The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-08-16

was nothing but an arlie c. ,',Sccrd. bone
Of contention. which would turn this wholo
region into a scene of discor.l, anarchy, con-
fusion and violence We thoasht this must
be its ultimate results. for We had seen that
in this body. STRAINED a. gentlemen are by
rrcl:rr sense of proprIcfv. and bv the rule:
Ut hcr"run ii At ,1-"rn debate. the subject
could not bc discussed with degree IF peace
securing any fair result. AMI at The SANS
time preserving. the honor AM. the dignity
OF this BODY Much lc>,. We tn .ught, could
it b. turned over with mpunitv tn such peO
pie As those there. 10 discuss and settle il.
These, succirctly stated. were sore Of orr
objections 10 the experiment wEirt has beer
entered upon. do not wish TO call any i'm
proper names. bat | must sav that we think
1t WAS great political mistake. l am yer;
mnrh inclined 70 ;L:nS that many will not
OILY s.y i was great mistake. hut wrong,
and great moral wrong. There are others
who 90 not ioin lis new. but who think it vas
grra bluni-r. which has been pronounced
to be. in politics. worse than crime. The
events whir! have trai.>pirvi since the r.-
perlnirn; was SCI on 70 If. mast have convinc-
ed people Of that fact. II IS no. to I've cx
p.cted. however, that Gentlemen here will
acknowi-d.r it and re,rsre their steps; but
vet there are men in the community who at
knowledS. all this. and. at the sar,.s time.
sav il ought no. to b- correcfed-if ought
not TO re rcdrr>>,.l though it was wrong
do no' understand the proPrie'v OF the eth
ir> which can sui!. ,I:,.n To sch a result. l
'annot see WHY wruns should not at cnre
be r-drcss+d.
Again. WHEN we are told 20 have ro more
discussion. no more agitation. IL looks 20 like
the policy of masterlv inactivity un:il won
ran Get rh ance to s,,af "a another triumph.
Such. Mr.. Pr.,il.nt. are briefly the oijpc-
tions w!ti,h have in mv own mind. and
which no douh, govern many other gentle.
men. in Undertaking to aii in rarrvin. Out
an experiment which We think vas Alsoseth-
er wrong in its inception, and in all its parts.
Ia the next place, W ,'ct to this. because
since the experimrn, has been attempted. il
has NOT been cunIucfed. We think. with the
fairness wh,h was promised. II was saif
tha, the people who should settle in tine Ter
ritorv should be left perfectly free to regu-
tate their domestic institutions in their Own
WAY" We do MOI believe that assurances
has been kept. They have not aan ;ih
free. lrillrncrs and powers have been
brought 10 bear on them. reducing them 10 .
condition OF things that renders the attempt
at a iair experiment utterly impossible. I
need not r-,ar:ulate a, much length these
msters. The fact is. that, instead Of
th. people of Kansas being left free TO form
their Institutions lii ;h.ir own way the prO-
pie oi a nei. .hbaring State have passed in up.
on them ia large numbers at their most i'm
: portan' cri>i>-whcn they were eerfing their
: Territorial L-c>latnrr Thrv passed IN to
the amount oi five ihouSand. and with force
and violence. with arms and intimidation,
took possession of the polls. and elected for
them prot-s>r,iiy Territorial LEGISLATURE
That Legislature. bv its laws, and by irs off,
GERS. ha< shaped the present condition of the
population.
Now, We think that assurance under which
1t was said this experiment should be tried
has not been redeemed; the public plishted
faith has not been kept; aud therefore tho
experiment should not 90 on under such uu.
fair preparation.
Again, sir: not merely have they been
thus ovrrawed. conquered. Snhu:nrd. suhiu-
gated. passed under the woke. but a great
deal of violence. which even those laws did
not call for and do not iu>fii,. has been in
point o! fat exercised over that people. I'm
der ti.r color of sheriff ;,p-s. in som tim 3
under the co!ur of pretended decisions Of
;helr courts. fhc property oi the people has
been DESTROYED, their buildings have been
burnt, their printing Ollie have been sup
pressed. the people have been hunted out,
they have been hung. they nave been
murdered. their cattle have been killed in
their presence. one after another has been
warned out until they would give assurance.
TO leave the Tertiary. They have been run
out OF the Territory tv this violence in great
nanhers. am utterly incapable Of drs ri
binc what the condition o. things there is from
the results Of these acts of ,io'-n-e. ! should
say that the very words "t Cur,an. a. applied
at on" period 10 Ireland. might he applied,
and with much more ruth. 10 this T.rrlforr
Tie asked, Where .hsil We look for the
wretched inhabitants Of the land 2" You
may find them ia jail. the on'y pare of se-
cnrlty. had almost >ii1 of ordinary habits-
tIon. Yes. sir. Won mav find them manacled
guarded ty United States >oili, ,rs a> pre-
tended traitors. lon ma, find them fleeing
from the midnight h,z O. their own dwell.
ings-frne. Iounay find their bones bleach
iny on the green fields of The r0un'rv-lifer-
ally true. lou NAV find them hunted of to
. a returnless distance from their country and
their home. Tha, is It's condition. truly its
condition, w,'hoat any figure. Of rhetoric
Mr.. President. in that state Of things, ask,
how we suppose Thai ,l.e discussion nee
es>ariv incident to settling The condition of
>. their Territory. w the forming of .-onStitu-
. tlon. and esI"ialiv on 'his acitating subject
, which divide them. can lie conducted there
now with fairnrss! Itakp ~. that an prr-
!, ton OF this kiud implies that the people shall
. have an oprnrtuniiy of discussing the main
|, subject of difliru!tv-thr point of difference
/, amongst them--and discuss it freely and can
: diiv. ask gentlemen. in all seriousness,
: in all ran1or. do YOU Relieve that. in the pres
!. ent condition Of that Territory anv su'h dis
I cussion can be INDUCED in-seriouslv, do
. gentlemen believe any such thing?
: Again. il implies that these people NAV
met. AZ Is the pracfire in all nur States, to
some extent. and rsrerisllv in some psrts of
the country. There. on all suhi.ris of pub
lir ronrernrnent the people meet tos-fh-r,
. anil the gentlemen who entertain different
vi"ws take the stump. ~ they sar. fiat il,
thev mount the rnsfrnm dsruss the subject
/ before the peop'e. and the people disrn.s il
Themselves Does not that necessarily i'm
plv condition Of s".ietv which, We all know.
does not exist in Kansas?
: Again. sir. it is implied. 7 take il. in the
rondnctinc Of All ,i.cf.on IN relation ~ a mat.
:er of public concern. that the people ehalT