The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-06-19
AN APPEAL FROM A KANSAS MAN.
SHANNON, X. T., May %, Is!


To the Editor of the National Era:
Through the Era wish to say a few word
to the whole North, and especially to ever
man in the North in whose breast there is on,
particle of justice, or the love of Human Lib
| erty.
! DO you feel that the South is fast winding
the web of Slavery around this Territory? Ar,
| you alive to the fact that Kansas has been, ant
is now, if the voice of her own citizens could b,
heard, most decidedly in favor of Freedom
VIII you permit portion of your own territor,
to be wrested from you? Do you doubt whethe
Freedom or Slavery is in the ascendant il
Kansas? Let the report of the committee ap
pointed by your own Congress decide The
point. Believe not rumors suspend the iudg
ment until that committee shall have mad,
their report, and then believe and act, or Sla
verys dark belt of hell will certainly encircl,
this Territory.
| 1t is extremely difficult to believe that one
State will interfere with the rights of another
| and much more difficult for men, accustomed
to respect the rights Of Others to be persuaded
that men can be found, who will unite anG
march in numbers into new Territory, and
usurp its control. But this has been done, and
Kansas is now under control of this foreign
power. We should not feel unkind and mali
| cious towards the South. A people who car
habitually trample on all the rights and powers
of the black man, have not, and cannot have
that nice sense of justice and of human rights
that will cause them to be very scrupulous Of
the political rights of white men. Slavery con
fuses the mental and moral perceptions, and
hence its tendencies are anti-republican.
If the ProSlavery people were in the major
ity in Kansas, we would feel that it was per
fectly right for them to control us, and right for
us to submit to their law; but the case is a
different one. They know, and we know, aud
you will know when your committee report
that we are largely in the majority.
And yet we must bow-our rights are tram.
Piled on, our laws are made for us, and made
to gall and exterminate US. Our rulers are
appointed years in advance over us. Our
elective franchise is taken from US, unless we
will bow the knee to the MolOch of Slavery.
and do its vile bidding. Our leaders are seized
for the most trivial offences, and if they are
not mobbed or murdered, they are held under
arrests, or confined in prison. Our houses are
demolished, our presses thrown into the river,
freedom of speech is no longer tolerated. Our
citizens are insultsd without cause, and shot
down without crime. The object is plain it
is done to intimidate and ertermiuate people
they cannot fairly meet at the polls.
Am / asked, why the majority do not con-
troll if they have the numbers? 1t has been
done wherever the Pro-Slavery party, unaided
by outside interference, have attempted to ex-
ecute their Missouri law.
The law till now has been dead letter Now
it is being enforced by the Administration. The
Federal agent, the representative Of the whole
United States, the officer Governor Shannon)
who represents you in Kansas, has called into
his service the Government troops at Fort
Leavenworth; and he has mustered into his
service those large companies Of men from the
South, who have volunteered their services to
act as his posse.
Thus, my friends are we crushed. Thus are
we compelled to submit to the minority power
to foreign yoke; and it is the power of the
General Government that is crushing Freedom
out in Kansas. This has been at the very time
when the leaders of the Administration were
tolling loud and long the hell of "Territorial
sovereignty" and crying "Great is Diana of the
Ephesians" The principle of Territorial SOW.
ereignty," so much Landed in Congress, if adopt
ed as "the needful rule and regulation in
Kansas, will result in Wrestling it from the
North, and place it in the hands of the South.
Among men willing and accustomed to respect
human rights, the principle may do; but in the
presence of large States, accustomed to trample
on human rights, it is mockery 1t is virtual
ly a permit to overrun our new Territories.
Let Congress adopt any "rule or regulation
but let them not trust the organization of our
Territories to principle so easily subverted
But am departing from the main object of
my letter. What is to be done9 VIII the
North give up Kansas, when their own people
are and have been in the majority Will thew
yield up their own people to insult and out