The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-07-16
Tho New Kansas Bill,
Nc. CoLLAMER's MINORITY REPORT
REASONS AGAINST THE BILL.

stitution. 1t is well understood that
the only topic Of difficulty there is the
subject of domestic Slavery. As there
is not the number of inhabitants there to
entitle them to n representative, accord
ing to our present apportionment, it is
entirely a matter of Congressional dis.
erection whether State shall be formed
at this Tina
If the state of circumstances there be
such as to furnish well founded expec-
tatiou that fair. just, and impartial ex-
preston of the opinions and wishes Of
the actual bona fGe inhabitants of the
Territory cannot now be obtained, then
this experiment should not be attempted
at this juncture of their affairs. A sue
cinct statement of recent events in rela-
ton to that Territory, its present unhap-
py and unsettled condition, aud the caus-
es which have produced it, will fully
show that no fair election of delegates,
no just expression Of opinion no true de-
cision, can at present be there obtained.
In 1854, when the bill establishing
the Territorial Governments Of Kansas
and Nebraska was passed, it was enacted
that they should, when admitted as q
State, be admitted "wth or without
Slavery, as their Constitution should
provide" This however, was not salts
factory to the slavohoding States, and
therefore that provision of the Missouri
Compromise which forbid Slavery for
ever north of &C. 80 north latitude,
that bill of repose for which the slave
holding State, had received and secured
forever their consideration, and which
bad been sanctioned By thirty years of
acquiescence. was repealed and the uovei
experiment was professedly instituted of
submitting the subject to the people who
should come into the Territory This
was done to admit Slavery into the Ter
ritory, which that Compromise forbid
This breach Of faith was effected by ma
king another plight of faith, that is, by
providing that the settlers of Kansas
hshould be perfectly free to form and
regulate their domestic Institutions in
their own say
Relying on this last national assurance
many people from Free States, as we'll
as from Slave States, settled in Kansas.
and how has that assurance been kept ?
Neither the Executive nor Congress has
redeemed that pligbted faith or executed
that law. l state, from information
which regard as entirely reliable, and
as facts which | believe capable OF the
most un1uestionable proof, which can at
any time be presented. that of the 6,33l
votes cast in March, 1865, for the cleo
ton Of the legislative Assembly of the
of Kansas, 1921 of them were cast by
armed bands of the Inhabitants of Mis-
souri,, who invaded Kansas for that pur-
pose on that occasion that only l4l0
legal votes we're cast aud a majority of
those were for the Frcc-Statc candidates,
though most of the Free State voters
were driven from the polls. This inva.
sion extended to all the Council Dis
tricts, and to all the Representative Dis
tricts but one, and elected and controlled
large m ojority of both Houses. The
people of the Territory have not been
left free, but have been invaded and sub
jugated, and they arc, and their institu-
tions have been, controlled by the peo-
pie of Missouri, through and by the ty.
rannic laws enacted by that Assembly,
and more tyrannically enforced by the
oficers by them appointed. These laws
so made by usurpation, the Executive of
this Government has aided to enforce
and in Congress no relicfhas been grant.
ed. The complaints and representation
of this usurpation and per7ersion Of the
organic act have been represented here
as complaints of piere irregularity.and
have been treated by the Senate with
apparent indifference and neglect, as M
measure even Of inquiry iutg their truth
has been instituted
The people of Kansas thus oppressed
and subjugaied, have complained and
struggled in vain. They have done as
they understood the people of other Ter
ritories had dono before them, that is
formed State Constitution, Inviting al
to participate therein, and presented The
same to Congress for admission. Al
such attempts have but brought down OF
them the reproach of being traitors and
subverters of authority.
Abandoned to their oppres.ors, The
fTee-State people Of Kansas have beer
pursued by them in the Same spirit
which made the invasion. The acts o
said Assembly have, by their officers
been made the color for all forms of pol
itical persecution and oppression Iu
eictmcnts for constructive treasons ant
pretended nuisances deprive them Of lib
erty and destroy their property Under
the form of Sheriff's posse, armed baud
Of people from without the Territor,
prowl over the Territory and take ant
destroy property and lives. and intimi
date aud drive off the Free.State people
These people have thus, for severa
months past been harrassed and scatter
ed, and any attempt at self.defence ha
been repressed by the Army of the Unit
ed States, or been declared conSt, nctia
treason, and treated accordingly. TIL
eettlers have thus in large numbers bee
driven from their settlements and iron
tho Territory. This is but brief an
feeble statement Of the facts. A full
pictuEe Of the public atrocities and pr
waite violence which have been Commits
with immunity upon the Free-State pee
pie of Kansas would excite and arous