Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-03-26

70 hsccne inilsbisanss OF Kansas, and enlia in
| the Ryeot eateepsise ~ the force OF numbsrs by
| yotes 10 tleeidc ~ Il, The great question Was
III ID be expected thar the great prociamesion for
1.-The political tournament would be listened 10
Siah indifference and apathy Was il proposed
and presented in thai spirit. Did ]; relate 10
| subject on which the people we're cool or indif-
ferents A large part Of the people OF this coni,.
sry look on domestic slavery as only evil and
that continually alike to master and to slave,
and 10 the community, to be left alone TO the
| management or ENJOYMENT Of the people of the
States where il exists, ut not TO- be extended,
more especially il gives, or may give political
/ supremacy to a minority OF the people Of this
country in the United States Government. On
| the other hand, many Of the people of another
| part ofthe United States regard Slavery. If not
Ia the abstract blessing at least as now exist
| ing, condition Of society best for both white
| and black, while they exist together. while 9th.
ers regard il as no evil but as the highest state
| of social condition. These consider tina: they
cannot, with safety to their interests, permit pc
| iiical ascendency to be largely in the hands Of
| those unfriendly to this peculiar Institution
From these conflicting views long and violent
| has been the controversy, and experience seems
| TO show it interminable.
VAIN HoPE.
Many and probably q large majority of this
nation, lovers Of quiet, entertained the hope
| that, after 1880 the so called Compromise Meas
ure, even though not satisfactory to the Free
| States would be kept by their supporters, and
made by them what they were protested to be,
inality on the subject of the extent and limita-
tons of slave territory, more especially after the
assurances contained in the Inaugural Address
of President Pierce. This hope was fortified
with the consideration that, at that time, Con-
Il Id La,
| the conditions of freedom or slavery for all the
territory of the United States. These hopes have
| been disappointed, and from this very provision
| for repose bas been extracted principle for dis
| turbing the condition OF things on which its
| foundation of inaity report, that is the perma
nence and continuance of the then existing con-
diton of legal provisions.
THE COMPROMISE OF 1850 UNSETTLED By THE KAN
SAs ACT.
The establishment of the Territorial Govern
ments for Utah and New Mexico, without pro-
hibition Of slav.ry, was sustained by many on
! the ground that no such provision was required
for its exclusion, as the condition of the country
and its laws was sufficient barrier, and there
| fore sustained them, because it would complete
The series, and furnish the provisions as to slave
nv in all our Territories and make an end o: con-
| lroversy on that subject. Yet in 1854 it wasin-
|
Of 1885, and it is actually asserted in the law es
tablishing the Territorial Government ofKansas,
| that the then laws for New Mexico and the Com
promise measures then adopted, contain a prin-
ciple utterly at war with their great and profess
sed object of finalty, and that instead of cosn-
| petng and ending the provisions of Congressfon-
al action for the Territories to slavery, it real
y declared principle which unsettled all those
where slavery had been prohibited, and render
ed it proper, and only proper, to declare such
prohibition "inoperdtise and roid." The spirit
ind feeling which thus perverted these Compro-
| mise laws and made them the direct instrument
| of renewed disturbance, could not be expected
| then to leave the result to the decision of the
| people OF Kansas, with inactivity and indiffer-
eness The slaveholding States in 1920 secured
the admission OF N ssouri as saveholding State,
and all the region south of SO deg 80 min. to the
same purpose, by enjoining and enacting that all
north OF that line should be forerer free, and by
this they obtained only sufficient number of
votes from the free States, as counted with their
own, to adopt it. In 1850 they agreed that if
New Mexico and Utah were made Territories
without prohibition of slavery, it would, with
the laws already made for the rest of our terri
cry, settle forever the whole subject. This
proposition for such termination also secured
votes from the free States, enough from the slave
holding States, to adopt it. In 1854, in utter
disregard oftheir repeated contracts, both those
compromises were disregarded, and all their pro-
visions for freedom declared imperative and
void by this vote of the slaveholding States,
with very few honorable exceptions, and
minority of the votes of the free States. After
this extraordinary and inexcusable proceeding,
it was not to be expected that the people of the
saveholding States would take any active meas
ures to secure favorable result, by votes in the
Territory OF Kansas. Neither could it be ex-
pected that the people of the free States, who
regarded the act of 1854 as double breach Of
faith, would sit down and make no effort, by le-
gal means, to correct it. 1t has been said that
the repeal of the provisions of the Missouri Com
promise, and the breach of the Compromise of
1850, should not be regarded as measures of
the slaveholding States, because it was present
ed by Senator from free State. The action
or votes of ono or more individual men, cannot
give character to or be regarded as fixing
measure on their section or party. The only
true or honest mode OF determining whether any
measure is that of any section or party, is to as
certain whether the majority of that section or
party voted for it. Now large majority, in
deed the whole, with few exceptions of
The Representatives from the slaveholding States,
voted for that repeal. On the other hand ma
ority of the Representatives from the free States
voted againstit. This subject Of slavery in th.e
Territories, which has VIOLENTLY agitated the
country for many years, and which has been at
tempted to be settled twice by Compromise !, as
before stated does not remain settled. The MIS-
souri, Compromise and the supposed fnality by
the act OF 1850, are scattered and displac ed by
the vote of the siavehoiling States; and it is not
to be disguised that this uncaed for and disturbing
measure has produced spirit of res eminent,
from feeling of its injustice, which, while the
cause continues, will be difficult to allay. The
subject, which Congress has been unable to set
tie in any such way as the slave States will sus-
tain, is now turned over to those who have or
shall become inhabitants of Kansas to. arrange.
and all men are invited to participate in the ex-
perrin ent, regardless Of their character, political
or religious views, or place of nativity.
s- 4 QUESTION OF RIGHT AND OF DUTY. U.s..
Now what is the right and the duty of the
people of this country in relation to this matters
Is it not right in all who believe in me blessing
of slaveholding, and regard it as u % hest cond
ton of society either to 60 to Kansas as inhab-
tants aud by their votes to help settle this good
conditio of that territory. or il ,hey cannot 50
go to and settle, Is it not 'her duty, by all lawful
means in their power r., promote this object bv
indnchg others hke-r minded to go? This right
becomes duty 10 al. who follow their convictions
All VINO regard an establishment OF slavery in
Kansas as best Tor that Territory, or as neces-
sarv 10 their own safety, by the political weight
It gives IN the National Government, should use
all law full means to secure that result and clear
~ The inducing men to go there to become per-
.nanent inhabitants and voters, and to vote, as
often as the elections occur, in favor of the es-
tablshment of slavery, and thus control the cleo
tons and preserve it slave State forever, is neir
thcr unlawful nor censurable. 1t is, and would
be, highly praiseworthy and commendable, be-
cause it is using lawful means to carry forward
honest convictions Of public good. All lawfully
associated effort TO that end is equally commend
able. Nor will the applicat on of opprobrious
epithets, and calling this propdgandam, change
its moral or legal character from whatever quar-
ter source, official otherwise, such epithets
may come. Neither should they deter any man
from peceably performing his duty, by follow
ing his honest convictions. On the other hand,
all those who have seen and realized the bless
ngs of universal liberty, and believe that it can
be only secured and promoted by the prohibition
of domestic slavery, and that the elevation of
honest industry can never succeed where servi-
tde makes labor degrading, should, as in duty
bound put for h all reasonable exertions to adj
vance this great object by lawful means, when