The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-08-28

his rival for Southern support, and came out
by his acknowledged organ, the Union, of this
city, and declared that no true Democrat would
hesitate to support it. 1t was proclaimed to
be measure of peace, necessary to restore
harmony to the country; and from high quar-
tiers it v As announced that its passage would
quiet all further agitation of the slave question.
They even pretended that the right of "popa-
lar sovereignty" included the right to enslsve
men and women; that elfgorernnsent"
properly understood, included the right to buy
and sell our fellow-men, and scourge them into
submission. With these arguments and pre-
fences, they combined sufficient force to pass
the bill. The morning after its approval, an
aged Senator from Michigan, statesman of
great experience, of grave and reverend char
acter, rose in the Senate Chamber, and with
great solemnity announced to that body and
to the country that all agitation upon the slave
question had come to an end, and thenceforth
radiant peace would gladden. the hearts of our
people.
Sir, the bloodshed, the devastation in Kan.
sas, the piratical outrages, the piracies on the
Missouri, now test the intelligence and csndor
they then declared, they were too ignorant to
Judge of the popular feeling; if they did not
believe their own declarations, they were too
dishonest to guide political party.
But no sooner was this prohibition repealed,
than, true to their purpose, they entered upon
the next step. The acting Vice President
went directly from the Senate Chamber to
the western counties of Missouri, called public
meetings, addressed them, urging the people
to use every effort to establish Slavery in Kan
| sas. He formed secret societies for that pur-
pose and commenced preparations for invading
the Territory with an armed force, for the pur-
| pose of carrying the elections.
We have no direct and positive evidence that
| the Senator from Illinois, and other leading
| members of the party, counselled, advised, and
| assisted, in getting up this armed invasion of
| Kansas. But we know that they were insti-
gated by leading members of that par y that
| their movements we're open to the public view
were published in our newspapers; that the
| entire force of near five thousand men, who
invaded Kansas in March, 1854, was composed
| of Democrats. We see the President and all
! the party now approving and supporting the
movement. And 1 think few men doubt that
it was fully understood by their leaders in this
| city, when the Vice President left the Senate
to enter upon work which be must have had
assurance would be maintained by his party.
| They now approve and sustain it, and the Pres
| ident has supported it with the army; and now
| the Senate demands that he shall be permitted
| to continue his support, or they threaten to
defeat the bill before us. Having involved
| themselves in this work of violence and revo-
luton, they demand that we, too, shall become
| involved in its guilt and disgrace, by appropr.
| ating funds to carry it on, and enable the Pres
ident to consummate the damning deed.
| call attention to the fact, that the entire
Democratic party are as much involved in the
armed invasion of Kansas, and the despotic
seizure of the ballotboxes there, and forcibly
depriving the people of their right of suffrage,
as they were in the repeal of the Missouri pro-
hibitiOn of Slavery. They are only different
| steps towards the attainment of one object.
The next step was, the assembling of the
fraudulent Legislature, and the enactment of a
code of slave laws, worse than that of Draco
Those laws could impose no moral or legal
obligation upon the people. The same num-
Der of individuals of Maryland might as we'll
assemble, and profess to pass laws to govern
the people of Ohio and their ensctments would
have the same moral force upon our citizens
as those enactments OF Missourians had upon
those of Kansas. Yet, these pretended laws
characterize the whole proceeding. By those
laws, the barbarous practice of wearing the ball
and chain, of Aogging men upon the bare back,
of hogging women, is attempted to he intro
duced into that Territory.
By those laws it is declared to be felony
punishable w. Wal. aeain, for a man to assist a
wbeing to regain his God-given right to
Liberty. 1t is further declared felony, punish
able with death, for a man to write, or publish,
or speak words of Freedom, which shall induce
Gods ensaved image to strike for Liberty.
By these enactments, the freedom of speech
and of the press is prohibited, and the Consti-
tuition of the United States is repudiated. Men
are prohibited from exercising the right Of
10
laws, which trample upon the Constitution
thereby binding themselves by an oath to vio-
late that charter of American Liberty which
we are sworn to support. These enactments
constitute the third step in the revolution which
commenced in this city BY the two Senatorial
conspiratoTs.
Here, sir, at this point, arises the great issue
of the hour. The Republicans meet the revolu
tionists at this first practical point. We hold
the invasion of Kansas, and conquest OF it's
people, to be treason. The election of a fraud
alent Legislature, most arrant despotism:
their laws, disgrace to the age in which we
liye--fraudplent, barbarous, and poid The
people of Kansas, having no voice in their en-
actment, ought not to recognise or obey them
that no considerations should induce obedience
to such tyranny. That for Americans to sub
NIT to such despotsm would disgrace the Amer
lean name, and bring reproach upon all Gov
ernments claiming to be free.
Here, sir, the Republicans take their position.
We wish the opposite party, and the whole coun.
try-aye, the civilized world-to understand that
We discard, hold in contempt, and wholly repu.
date, the invasion of Kansas, the usurpation of
its Government the Legislature elected by those
foreigners, together with all their enactments.
We cannot draw this line of demarcation he.
tween us and the advocates of Slavery too dis
t.nctly, too yividly. 1T has already been mark
ed with violence and bloodshed, both here and
on our Western border.
And now we are called on to make appropri. 4
atoms from our national treasury to enable the
President to use the army for the purpose of
enforcing obedience to these laws, which all
patriotic men detest. ! wish it known to the
country, that a portion of this body, if not o
majority, stand on these doctrines, and will
maintain them to the extent of our moral and
political power and if these fail, we will then
determine on our future course.
If we pass this bill without the proviso, and
make the appropriation in general terms, the |
President will be at liberty to employ the army
for the coming year in the same manner he has |
for the past year. Indeed, by passing the bill |
in that form, we shall tacitly approve tie action
of the President, and the purposes for which |
he has recently employed the army in Kansas.
BY the use and power of the army, be has taken |
from the people of that Territory their arms /, |
and when the citizens were thus left without the
means of defence, they have been set upon by |
rufians, by Missouri Democrats, friends of the |
President, and robbed of their property, their |
persons insulted, their dwellings, burned, and |
IN some instances individuals were murdered.
The second article in the auendmants Of our /
Federal Const'tnt::ccn declares that "the right
of the people 10 Keep and bear arms shall not se |