The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-03-08

ernment should be suspended and Kan
sas admitted into the Union as State,
are various. In the first place, it is not
a government of the People. The Ex-
Iecutive and Judicial officers are imposed
upon the people by distant power. and
the officers thus imposed are foreign to
our soil, and are accountable, not the
people, but to an Executive 1000 miles
distant. American citizens have for a
long time been accustomed to govern
themselves and to have voice in the
choice of their officers, but in Terri
torial government they not only have no
voice in choosing some of their officers,
but are deprived of a vote for the officer
who appoints them
Again Governments are instituted
for the good and protection of the gov
erned, but the Territorial government OF
Kansas has been, and still is, an instru-
ment of oppression and tyranny un-
equalled in the history of our Republic.
The only officers that attempted 10 ad-
minister the laws impartially have been
removed, and persons substituted who
have aided in our subjugstion. Such
has been the conduct of the officers and
the people of neighboring State, either
intentionally or otherwise, that Kansas
to-day is without single law enacted by
the people of the Territory. Not man
in the country will attempt to deny that
every election had under the Territorial
government was carried by armed inva-
ders from an adjoining State, and for the
purpose of enacting laws in opposition
to the known wishes of the people.
| The Territorial government should be
Withdrawn because it is imperative. The
officers of the law permit all manner of
Outrages and crime to be perpetrated by
the invaders and their friends with i'm
punity, while the citizens proper are nat
urally law abiding and order-loving, dis
posed rather to suffer than do wrong
Several of the most aggravated murders
on record have been committed, but as
long as the murderers are on the side of
the oppressors no notice is taken of
| them. Not one of the whole number
has been brought to Justice, and not one
will be by the Territorial officers. While
the marauders are thus in open violation
of all law, nine-tenths of the people
scorn to recognize as law the enactments
of foreign body of men, and would
sooner lose their right arms than bring
an action in one of their misnamed
courts. Americans can suffer death,
but not dishonor, and sooner than the
people will consent to recognize the
edicts of lawless invaders as laws, their
blood will mingle with the waters of the
Kansas and this Union be rolled together
in civil strife.
Not only is the Territorial government
the instrument of oppression and subju-
cation of the people, but under it there
is no hope of relief. The organic act
permits the Legislature to prescribe the
qualification of voters, and the so-called
Legislature has provided that no man
shall vote in any election who will not
bow the knee to the dark image of Slave
~, and appointed officers for the term of
four years to see that this provision is
carried out Thus nine -tenths of the
citizens are disfranchised and debarred
from acting under the Territorial gov
ernment if they would.
Even if allowed to vote, the Chief Ex-
ecutive of the country says he has no
power to protect the ballot-box from in
vaders, and if the people organize to
protect themselves, his appointees init
mate that they must be disarmed and put
down; hence, whether allowed to vote
or not, there is no opportunity for the
people of the Territory to rule under the
present Territorial government. Indeed,
the laws are so made and construed that
the citizens of a neighboring State are
legal voters in Kansas, and of course no
United States force can be brought
against them. They are by law entitled
to invade us and control our elections.
According to the Organic Act the
people have right to elect a Legisla-
ture, and that Legislature has right to
make laws, establish courts, and do ev-
erything but choose their Executive and
Supreme Judicial officers. If they
have the right to do the one, they un-
doubtedly shonld have the right to do
the other. The principle OF Squatter
Sovereignty, upon which this act is said
to be based, knows no distinction be-
tween the power to legislate and the pow
er to adjudicate or execute Ifthe right
of one department of Government is in
herent in the people, so is the other. On
this subject there is high authority. Gen.
Cass, in the Senate, said: "The gov
ernment of the United States is one of
limited authority, vested with no powers
notexpressly granted or not necessary to
the proper execution of such as are. -
"There is no provision in the Con-
stitution granting any powers of legisla-
ton over the Territory or other property
of the United States, except such as re-
lates to its regulation and disposition.
Political jurisdiction is entirely with
held. nor is there any just implication
which can supply this defect of original
authority
L. ,-.-- &c T n - r