The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-07-31

critics nation be thought secure when we have reno
people that these liberties are the gin Of od TSs, thew
violated but by his WRATH Indeed, enlb for
my country schsr Lrgeet that God is just and has justice
Surely such language, in the eyes of Pro-
Slavery jury, would be considered as "calcu-
lated" to render slaves "disorderly." And
surely, in the language of the President and
his party, "the law must be enforced" Come,
then, "Sheriff JONES'" with your chain and ball
for each of these founders of the Republic, and,
manacled together, let them, as they pursue
their daily work, chant praises to "the great
principle for which our revolutionary fathers
fought" and of which the defenders of the Ne
braska bill told us that law was the great en-.
bodiment.
Said Mr.. Webster, in his Marshfeld speech,
in 1913:
any honest complain if he is intelligent, and
, ice, s '11 a';n no Oh OF Wen Inc
will reproach me- when say said the other day,
tha nave MADE up my mind Tor one mat under no CIR
Slavery in the United States the further
of slave in the Houseof Representatives
And again, in 1850:
"Sir wherever there is particular good TO be done
wherever there is foot of land be said back from be-
coming slave terntory ready the principle
of the exclusion of Slavery"
Said the noble old statesman of Kentucky,
henry Clay, IN iS0U:
shave said that never could vote for it myself; and
/ repeat that never can and never will vote, and
earthly potcer will make vote spread Slavery
over territory where it does not exist"
Surely this, too, conflicts with the law of
Kansas. Hurry them, Judge Lecompte, to the
chain-gang and as they commence their years
of disgraceful and degrading punishment, for
that its true intent and meaning" is "to leave
the people thereof perfectly free mot only free,
but PERFECTLY free) to form and regulate their
domestic institutions in their own way, subject
only to the Constitution of the United States"
There is another portion of this act to which
/ wish to call special attention. 1t is the sue.
ceeding section to the above, (sec. 3, p. l47:)
"whenever any convict shall be employed labor
city, county shall pay INTO the Territorial treasury the
of fifty cents for each convict for every day such
such convict shall be employed upon private hiring at la
Dor, ii shall be such price EACH per day may be
charge Of SUCH and the proceeds of said labor shall be
collected by such keeper and put into the Territorial
treasury"
Not content with the degradation of the
chaingang, a system OF WHITE SLAVERY is to
be introduced by "private hiring" and the
"convicts," sentenced for the exercise of the
freedom of speech and of the press, are to be
hired out during their servitude, if their "keep-
are hunting them from their homes, and burn
ing their dwellings over their heads. But "the
laws are to be executed :" and though they are
the offspring of the most gigantic fraud ever
perpetrated upon free people, if there is no
change in the policy of the Government, and
if the party which controls its action is not
hurled from power, we shall doubtless next
year see Governor Robinson (if not previously
executed for treason) with the iron chain and
ball to his ankle, hired from the convictkeeper
by Governor Shannon to do his mental service;
or to be punished if he disobeys his masters
orders, like Southern slave. And Judge Lee
compte would have the privilege, too, and
would doubtless exercise it, of having Judge
Wakefield as his hired serf, dragging for two
or five years to come, his chain and ball after
him, as he entered his masters presence, or
obeyed his masters command. And Marshal
Donaldson, with "Sheriff JONES' and String.
fellow, would not certainly be behind their supe-
riors in the retinue of Free State slaves whom
they could satisfy their revenge upon by hiring
as their menias from the keeper of the Kansas
convicts.
AS was examining this Sahara of legislation,
to fnd if possible, one oasis, my eye fell upon
chapter "a, page 1913, headed with the attract
i've title of z" FREEDOM and 1 reioiced at the
certainty of finding something worthy of appro-
val in its provisions. But, alas it is fit asso-
ciate for the rest. By it, it appears that a per-
son held in slavery" cannot sue for has freedom
till he first petitions the court for leave to estab
lish his right to freedom. If that leave is de.
MED, whether be ia legally or illegally held in
slavery, no matter how clearly he could prove
his freedom, yet if the court withholds its per-
mission, he has no alternative but to continue
in slavery till death frees him from his unjust
servitude. But if the court consent, he can only
go on by giving security for the costs, when it
is conceded fact that, as a slave, he has not
dollar or copper of his own in the world, and
cannot even mortgage his own labor for indem-
MITIGATION Of his security. On page 1876, section
IL, of this same law, there is singular proyis-
ion:
"Gthe plaintiff be a n<gss ,a,siauo he is required TO
prove his right 10 freedom"
There can be only one fair, legitimate, infer.
ence from this-and that is, that it is considered
quite possible that persons not negroes or mu-
lattoes-in other words, arhite persons-may
happen to be held In slavery in Kansas; but
the requirement of the consent of the court, and
security for costs, applies to them also and, of
course, section IA adds: I" in actions prosecuted
under this act the plaintiff shall not recoper any
damages" from the person who has been thus
prooen to have held him illegally, and perhaps
tor years, IN slavery.
/ will now invite your attention to a contrast
in the penal code of this Territory, singular in
its character, to say the very least. Section
five of the act furnishing offences against slave
property, page GOA, enacts as follows:
any person shall aid entcing decoyne
OF persnddng or carrying away sending OF this
Territory any slave belonging another with intent TO
procure effect the freedom Of slave or with intent
deprive the owner thereof of the services such
ne shall be sdudged guilty of grand larceny and ON con-
vicon thereof shoH suffer d.a or be Imprisoned at hard
labor for not less than ten years"
A person who, by pro-slavery packed Jury.
is convicted of aiding in persuading out of the
Territory slave belonging to another, is to
gutter at least twice as severe a penalty az he
who Is convicted of committing the vilest out
rage that the mind of man can conceive of on |
the person of your wife, sister, OF daughter |
Nay, the contrast is still stronger. The jury, in
the first instance, are authorized even to inhict
the punishment of death-in the latter, see page |
208, the penalty is mot less than FIVE years." |
Such is the contrast in Kansas between the |
protection of wife's or daughters honor and |
happiness, and that which is thrown as a pro. |
tecting agis over the property of the slave. |
holder!
Again, on page 208, you will find that the |
rufian who commits malicious mayhem-that |
is, without provocation, knocks you down in |
the street, cuts off your nose and ears, and |
plucks out your eyes-is punished "not less than |
i've nor more than ten years." the same de- |
gree OF punishment that is melted out in section |
seven OF the above act, page COS, on a person |
who should aid, or assist, or even "harbor." an |
escaped slave
On page 209, you will find that the man wbo