The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-09-25

man, or child, in the land, who does not know the
cause of the feverish excitement that now threat
ems our future happiness and peace. And was
about to say further that there is not one within
the sound of my voice-nay, scarcely an intelli-
gent man in the whole country, but who knows
what is the remedy to be applied, which will re-
move the plague-spot. It is as simple as it will
prove efficacious Repeal the Kansas-Nebraska
act That is the remedy, and you all know it.
Your President knows it. Mr. Douglas knows it.
But they have not sufficient patriotism to raise
them up to the performance of deeds so noble
Madness or folly rules the hopr, and the spirit OF
the Intervals appears for the time, to direct our
affairs Wise men saw this. from the beginning.
The object of the repeal of the Missouri Compro-
mise was to take away the barrier which pro-
hibited Slavery from entering the fair fields OF
Kansas. The wicked pretence set up, that it was
not to legislate Slavery into Kansas or to legis-
late it out, and that the people should be left
perfectly free" to adopt their own institutions,
bore the impress of falsehood upon every line Of
the act.
But the effects, the fruits of that bill-what
| they? Look at the report of your committee sent
to Kansas to investigate the election frauds. What
a revelation is there for my countrymen what
an exposure for the eyes of civilized men The
parallel to the atrocities committed there cannot
be found in the history of any civilized country,
since the " northern hive " broke loose upon and
overran the Roman Empire. Crimes of every
| grade committed against those who were
lured from the free States by the deceptive lure,
that they were to be left "perfectly free to es-
tablish their own domestic institutions" And
| the criminals run at large Men from the free
States are hunted like wild cartridges upon the
heath, and are driven out; while, on the other
hand, Southern emigrants-armed emigrants-
are welcomed into the Territory and, upon their
arrival, mustered into the service of the Uni
ted States, under Marshal Donaldson, and paid
out of the money of the people Call you this
equality, gentlemen Major Buford marched
over four hundred men from South Carolina and
Alabama; and as soon as they reach Kansas,
they become part of the United States Mar
shaPs posse, and are placed upon the payroll.
| They may commit what acts of violence they
WILL and there is no remedy. The United States
| troops can drive out bodies of Free State men,
| and can prevent others from entering the Terri
| tory, but have no power over Marshal Donald
sons or Sheriff Jones's posses. Every intelligent
man must see that the Kansas bill invited this
very state of things. 1t was deceptive invita-
ton to the North and the South to send emf
grants into the Territory, and the strongest should
be the winner of the prize. All Western Mis-
souri,, with Atchison, Stringfellow, and their
army of Border Ruffians, stood ready to overpower
the Free State actual settlers; and they did do it
more than once as is shown by the report of the
committee.
Pennsylvanians, lured by the devices and hol-
low professions of that bill of fraud, emigrated
in considerable numbers-some from my district,
but more from my colleagues, General DICKS i
others from Ohio Some of these, Barber, Brown,
and others, have been welcomed to inhOspitable
graves by the bloody hands of Border Ruians.
Some are in prison under arrest for treason, be-
cause they in their simplicity believed that the
Kansas bill meant what it said that is, that they
should be left perfectly free to adopt their own
domestic institutions and set about doing so at
Topeka, and formed Free State Constitution.
For this, G. W. Smith, Esq, lawyer of long ex-
perience, ability, and respectable standing from
Butler, the residence of my colleague, Mr. PURvI-
ANGEL is now in the " chan-gang" under the
guard of the United States troops. Another Penn
sylvanian, w. Y. Roberts, Esq, with whom had
the pleasure of serving in our State Legislature,
and who was then one of the leading Democrats
in that body, has been driven out of the Terri
tory upon a charge of treason, for having taken
part in forming the Topeka CONSTITUTION.
Suppose that, through the wickedness, per-
verseness, weakness of pilot, he should use
a chart by which he had steered noble vessel
into the most perilous position, ameug rocks and
breakers, and that storm having arisen, the YES
sci was in the greatest danger of being wrecked
and there was but one channel by which the vessel
could be rescued, and brought back to an open
sea, and that the pilot and crew obstinately re-
fused to tack, and declared that they would steer
by the false chart if the consequence should be
the loss of the vessel, what would you think OF
the proposition to throw the pilot overheard, re-
tain the crew, and employ new pilot upon con-
dtion that he must pledge himself to use the
same compass and the same chart and that he
must navigate the vessel in all particulars the
old pilot did?
What would you think of the wisdom of such
a proposition? Would it not be wicked to so
expose the ship and the lives of passengers
of hat 10 -1af h.axva IN
throwing overheard Mr.. Pierce, and in insisting
that the proposed new pilot, Mr.. Buchanan, shall
not return to the point of departure SEQ 3O/, but
must continue to steer by the Douglas and String
fellow chart, if the consequence should be the
loss of the ship, with all on board. If the DEM
ocratic party were alone the passengers, we
might not complain at the wickedness of their
determination.