The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-03-01
DEFENSE OF KANSAS.
BY HEN WARD BEECHEI.

4 battle is to he fought II We are wise. it
will be bloojless. II we listen T., the ra>i.-
luminous cOun>clS of men VIII, have u.ver
shown one throh of sym:a,hy for ii'er'v we
shall have blood to the hor,p-' h,i.i:-s. II we
are irm and prounp, TO ob,io,. .'n,,, If VIC
stand 10y the men "t Kansas. and IKE them
all the help that they need. tie. ila,r o. war
will be qnenrhed ir.torc II tur>t> forth. and
both they of tn" West. aud We @! the East.
shall. alter some angry muiieriucs. rest dowu
IN peace. But il our ears are ,,ni>or.l hy
the advice Of mn who never ,ehuke vin-
lence on the side Of power and never fail to
inveigt against the .-l-dl,.t.nsc o. wrongri
liberty. We shall invite aggression and riyil
war. And let us know aS>ur,dlv that civil
war will no: burst forth IN Kansas without
spreading. Now. if bold wisdom ,r.va,.>.
the conflict will b" settled afar off in k.n>a-.
and without blows or blood Rn, ,ir,.i:t.
and indifference will bring down blows ti.~-...
which will not onl, echo in onr bon>r>. h,l,-
erwars!. but will, 10y and nv. Law the foun.,,-
fion for an armed struggle between the who.
North and South Shall we let the spark
kindle : or shall We quench il now? But,
that intelligent citizens NAV the better jndge.
iSt tuC IdCts VI fIiS case Ue reviewed.
AT the adoption of our constitution a .ys-
tenn OF slavery. thought to be then declining,
and that would be e'erted by the ris me,'icn-
filr OF the spirit OF liberty among the ,..,,,ie
and IN their institutions. received unax,,..'-
ed visor and growth from varion~ conrr.r-
cial and political reasons: and from btin. {.
mere Pecant hnmor in the hlond. il has well
nigh come 20 oe IN" blood itself oftiis cre 1t
government. So ths'. with an GU ward &. I'm
ot freedom, with laws and institution. hear
ing the ci>it aspect of .iiertv. the veins Of
this government are filled with black blood.
and the heart and every artery beat with the
fatal current of slavery.
In Isl? slavery demanded portion offree
territory. 1t was refused. The fierce hattie
that followed was no. fought out 10 the end AS
it should have been. The com. rcm,>e %, ls2o,
- like every compromise >in,r. and lik" all
compromises sin.e the world be"an b.. w-en
un>crupuOus Power. and timil Lihcr,v.-was
but device Of Knavrrv for taking trra;h -
The peace always promised for >u,h .niirr,--
ION is peace for repairing DAMAGES. for .ors-
ing arms. and for ARA, inc rev irtluenc..> aud
implements. Liberty was hrilr.d to Weld
noble province 10 fAe dc.a>:ations of Slavery
with the solemn guarantee, that no .la,er.
should ever touch the soil north of a oiveu
line; INIT, by the moral pledge of the whole
south expressed through legislative act, was
made inviolatr to freedom. II was a trcach-
erous compact. 1t vas hollow from the be-
ginning. While the TERRITORY concerned Law
far beyond the reach Of emigration, while it
was hunters wilderness i, was not ,nolc>ted
The mo'nent that the growth oc our country
brought our population to the borders Of this
territory. and Ii was soon 10 lie settled, Save
ry. without an appeal TO the people. without
the suspicion OF the coming up Of such gues-
ton in Congress, by comp He'a,. annulcd
this asreem+n for liberty and declared Kan
sas and Nebraska alike open TO all settlers.
and that their institutions >horll bt. .l,ierrir-
ed tor freedom or slavery by The VIII &C their
actual settlers.
: The feet Of freedom are nirnile. The feet
of slavery. shod with iron for crushing. move
slowly. \ thousand fire.. settlers will move
with all their utensils 20 a region before
hundred men with she torpid foot of slavery
can move or start
Liberty is so rich that II |. art TO fcr'hrnt-
Slavery Is but a single srifi>hne.s. and
Us not embarrassed by conflicting Interests
Liberty. breeding innumrra!,le industries aal
stirring within uen life and indctend..nre. is
full OF divisions and siritcs Slavery cannot
spit 1t is Thin. euant. compact. tenacious
In productive organizing force Liberty is
mighty; in roun'-iI> and conrert sic is weak
In creative FORE slavery is in,hecile. but in
ambition and in council unit and rffirient
1.-THE South were to attempt to COPE with
the North. on the field Of Kansas. by simple
emigration, by taking possession of the land
for Industry, they would be defeated before
they began. This was apparent. The Only
hope lay it, vioelnce. Violence was tried -
At the hiss OF an INSCRIPTIONS man. hor.lrs
of Wild and indolent fellows that hang al.nnr
the towns and cities of slave States. As cissn-
tic vermin, rushed into Kansas crushed the
free and actual settlers at the polls. AMI " ,
wholesale fraut: not even denied w d>cui, .,
reared up legislature whose Office 20
forge Law for the benefit nf slav.r 81, tsr
the extinction Of h.~-,v And "a Ih-v
performed their work
Consider this w'orr. q - s-s.n - 'i..-
North This was the ;--riory .,!,cn e. fr,..-
! Tom =, ne God WHO made L; nv the ,ns,'-