The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1856-02-16
81 4
Special Nessage of GOV. Chase.

eral assembly communication from certainI
gentlemen holding official positions in Kan
sas. The urgency of the appeal, made by
the communication herewith transmitted,
induces me to lay it before the general as
sembly without delay. 1t is authenticated
by the signatures of James H. Lane, chair
man OF the executive committee of Kansas
territory, Of Charles Robinson, the governor,
and George w. Deitzler, the secretary, elect
ed by the people under the recently adopted
state constitution. 1t represents that an
overwhelming force of citizens of Missouri
is organizing upon the borders of Kansas,
with the avowed purpose of invading the
territory, demolishing its towns, and butch
ering its free state citizens. ltappeals for
prompt assistance in terms which cannot
fail to command your most earnest attention.
The object of the contemplated invasion
of Kansas is to compel its inhabitants to-
submit to the establishment of slavery. The
progress of slaveholding aggression is very
remarkable .,t. -.a7 -.n
In 1920 the slave power insisted on the
admission of Missouri as a slave state, and
effected its purpose by engrafting on the bill
tor its admission a perpetual prohibition Of
slavery in all the remainder of the territory
acquired from France. north Of the south
line of Missouri, extending westward to our
frontier F
In 1854, the slave power demanded the re-
peal of the prohibition Of 1920, and effected
its object by engrafting on the Nebraska
Kansas bill which provided for the repeal,
an express declaration that the people of the
territory should be left "perfectly free to
form and regulate their own domestic insti-
tutions, subject only to the provisions of the
constitution of the United States'
Ir, 1O5e tba Cl vo ia ST hot, ,,,,Jnr
this declaration the people of the territory
have no power at all to exclude slavery, un-
til, under an enabling act of congress, they
proceed to form state constitution, prepa-
ratory to admission into the Union. .
That this pretension would be advanced
was foraseen and predicted, when the Ne
braska Kansas bill was under discussion and
it was, indeed, indirectly sanctioned by the
refusal of its supporters to adopt an amend
ment to the bill, expressly recognizing the
right of the people to exclude slavery
Whatever construction, however, may
have been intended by the slaveholding sup
porters Of the bill. and whatever countenance
10 that construction may be afforded by the
phraseology of the act itself, it is certain
that, throughout the free states, the convic-
tion is nearly universal, that the people of
Kansas, deprived Of the protection Of the
prohibition Of 1920 have, and ought to have,
complete right and full power to protect
themselves against the evils of slavery.
To prevent the people from exercising this
right and power, armed bands, from the
neighborng state Of Missouri, invaded the
territory at the time appointed for the first
election of members of the territorial legis-
lature, March 80, 1859 and, having taken
possession of the polls, and excluded the le-
galvoters, selected themselves the persons
who we're to constitute the legislature, with
oatregard to their place of residence, whe-
tler in Missouri or Kansas.
The acts of this spurious legislature were
worthy of its origin. Having excluded the
few free state members who held certificates
Of election, they proceeded to pronulgate
in the forms of law, a series of pretended
statutes which have no parallel in the an