Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-08-15
MR.. CoLLAMER's REPORT.
IN THE SENATE. AUGUST 1lrn

Territories, to whom was referred a bill from
the House Of Representatives entitled " An
Act to Reorgani1o tho Territory Of Kansas,
and for other purposes, - submitted the fol
lowing Minority Report
In all Legislation, the true actual condition
Of the country to which it is to apply should
be and must be regarded, in order to ascertain
what will be- the probable effect Of such
legislation What is the present condition
Of kaneas for which legislation IL now pro
posed , and what is the legislation adapted to
that condition If its condition is peaceful
and prosperous, let it proceed under the law
winch has produced and is advancing such
prosperity. II, on the other hand, it is con
yulscd with violence, confusion and blood,
then it must be equally clear that legislation
should change and correct the measures and
causes which have produced this condition.
y bricf and summary statement Of affairs
Will be amply sufficient for the present pur-
pose. Tho Territory on the 3Oth March,
1853, the day for the election Of the Terri
torial Legislature, was invaded by armed
bands Of men from Missouri, who dispersed
themselves into the different election districts,
and by violence and intimidation drove the
Inhabitants from the polls, and by their own
votes elected members Of the Legislature in
all the election districts but one. This
Legislature, SO elected, by force and fraud,
by tho people Of Missouri, convened aud
presumed to logislatc for tho Territory Of
Kansas, and to appoint officers to execute
their laws. The object Of this atrocious
invasion and assumption was open, ayowcd,
and we'll known to all-that is, to establish
and sustain the institution Of Domestic
Slavery in that Territory, thus acknowledging
that. il lett to themselves, tho inhabitants
would not receive and promote it. The laws
adopted Ivy tins usurpiug Legislature were
framed in all their aspects to secure the
same purpose for what it had been intended
to Cypress, harass and exclude all those
opposed to Slavery then in said Territory, to
procure their departure, and to deter all
others, entertaining such views, from entering
the Territory for settlement. Guder the color
of tho lave thus made, "A the HHiirs # the
Territory and people under their couutenaucc
and direction have Performed aCtr OF violence
aud atrocity shocking to every sentiment Of
%iustlro and purity. The Executive If the
nation declares that those laws shall be
enforced with the whole power ol the Govern
mcut, and tho people are informed by the
commander OF the army there, that he cannot
protect them, even from the lawle5s acts of
the Territorial militia and the Marshal's and
sheriff posse, because they act under the
tDllI Il Jaw NJ lut NHllt lllllf IL Is lllSl1l''I
that if they attempt to protect themselves, it
must be treated as a resistance to lawful
authority. \ large part of the people there
Justly regard the acts Of that usurping
Legislature as utterly void, and they framed
a State Constitution to present TO Congress
for admission as a state, which was adopted
by votes OF a large majority of the inhabitants
Of said Territory, and measures were taken
to organize a Provisional Government under
the same, subject to the action Of Congress
thereon. Congress having yet taken no definite
action, when the people again attempted to
hold n meeting peacefully and u%narmed, fur
Their to forward that object, they were t)rCl-
bly, dispersed by the United States Dragons.
The mon who were most active in this mat
ter Of the State Constitution have been arrest
ed and indicted, and are now held in du.
rance as guilty Of treason, or constructive
treason, and guarded by | nitcd States sol.
dicrs, under the command Of the President
Of the United States. These proceeding
have naturally led to some violent acts Of re-
distance and retaliation, and bad men from
distance have gathered there to take advAn
ta-e of these scenes Of violence, to gratif'
their lawlessuess and c%upidity those laws
and the acts done under color Of then
have in q great measure had their dcsiguc.
fleet and driven large numbers of tn
. . I've 'AAN' dli tAlltl lIhttl'l' I''tIlf llll
the territory. The people Of Missouri, an
other- uniting ia their purposes have lorcI
bly, turned back large PARTIES of eulgraut
from the rec states attempting to enter int
the Territory by the national highway, tn.
Missouri River and large number in armc,
bodies are now gathered along tho borders o
the Territory to guard it against the acces
OF said cuiErantS by land. This condItio
ct that country, so anomalous and uuPrcce
denied, sp inconsistent with this cnlIshtcr
ed age, - injurious to the character Of tn
Government of this country under who's
jurisdiction it exists, and So dangerous in it
coutiguuuco aud tendencies, lead us to en-
guIro what cause has produced it. No
thing of this Kind has ever before cSistc,
in relation to our Territories. The cause j
perfectly obvious to every man IN our country
1t Is the novel attempt and experiment to IN
yite people to settle that country under {
proclamation to them, that they should have
it for Free or for Slave labor, as they shoul,
themselves determine, In order to enter upol
the experiment, Congress, in 1854, vacate'
the Missouri Compromise, which sequestere(
all the country north Of SO deg 80 min t.
be free from Slavery forever, They destroyed
that statute of compromise and repJse, which
was the bond OF peace for more than one thirc
OF a century. They broke up that condition
of quietness on the subject of slavery in tn
Territories. Congress IN the Nebraska Kan
sas blil not only provided that when admit
ted as states, they should be admitted as Ere
" Slave states, as they should desire, as har
been done in New Mexico, but they proceede
to repeal the Missouri Compromise, a com
promise line that prohibited Slavery and de
clared that the people should be perfect,
free to form and regulate their domesti
institutions IN their own way, This was tn
cause OF all the trouble which transpired there
The INVASION from Missouri, and all the VIC
lenco and outrages done under color of tn
laws, SO produced as before stated (; ar
hut efforts t. establish Slavery as
domestic institution perfectly free an
IN their own way. palliatlon or ex
cuse for this violence and lawlessnest
Is much urged by the President, an.
IN the south, by heapins uuiounded exc
c%ratlouS ON the Massachusetts LmIgrdut Al
Society but southern emiErauts, actual
hired hy slayeholdlnG associations, find n
difficulty IN entering the Territory, and IT
employed as Marslals posse, under pay
How little of ground existed for the excuse
OF Missouri violence in the efforts of tn,
O. Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Society no,
most fully appears, when it has been show
by the official census Of the Territory, take
the month before the invasion, that OF all tn
e.. adult lrecmen then in the Territory, amount
p luC t. near % 900, only 100 were from til
, New England States. The condition of III
Territory is well calculated to convince ever
y impartial and candid man that 1t is cutirel
preposterous to submit any matter ancctiu
the SUBJECT OF Slavery to any vote to be take
i 10y the people now in the Territory. Tn
Free State people have to a large extent bee
driven of They for s1me months have beer
and they now are, prevented from enteriu