Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-04-17


Tn substaniiatine the truth Of his ACQUISITIONS
Mr.. Seward proceeds with about a column of
onestions which state the whole case c0nsecu
lively. clearly, and fairly leading invitably 10 the
conclusion that the President virtually confess
all the transactions charged. For positive proof,
the representations Of Gen. Pomeroy, in regard
TO the elections, are cited together with String
fellows address to the invading Missourans.
extracts from the Border Ruffians newspapers.
extracts Of published letters from the Territory
and Missouri, the speeches of Atchisou-all
showing that the elections were conducted and
controlled by armed hordes of inVadiog aon resi-
drnis. Afier concluding his array of facts, the
speaker said
- Behold the proofs on which the allegianis Of
invasion, usurpaiion, and tyranny, made by the
new State of Kansas, rest. They are, first the
Presidents own virtual admission, by deenses
indirect, irrelevant, ill-tempered, sophiscal, and
evasive ; second an absolute agreement. con.
currence, and harmony between the statements
of the conflicting parties who were engaged in
the transactions involved: third the consequen.
ces of those transactions exactly such as must
follow, if The accusations be true, and such as
could not result if they b. false. few words,
however, must be added, TO bring more distinctly
into view the Presidents completely in these
transactions. and TO establish his responsibility
therefor. The President openly lent his official
influence and patronage 10 the shareholders of
Missouri, TO effect the abrogation of the prohib-
iti0a of slavery in Kansas, contained in the act
of Congress of 1920. lie knew their purposes
in regard to the elections in Kansas. He never
nteItered t6prevent, 10 defeat, or 10 hinder them.
lie employed his official patronage 10 aid them.
tie now defends and protects the usurpaiion and
tyranny, estat ished by the invaders in Kansas,
with all the Influences of his exalted station, and
even with the military power of the Republic;
and he argues the duty of the people there TO
submit to the forcble establishment of slavery, in
violation of the national pledge, which he con-
Cured in giving, that they should be left perfect
ly free to reject and exclude that justly ol'""v"re
system. 1t thus appears that the Presid ., oct,
United States holds the people of Kans4, vs.
tate and enslaved at his feet.
!, To complete the painful account of this great
crime, 1t is necessary now TO add that these has
) not been one day nor night since the Govern
ment OF Kansas was constituted and confined 10
tide President of the United States, in which Ell
Their the properties. or the liberties, or even the
lives, OF Its citizens have been secure against the
, violence and vengeance of the extreme foreign
t factions which he uphoIds and protects. AT this
day, Kansas is becoming, distinctly than before,
the seen Of a conflict of lrreconciable opinions,
S to be determined by brute force No immigrant
h goes there unarmed, no citizen dwelIs there in
v safety unarmed; armed masses Of men are pro-
ceeding into the Territory, from various parts of
e the United States, TO complete the work of nva-
y sion and tyranny whice he has thus begun, under
e circumstances OF fraud aud perfdy unworthy of
the character OF ru er of free people This
a. tharin Hioti l;.,:1 ~
pathes, interests, passions and preiudces of the
o people of the United States. Whether, under
o such circumstances, it eau be circumscribed
e within the limits of the Territory of Kansas,
# must be determined by statesmen from their
n knowledge of the courses of civil commotions,
j. which have involved questions of moral right and
conscientious duty, as well as balances of poit-
: cal power. Whether, on the other hand, the
e people OF Kansas, under these circumstances,
st Will submit TO this tyranny of citizen of the
United States like themselves whose term of
e political power is nearly expired, can be detr-
!. mined by considering it in the aspect in which it
If is viewed by themselves"
After quoting from the Declaration of indie.
l. pendence the arraignment of George I'LL. by the
l. Congress of l776, Mr.. Seward said
e " What is wanting here to fill up the COM
S, plement of high Judicial process! Is it an
ID accuserl The youngest born of the Republic is
at before you, imploring you to rescue her from
e. immoatlon on the altar of public faction. Is
y it IL crime! Bethink yourselves what it is that
In has been subverted. 1t is the whole of a COM
+ plete and rounded off Republican Government
s. OF Territory, indeed, by name, but, in sub.
= stance, Civil State. Consider the effect The
ID people of Kansas ,oere perfectly free.' They
n now are free only to submit and obey Consid-
I'D er whose system that Republican Government
s. was, and the Power that established it, 1t was
IN one of the Constitutions of the United States,
to established by an act of the Congress of the
IN United States. Consider what tyranny it is
lie that has been built on that atrocous usurpation
is 1t is not discriminating tyranny, that selects
l. and Furnishes one, or few, or even many, but
it disfranchises all, and reduces every citizen to
ii abJect slavery. Examine the code created BY the
= Legislature All the statutes Of the State OF
u Missouri are enacted In gross without alteration
Of or amendment, for the Government of Kansas
E, and then. at the eEd, the hasty blunder of
Or misnomer is corrected by an explanatory act,
er that wherever the word State occurs, it means
r Territory And what code One that
y STILES not, indeed, the fruits of the womb, but
l. the equally important elements of State, the
er fruits-the immortal fruits-of the mind a
er code that puts in peril all rights and liberties
a. whatever, by denying to men the right to know.
ct to utter, and to argue freely, according to con-
ir science-a right in itself conservative of all
in other rights and liberties. Is an offender want
Mt ing He stands before you, in MANY respeets
I'd the most eminent men in all the world-tbe
re President of the United States-the constitu.
IN tonal and chosen defender and protector of the
to people who have been subjected and enslayed. -
re Is there anything OF dignity authority want.
I'd ing to this tribunal Where elsewhere shall
r be found one more august than the Senate OF
d. the United States 1t is the ancient, constant
of and undoubted right and usage of Parliaments
as 1T is the chief purpose OF their being-to
b. question and complain of all persons, of what
is degree soever, found greyious to the Common.
al wealth, In abusing the power and trust commit
b ted to them by the People. Does this tribunal
t. need motive! We have that too, in pain fol
reality. These usurpations and expressions have
hitherto rested with the President of the United
al ates, and those whom he has abetted. If they
h shall be left unrcdressed, they will henceforti
" become, by adoption, our own.
erf The conviction of the offending President is
IL complete, and now he sinks out of view, His
u, punishment rests within the People of the Uni.
ie ted States, whose trust he has betrayed. His
es conviction was only incidental to the bushes,
which is the order of the day. The order o.
10 the day is the redress of the wrongs of Kansas
10 Mr. Seward said that the remedy he proposed
u for the evils existing in Kansas, was her imme.
re date admission into the Union He argued
is that there was nothing in the way of such a
Is course, He said that slavery could not be es.
Z tablished there even by the Federal guns. and
i granting that 1t could be, the liberties of the
people would be subverted, and no Republican
q Government ever has endured, with stand;no
armies maintained in its bosom 10 enforce sub.
l. misson to its laws
} Mr.. Seward concluded his remarks as follows
j Senators OF the free States appeal to Won
- Believe We the pronhatsf JLno " ~"