The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-03-13

sion the part of the North It will furnish
dence that one Southern State resolved to concede
further.
"fhe Governor recommends, FIRST, that the Legislature
shall provide for the call of Convention the hap
gencys III Federal shall refuse Kansas
or any other Territory presenting itself for admission into
Constitution similar if not IDENTICAL with that of Geor-
ga that then Georgia in Convention will take steps 10
connection with The Union. II. hoJtever Georgia shows
determination, fixed purpose carry out the recon-
arise.
"Iexpect TO be citizen Of Kansas and if Kansas pre-
sens herself gmaely having all the qualifications for
State, and is rejected because her Constitution recog
nises and protects Slavery then as citizen OF kansas
viii contend that Kansas sovereign and indie
| pendent, out OF the Union.n
| In the same letter he says:
SKansas and Missouri have the latitude climate
and soil, and should have the same institutions" &c.
will not read further from this letter, because
wish simply to place the facts before the Senate
as they are, and | have read enough for that pur-
pose. | have read what Mr.. Atchison says.
| Well sir, it is fact, believe not denied-at
least the President of the United States, in the
message from which / shall read presently, does
not deny it-that wrongs have been committed
| in Kansas. Before coming to that point, how
ever, wish to read an extract from speech
made by Governor Reeder, at Easton, Pennsyl-
vania, published in the Washington Union on the
9th of May last. He was then Governor of Kan
Il
! as Governor to Kansas
"Itwas indeed too that Kansas had been invaded,
conquered subugated by armed forces from beyond her
borders led on by fanaicnl spirit ramping under
the principles OF the Kansas bill and the right Of suf-
sage."
Then the President knew that the individual
whom he sent there to sustain the laws and main
tain the authority of the United States, came
home and told him, and told the country that
Kansas was a conquered country; that his au-
cd hat sha had iuva cd
and overrun.
That fact came to the knowledge Of the Pres-
dent; but the Senator from Connecticut, speaking
for the President, says that he has omitted no
duty, because there state Of facts which
would authorize his interference. do not know
that there was; for do not exactly know what
is necessary in order to justify an interference
the part of the President of the United States.
But here was a case where the right Of suffrage
was manifestly invaded-where the citizens Of
Territory were prevented from exercising their
legitimate control at the ballot-box in virtue Of
and in pursuance of, the provisions of the Con-
stitution. Their Territory was overrun and con-
quered; and yet it is said there was nothing
calling on the President to interfere.
Now sir, will call the attention of the Senate
and the country to a in which the President
did interfere. ! have before me the authentic
record of case lately argued before the Supreme
Court of the State of Massachusetts,, and amongst
the printed documents of that case was a tele-
graphic dispatch received from the President of
the United States which will read. There was
in due course of law an attempt made to return q
fugitive slave from the city of Boston to the city
of Alexandria, Virginia. The case was going
on, in due course of law, in the city Of Boston,
in the State of Massachusetts,, and the President
nterfered by Geographic dispatch to the Federal
officials in Boston: Incur any expense deemed
necessary by the marshal and yourself for city
military, otherwise, to insure the execution of
the law (Signed) FRANKLIN PIERCE" This was
directed to "B. F. Hallett, United States Attor-
ney." Well, sir, does the President of the United
States consider that the return of fugitive slave
is paramount to preserving to the people the free
exercise of the right of suffrage? Does the fact
that whole Territory was invaded, and every one
of its citizens prevented from exercising the egit-
innate right of suffrage at the polls, constitute no
case in which the President should interfere for
their protection? And yet, when there was a
slave TO be returned, the President of the United
States would not trust to the ordinary modes of
communication, but telegraphed to his officials
that the Treasury was wido open for them. "Put
your arms in up to the elbow; help yourselves
the Federal Treasury is at your service" They
did il pretty literally too, and believe they were
not satisfied until they had taken something over
$4,000 of the funds of the Federal Treasury to
send back one negro. Although the President
Treasury may be put at the mercy of the officials
of this Government in the city of Boston, yet
when the peaceable inhabitants of Territory are
invaded and conquered, and the ballot-box made
to give way to the cartridge-box, without any,
thing being done by him to prevent it, we are
told that the President has done all his duty and
is entitled to the commentator of the country;
and his friends here come forward-it seems to
me with some temerity, to say the least--and
rha1ta tha haiti Of tba &c
the country.
What followed the result of the invasion of
Kansas-this going over of Missourians as adj
mitted and as shown? A law was passed; and l
will read you that law, although it has been al
ready read twice:
"If any person print, write introduce into publish
circulate he brought into, printed written
published, or circulated shall knowingly aid assist
in bringing into printing, publishing circulating with
in the Territory, any book, paper, pamphlet magazine,
handful. circular, containing any statements arg
mens opinion, sentiment, doctrine, advice inuendo
calculated produce a disordey, dangerous or rebel
ous disafecon among the slaves of this Territory
induce such slaves to escape from the service of their
felony and be punished by Imprisonment al ma I'd labor
for term not less Than i've years.
but as much longer as the Judge sees fit. The |
honorable Senator from Tennessee TMr. JoNEs1 |
in commenting upon this law, finds little fault
with it. He thinks it is not quite severe enough |
but he says it ought to have been a penalty of
ucalh, anu tuat every one OHenulng against Its |
provisions ought to be hung on a very high gal |
lows-one as high as that old gallows on which |
Hannah was hung. But let us suppose the law
to remain as 1t is; and let suppose that court
was organized in the Territory of Kansas for the
trial of offenders against this law what would be
done with man who was found with docu-
ment in his pocket, reading in this way?
"Ths Southern people have no RIour-natura moral.
potical-to enforce slavery upon the new Territories
They have right there and slaves
they have to do in New Hampshire. THH sLAvEnoLp-
Frs HAVE NO MORE RIGHT rLANr SLAVERY UPON FREE
CAROLINA"
Do you not think that would amount to an
"inuendo," to say the least of it7 Who is the
author of that sentiment? The editor of the
Ne'o Hampshire Patriot. 1t is not one of his
post norton remains but was published as late as
the 2sth of December, 1S4S. That is the decla-
ration of the Ne,c Hampshire Patriot; and sup
pose all of us know the relation which that paper
sustains to the present Executive of the United
States. If any Senator does not he NAV find
that one of his first official acts, after he was
elected President, was to present to this editor a
gold-headed cane, in token of the verv high esti-
nation in which he held him, and the manner In
which he had discharged his duties Do you not
think man ought to take five years for that ?
Would 1t not come up to an inuendo or advice
or opiniOn?" That was in 1913. Now let me 90
back one year. Suppose a man should be tried
under this law, and this document were found in
his possession?
Resolved, That we declare it OUR SOLEMN CONVICTION
as the party have
Slavery nor tnrct,tatdry ssrcuds should hereafter
in any territory which may be acquired by annexed
TO the United States and that approve of
our delegation in Congress in favor Of the Wilmot
Proviso.r
What is that? One of the resolutions passed
at the Democratic State Convention of New
Hampshire, in October, ls47. 1t must have
been hard dose for them, for was one of