Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-11-14
" what is to Become of Kansas :"

The New York Times of Nov. 10th has an
article under this head which reminds us of
the noted article of the same journal last sum
mer, wherein the whole country understood
the Times to come out. substantially, in favor
of the nefarious bill of Douglas and Toombs
: for the pacifcation of Kansas" The prompt
use made of that article by the enemies of
Free Kansas all over the land will not be
soon forgotten. For sometime afterwards
the Times was earnest in insisting upon GER
tain qualifications of it's opinion which the
the article contained but all it's pleadings
went but q little way to lessen the evil in
auence which the general drift of the article
excited. The article was effective so far as
it was influential at all, (though we do not
suppose such was its intent) to strengthen the
hand. of those who were bent on consumma-
ting the wrong which had been An atrociouslv
begun. and we see no other effect to follow
from the article now before us.
We understand it the Times advises the free
| State settlers of Kansas to abandon all the
ground they have thus far stood upon and "to
recognize the validity Of the existing territor-
ial authorities" because it does not see ho,p
they can maintain their position against the
plain determination Of the Federal Govern
ment to uphold the Missourian usurpation.-
Artor advising them to thus surrender every
thing. it advises them further, that when
thew have done so they then "must claim and
take steps to make e%ffectunl the rights secured
to them by the Kansas bill"
Practically. all that amounts to just this
"First give your enemy leave to strip, beat
and starve you.-to manacle and fetter you
to gag you,-to imprison you. and to place
armed guards around you. both to prevent
vonr escape and your friends from getting tc
you. When you have done this, it will be ad.
visable to do what shall he hest to protect
Yourself from further abuse. and to recover
your rights,-J you can !"
The proposition of the Times to have thu
free State men of Kansas yield at once tn,
pho1e ground, in the vague hope that by do
ing so. IN some way, by some means, at som,
time, they will have a chance to get part o.
it back again. seems TO us an absurd one. W,
do not deny the terrible power of the genera
government, nor the disposition of tn wicked
men who now control it to stick at no GRIM
il they believe it necessary to perfect the
stupendous wrong they have begun. But
few months of usurpation is a very short tim
for a people to reach the conclusion in, tina
civil and political liberty is not worth an,
more suffering for and struggling for. Il
is Of no use to resist the immense power o
Great Britain was the cry of many, eight,
years ago. Right or wrong the only wa,
is to concede what she demands nop.' Tha
cry was unheeded, however, by the patriot
Of those days, and instead Of a few months o
resistance it went on for seven years, AM
would have gone on for three times as 'onI
if necessary to save their necks from beinI
brought under the yoke.
This bushes, of sanctioning a usurpdto,
OF government in Kansas has got to be locke
at directly in the face. and 1t may as we'll r
lone without delay. The step is a yer
short one from usurping the government Of
Territory to usurping that of a State. 1t ca
he done for the same purposes and by mean
of the same sort, and submission to it can J.
preached just as consistently in one case a
in the other. Concede that nothing is to b
done to stop it. hut to pass resolutions, an
the State governments NAV as well max
themselves rendy to step off the stage c
action with as little ceremony as possible. ]
United States soldiers can he employed wit
IMMUNITY to crush out civil and politica
liberty in Kansas, the time is not far off whe
they will he as freely used if there is any &C
casion for it, to do the same work in Yer
mont, or in any OF r. State in the Union.