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

or we nave mlsJudged the People.
THE KANSAS CODE,
Judged Of by Southern and Administration Sem
ators-Upheld by the Administration-To be
enforced by Governor Geary
We cannot too often spread before the public
the devilish slave code of Kansas. This week
we reprint it, accompanied by the opinions OF
Southern Senators, and of Senators supporting
the Administration.
"An Act to punish offences against Slave Property.
"SEc. l. Be it enacted by the Governor and
Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Kan
sas, that every person, bond or free, who shall
be convicted of actually raising rebellion or
of sSapcs, free negroes, or mulat-
toes, in this Territory, shall suffer death.
SEC. 2. Every free person who shall aid and
assist in any rebellion or insurrection of sLaccs,
free negroes, or mulattoes, or shall furnish arms,
or do any overt act in furtherance of such rebel
lion or instruction, shall suffer death.
ESQ. 8. Ifsny free person shall, by SPEAK
ING, WRITING, or PRINTING, advise, per-
suade, or induce any SLAVES to rebel or conspire
against any citizen of this Territory, or shall
bring into, print WRITE publish, or circulate, or
cause to be brought into, printed, written, pub
lished, OF circulated, or shall knowingly aid or
assist in the bringing into, printing, writing,
Publishing, or circulating, in this Territory, any
book, paper, magazine, pamphlet, or circular,
for the purpose of exciting instruction on the
part of the sIapes, free negroes, or mulattoes,
against the citizens of the Territory, or any part
of them, such persons shall be guilty of. felony
and suffer death.
"SRC. 4. If any person shall entice, decoy,
or carry away out Of this Territory, any slaues
belonging to another, with the intent to deprive
the owner thereof of the services of such slave,
or with intent to effect or procure the freedom
of such slave, he shall be sdjudged guilty Of
grand larceny, and, on conviction thereof, shall
suffer death, or be imprisoned at hard labor .for
not less than ten years.
"SEc. s. If any person aids or assists in emit
cling, decoying, or persuading, or carrying away,
or sending out of this Territory, fanny slore be-
longing to another. WITH INTENT TO PRO.
CURE OR EFFECT THE FREEDOM OF
SUCH SLAVE, or with intent to deprive the
owner thereof of the services of such slave, he
shall be sdjudged guilty of grand larceny, and,
on conviction thereof, shall suffer death, or BE-
imprisonsd at hard labor for not less than ten
years.
"SEc.6 6. If any person shall entice, decoy, OF
carry away, out of any State or Territory Of the
United States, any slave belonging to another,
WITH INTENT TO PROCURE OR EFF.
Feet THE FREEDOM OF SUCH SLAVE,
or to deprive the owner thereof of the services
of such SLAVE, into this Territory, he shall be
guilty of grand larceny, in the same
manner as if such slave had been enticed, de.
coyed, or carried away out of the Territory; and
in such case the larceny may be charged to
have been committed in any county of this Ter
ritory, into or through which such SLAVE shall
have been brought by such person and on
thereof, the person offending shall
suffer death, or be Imprisoned at hard labor Jos
not not less than ten gears.
$50. 7. IL any person shall entice, persuade
or induce any SLAVE to escape from the ser
vice of his master or owner in this Territory OIL
shall aid or assist any SLAVE escaping from
the service of his master or oaoncr, or shall
assist, harbor, or conceal any SLAVE who may
have escaped from the service of his master
or owner, he shall be deemed guilty of felony
AND PUNISHED BY IMPRISONMENT
AT HARD LABOR FOR NOT LESS THAN
FIVE YEARS.
"SEo. 8. If any person in this Territory shall
aid or assist, harbor or conceal, any SLAVE
who has escaped from the service of his master
or owner in another State or Territory, such
person shall be punished in like manner as il
such slave had escaped from the service of bis
master or owner in this Territory.
SEQ. 9. If any person shall resist any office
while attempting to arrest auy SLAVE thai
may have escaped from the service of his mas
ter or owner, or shall rescue such SLAVE wher
in custody of any officer or other person, shall
entice, persuade, aid, or assist such SLAVE
to escape from the custody of any officer o
other person who may have such SLAVE in Gus
tody, whether such SLAVE has escaped from
the service of his master or owner in this Ter
ritory or in any other State or Territory, the pei
son 80 offending SHALL BE GUILTY OF
FELONY, AND PUNISHED BY IMPRIS
ONMENT AT HARD LABOR FOR
TERN NOT LESS THAN TWO YEARS.
"SEo. 10. If any marshal, sheriff, or consta
BILE, or the deputy of any such officer, shall
when required by any person, refuse to aid O
assist in the arrest and capture of any slau
that may have escaped from the service of hi
master or owner, whether such SLAVE shaI
have escaped from his master or owner in thi
Territory, or any other State or Territory, sucl
officer shall be fined in a sum of not less thai
one hundred nor more than five hundred dol
lars.
"SEc. ii. If any person print, scrite, in
troduce into, publish, or circulate, or cause {,
be brought into, printed, ,critten, published, o.
circulated, or shall Knowingly aid or assist /,
bringing into, printing, publishing, or circu
lating, within this Territory, any book, paper
pamphlet, magazine, handful, or circular. con
tanning any STATEMENT, ARGUMENT
OPINION, SENTIMENT, DOCTRINE, AID
VICE, OR INNUENDO, calculated to produc
a DISAFFECTION among the SLAVES j,
this Territory, or to induce such SLAVES Il
escape from the service Of their masters, O
resist their authority, HE SHALL BE GULL
TY OF FELONY, AND BE PUNISHED
BY IMPRISONMENT AT HARD LABOF
FOR A TERN NOT LESS THAN FIVE
YEARS. :
"SHC. IL. If any free person, By SPEAKING o.
acrittng assert or maintain that persons 6ar
not the right to hold slares in this Territory
or shall introduce into this Territory. min,
publish, aorite circulate, or cause TO be ,rr;fte
printed, published, or circulated, in this TER;
tory, any book, paper, magazine, pamphlet, o
circular, containing any denial Of the right o
| sasch persons to hold slaues in this Ieyritor;
such person shall be deemed guilty Of felon,
| and punished by Imprisonment at hard labo
for a term not less than f,co years.
| "SEG. l3. No person who is conscientiousl
opposed to holding SLAVES. OR WHO DOE
NOT ADMIT THE RIGHT TO HoLI
| SLAVES IN THIS TERRITORY, SHALL
SIT AS JUROR on the trial of any prosecu
ton for the violation of any of the sections q
4 this oct,
| "This act to take effect and be in force fror
and after the 18th day of September, A. Z
1855.
Signed, j. 81. Stringfellow, Speaker of tn
| House; Attest: J. NJ. Lyle, Clerk. Thoms
johnson, President of the Council; Attest; ,
| A. Halderman, Clerk"
| THE CHAIN AND BALL
The second section of chapter %, entitle
"An act providing System Of Confneme,
and Hard Labor" is as follows:
"SEc 2. Every person who may be sci