairman o
the National Democratic Committee, and no,
the Presidents District Attorney for Massachu
sets, declaring that :" we are opposed to Slave
ry In every form and color, ann in favor O
Freedom and Free Soil wherever man live
throughout Gods heritage II pretty broa,
declaration, that includes Kansas say, tina
r 1t these resolutions, endorsed by Charles &
r Greene, the especial favoritc of the Presiden
IN New England as National Democratic doc
rine, should be circulated in Kansas, by som
!, son of Massachusetts, he would be subjected t
the punishment provided for in this section.
Here is another section OF this inhuman stat
ute.
" If any free person, by speaking or writing
assert or maintain that persons have not tn
right to hold slaves in this Territory, or sha
introduce into this Territory, print publish
!, write circulate, or cause to be introduced int
: this Territory, written, printed, published, q
= circulated in this Territory, any book, paper
magazine, pamphlet, OF circular, containing an
r denial OF the right Of persons to hold slaves i
tins Territory, such person shall be deeme
n guilty OF felony; and punished by imprisot
, ment at hard labor for u term not less than tW
years.
lie Here is law which Furnishes any freeman 9
e ielon who went into that Territory undo
80 your organic law-under your " squatter so,
ereisny doctripc-with two years mprisor
q ment, II he shall circulate any paper that sha
e deny the right of any person to hold slaves
l. the Territory under these laws; p" and this
the law which the President of the Unite
states Is SO anxious to enforce and this is tn
y law which the Senator from Connecticut cor
g graduates the country is to be enforced
ir - And sir, IL any person shall be arrested h
uoV. Shannon Tor circulating in Kansas an
papers denyn4 the right of any person to mol
slaves there, this code provides that
=, " NO. person who is conscientiously oppose
% to holding slaves, or who does not admit tn
right to hold slaves in this Territory shall 81
= as juror on the trial of any prosecution 70
IL any violation of the sections of this act
y when the Legislature assembled, when
,s turned out the men who had been legally chosen
- when In brought in the men imposed on tn
;, Territory, by armed invaders from Il neighbo,
ing State, when it removed to the Shawnee Mi,
sion, when it was repudiated by your Governor
,r sent there by this Administration, then it wa
that the treemen Of Kansas assembled in thej
u primary meetings, and declared against the /,
as sality OF the Legislature and its acts. A Cor
Ventlon Of the People was called. That Col
yentlon assembled, framed Constitution, II