Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1856-06-17

nce futile for this State to complain Of Free
lom on the side Of Kansas, when Freedom ex- Ii
lists without complaint on the side Of Iowa and
llso on the side Of Illinois; but it has been done
ior the sake Of political power, in order 70
bring two new slaveholding senators upon this
floor, and thus to fortify ii the National Gov
desperate chances Of q. waning Oil
garchy. As the ship, voyagng on pleasant Ium-
mer seas, Is assailed by pirate crew ,and roh-
bed for the sake Of its doubloons aud dollars
so is this beautiful Territory now assailed in its
peace and prosperity, and robbed, in order to
wrest its political power to the side OF Slavery.
Even now the black flag of the land of pirates |
from Missouri waves at the mast head; IN their |
laws you hear the pirate yell, and see the fash
Of the pirate knife; while, incredible to relatel |
the President. gathering the Slave Power at his
back, testiies pirate sympathy.
Sir, all this was done in the name of Popular |
Sovereignty. And this is the close of the trag- !
edy. Popular Sovereignty, which, when truly
understood, is fountain of just power, has
ended in Popular Slavery; not merely in the sub
lection OF the unhappy African race, but of this
proud Caucasian blood, which YOU boast. The
profession with which it began, Of ALL by THE
PEOPLE, has been lost in the wretched reality Of
NOTHING FOR THE PEOPLE. Popular Sovereignty,
in whose deceitful name plighted faith was bro
ken, and an ancient Landmark of Freedom was
overturned, now lifts itself before US, like Sin,
in the terrible picture of Milton, .
.'That seemed woman to the waist, and fair,
But ended foul ia many scaly fold
Voluminous and vast, serpent armed
2 With mortal sting; about her middle round
A crycf helLhounds never ceasing barke1
With wide Cerberean mouths full loud, and \
Rung hideous peal; yet, when they list,
Would creep, if aught disturbed their noise,
Into her womb, and kennel there, vet there
Still bafked and howled within, unseen
The image is complete at all points; and, with
this exposure, take my leave Of the Crime
against Kansas. X
II. Emerging from all the blackness Of this
Crime, in'which we seem to have been lost, as
in savage wood, and turning our backs upon
it, as upon desolation and death, from which,
while Others have suffered, we have escaped,
come now to TIE APOLOGIES which the Crime
has found. Sir, well may you start at the sug-
J gestio that such series Of wrongs, so clearly
proved by various testimony, So openly confessed
4 by The wrong doers, and so widely recog-
nized throughout the country, should find
/ Apologies. The massacre Of st. Bartholomew,
which you now instinctively condemn, was, at
the time, applauded in high quarters, and even
commemorated by Papal medal, which may
still be procured at Rome; as the Crime against
Kansas, which is hardly less conspicuous in
dreadful eminence, has been shielded on this
floor by extenuating worjs, and even by Pfesi
dental message, which, like the Papal medal,
can never be forgotten in considering the mad
ness and perversity of men.
Sir, the Crime cannot be denied. The Presi-
dent himself has admitted 'illegal and reprehen-
sible" conduct. To such conclusion he was com
PEELED BY irresistible evidence; but what he mild
ly describes, openly arraisn. Senators may
ahect TO put 1t aside by sneer; or to reason 4
away by figures; or to explain 1t by theory, sucf
as desperate invention has produced on this floor
that the Assassins an Thugs Of Missouri wer'
IN reality citizens of Kansas; but all t5ese efforts
+ so far as made, are only tokens OF the weakness
OF the cause, while to the original Crime the!
add another ofense of false testimony agains
innocent and suffering men. But the Apologize
for the Crime are worse than the efforts at denial
In cruelty and heartlessness they identify thei
I authors with the great transgression.
They are four in number, and four fold in char
, acter. The first is the Apology TYRANNIcAL
the second, the Apology IMBEcILE; the third, tn
Apology ABSURD; and the fourth, the Apolog
INFAMOUS. This is all. Tyranny, imbecilty
absurdity, and infamy, all unite to dance, lik
the weird sisters, about this Crime: M
mistaken act of Governor Reeder, in authenti
. eating the Usurping Legislature, by which 1t !
, asserted that, whatever may have been the actua
force or fraud in its election, the people OF Kan
: sas are effectnally concluded, and the whole pre-
ceeding is placed under the formal sanction {
= tia-,s Avyorulng to this assumption, complain
is now IN vain, and i only remains that Congres
! should sit and hearken to it, without corrtctin
g the wrong, as the ancient tyfant listened an
ID tad IN baf
J, from the heated brazen bull that subtle cruelt
i had devised. This | call the Apology Of tecni
o cality, inspired by tyranny.
: The IacIs on this head are lew and plar
2 Governor Reeder, afsr allowing only iv
days for objections 10 The reiurns--a spac
J, Of Time unreasonably brief in ,ha, ex,ensiv
: Terr,ory-declared majority OF the mem
u hers Of The Council and Of The House {
J J Representatives "duly eleced;" Withheld
n certificates from certain others, because {
J. satisfactory proof that they We're no. dul
}, elected, and appointed a day for new elec
{ lions TO supply these vacancies. Alierward,
I by formal message, he recognized the Leg
! slaiure as legal body, and when he veioe
e their act Of adjournmen, .olks neghborhoo
e Of Missouri, he did u simply on The groun
= Of The Illegally Of such an adjournmer
! under The organic law. Nov, to every a,
Z sumption founded on these facts, there nj
e Two satisfactory replies; first, tina, no cerl
q icale Of the Governor can do more ,ha
J, authenticate q subsisting legal act, w,hol
: Of itself inIusing legOlily where the esseuc
IT OF legality is moi already; and secondly, hi
violence or fraud, wherever disclosed. vii
J, ats completely esery proceeding. In de
Z nying these principles, you plac, ihe cert
. icule above The thing certified, and give
/ perpetual lease TO violence and fraud, mer,
is ly because a. an ephemeral moment the
u were unqueslioned. THIS will moi do.
= Sir, am no apologis, for Gpvernt
d Reeder. There is sad reason 10 believe lh
he wen, 10 Kansas originally as a TOOL {
}. The President; but bis simple nature. nurlu
Z ed in the atmosphere Of Pennsy sylvania. n
= volIed al The service required, and he ,urne
Il from his patron 10 duty. Greviously did /
+ err in yielding to The Legislature any ac.
= ap,henlicalion; 'bul he has in some measul
!, answered for This error by determined effor
= since 10 expose the u,isr illeeality OF ,h
q bady, which he now repudiales entirely.
}, was said Of cenRiD Roman Emperors, VIII
!, did infinite mischief In their beginnings. an
. infinite good towards their ends, that the
! = should never have been born, or never diet