The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1856-12-27
The Kansa. PRECEDENT.

are far oftener determined by the pre-
eedents that may be found in the past,
than by the outspoken, honest conyic-
ton of warm heart, or the dictates of
some truly logical mind. Luther
would not, doubtless, have been so bold |
in his fiery denuncistion Of the Rom
ish church, had not Wiekliffe, and |
other previous religious agitators,
paved the way. and gaven him pre-
cedent for the course he pursued. The
history of ell great movements show
that the leaders relied not solely upon
the instructive merits Of the principle
they sgitated, but excused and plead
ed the justice of their course by the &C.
tons of others in similar circumstsn-
ces.
The leaders ofthe English Revolu-
ton Of the sixteenth century, fortified
themselves By turning to all the strug-
giles for liberty that had occurred in
the past. The war for American indie
pendence fell back from its own merits,
to justify itself in the eyes of the world.
by an appeal to the sentiments and &C.
tons of Vane. Hampden, Sidney, Rus
sell. and the others, who spread such a
glorious lustre over English history a
few centuries since. Since our fathers
achieved their independence, and
established firm and more secure the
rights of self-government, how often
has their example been pleaded, and
their sentiments used to fire the ma.
tons of the old world to a struggle for
right. It was the triumph of the
United States, that accelerated the
first French revolution, and that, in its
turn. has paved the way for each SUBJ
sequent one. Ha'y, Hungary and Ger
many. have all used these precedents
for justification of the appeal to arms,
which those countries have so often
made. to gain their liberty. So the
world goes on. Every movement for
reform, every step in advance, is much
easier gained. if we can fall back upon
some illustration of its necessity or
triumph in the past.
A government that can, even by a
seemingly fair and equitable mode of
conduct, prevent the agitation of any
given subject, or SO rule as to take
away from its citizens the necessity of
an appeal to force for a redress of
wrongs; can commit great acts of ty-
ranny. and yet remain longer undis-
turbed by internecine difficulties, than
aless polite body would be able to do.
It is the first appeal to force that is
ever after the great stumbling block in
the way of the "powers that be, pur-
suing successfully the course they had
done before the outbreak occurred. We
may illustrate this position by the agi-
tation of the slavery question in our
own country, and the crisis which it
has brought upon Kansas.
| AS long as the slaveholding portion
| of the confederacy pursued their way
without violence, or open attempts at
coercion, they were successful in nearly
all their projects. and victory after
victory psrched upon their banners; but
when grown holder and more defiant,
they sought to subdue Kansas by vic.
lence, and thus rendered necessary an
: appeal to arms on the part of the set
tiers, they lost the ground they had
gained during previous contests. Ar
J invidious foe of republican institu
; tions, like that which the slave oil
garchy has proved itself to be, car
much easier carry On its schemes il
peaceful times, than when the whole
country is aroused and startled by thu
shock of partizan war. Having onc'
made the discovery that there is an I'M
scrupulous enemy in their midst, tina
{ hesitates not at any point to accom-
T, plish its purpose, the free States vii
3 be far more likely to watch with keene
interest and jealous eyes than the,
: have hitherto done, the movements o
9 their Southern confederates. Again
u it viii produce another bad effect 70
. the South, to wit !: as the people of Kan
Is sas have been encouraged by the mem
DRY of their fathers heroic struggle
for right. SO viii the struggles in th
II future be strengthened by the remem
'e branee Of the Kansas contest. 1t is
e bad precedent. for tyrants at least, an
y oftena bad one for the future peace {
y the country. to SO pervert governmer
n from its original purpose, that Of exc
y cising justice and pursuing good ordel
y as to compel any portion of its inhab
8 tants to defend themselves from on
rs RACES and resist aggression by an Al
le peal to force. Let the South remeu
n Der this fact: that once the North ha,
D. ing been shown another way of NEE
Is ing them than the old beaten track
argument, agitation and the ballot DO,
= it win be more apt to use that roa
as than it would have been if the Sou
ne herself had not given rise to the occ
ne sion, and departed from the policy 81
We had hitherto pursued. Over esgerne
=