Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-03-27
DECLARATION OFPRINCIPLES
AND PURPOSES OF
THE REPUBLICAN, PARTY.
ADDRESS OF THE REPUBLICAN CON.
VENTION,
AT PITTSBURGH. February ~, 1856.
To the People of the United States

10 the People OF the United states
[coNcLuDED.]
THE INVASION OF KANSAS AND ACTION oE TIL
| GENERAL GOVERNMENT.
i Nor did the Shareholders interest stoI
here in it's crusade of injustice and wrong
The first election of members for thu
Territorial Legislature of Kansas was fixe'
for the 3O,h of March, 1856, and The Law
of Congress prescribed that at that election
none but "actual residents of the Territory
should be allowed to vote. Yet, to preven
people of the Territory themselves from
exercising the right to prohibit Slavery
which the act of Congress had conferred
upon them, the Slave holding interest sem
armed bands Of men from the neighboring
State of Missouri, who entered the Terrific.
ry on the day of election, took possession
of the polls, excluded the legal voters, and
proceeded themselves to elect members ol
the Legislature without the slightest regard
to the qualifications prescribed by law
/. The judges Of election appointed under au-
thority .of the Administration at Washington,
aided and abetted in the perpetration of the
outrages upon the rights Of the people Of
Kansas, and the President of the United
States removed from Office the Governor
whom he had himself appointed, but who
refused to acknowledge the Legislature
which the Slaveholding invaders from Mis-
souri, had thus imposed upon the Terri
tory.
That Legislature met on the I'd Of July,
1865. Its FIRST act was to exclude those
members, duly elected, who would not con-
sent to the enactment of laws for the ad.
mission Of Slavery into the Territory
Having thus silenced all opposition to its
behests, the Legislature proceeded to the
enactment of Jaw Cor the government OF
Kansas upon the subject OF Slavery. The
laws Of Missouri in regard to il were at
frat extended over the Territory. 1t was
then enacted, that every person who should
raise an insurrection or rebellion Of negroes
in the Territory; every person who should
entice away Slave with intent to procure
his free 1om; every person who should aid
or assist in so ehticing away Slave within
the Territory'-and every person who should
entice or carry away Slave from any other
State or Territory of the Union, and bring
him within the Territory of Kansas, with
the intent to effect or procure his freedom
upon the conviction thereof should suffer
DEATH. 1t was further enacted, that if any
person should write, print or publish any
book, paper, argument, opinion, advice or
inuendo, calculated to produce a dsorderly,
dangerous or rebellous dsafection among
the Slaves in the Territory, or to induce
them to escape from their masters, he should
be deemed guilty Of q FELONY, and be pun
ished by imprisonment at hard labor for a
term not less than FIVE YBARs!-and that il
any free person, by speaking or writing,
should assert or maintain that persons have
not the right to hold slaves in that Terri.
toryj or should introduce ory circulate any
book, paper, pamphlet or circular containing
any such denial of the right of persons to
hold slaves in that Territory,-he should be
deemed guilty of felony, and be punished
: by IMPRISONMENT at hart labor for a term
not less than TWO YEARS. 1t was still fur
ther enacted by the same Legislature that
every free white male citizen of the United
States, aud inhabitant of the Territory, who
should pay a tax Of one dollar and take al
oath to support the Constitution Of tn,
United States, and act organizing the Ter
titory OF Kansas, the Territorial laws, an,
the act for the recapturs Of fugitive slaves
, should be entitled to vote at any election il
said Territory thus making citizens o
Missouri, or of any other State, legal voter
in Kansas, upon their presentation at tn
polls, upon taking the oaths prescribed, AM
, upon payment Of one dollar-in direct vic
f laton of the spirit of the act of Congress
/ and in open disregard Of the rights OF the
people Of the Territory. And having mad
4 these eaactments for the establishment @
Slavery, the Legislature appointed Sheriff.
: Judges and other officers of the Territor
@ .or their enforcenent,-thus depr.ving tn
g people of all power over the enactmen
A Of their own laws, and the choice of officer
!, for ;heir execution.
A That :hese despo acts, even ii they ha
been passed BY Legislature duly elected b
% the people Of The Territory, would have bee
ir null and void, inasmuch as they are painl
!, in violation OF the Federal Constitution,
too clear for argument. Congress itself
~ expressly forbidden by the Constitution {
q the United States, to make any Law
ts abridging the freedom of speech and OF tn
press; ard il is absurd to suppose that
4, Territorial Legislature, deriving all i
!. power from Congress, should not be subje
). ID the same restrictions. But these Ia"
:. were not enacted by ,he people of Kansa
4. They were imposed upon them by an arms
:, force. Yet the President of the Unir
" States, in special message sent 10 Co
Il --... an tha QAth af Ionuarv lak6 dacisr