The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-09-18

ritory of Kansas copy of "Jefferson's Notes on
| Virginia., which contains eloquent and free
spoken condemnation of Slavery, could be con-
victed by of Sheriff Jones's" juries as
| having introduced book containing &" sem
timent" calculated" to make the slaves 4" dis
orderly" and sentenced to FIVE years hard labor.
On page 325, section II, of this same law,
there is singular provision:
II the plaintiff he negro or nauLaao he is required 10
prove his right to freedom"
On page 2s2 is the following:
SEC. H. Every free white male citizen of the United
States and every free male Indian who is made a citizen
years who shall e an inGa5ant of this Territory and
OF the county district in which he offers and
shall have paid Territorial tax shall be qualified
elector for all elective Offices And all Indians who
inhabitants of this Territory and who may have adopted
the customs of the white man. and who liable pay
taxes shall he deemed cuzens: Propided That sol
der seaman marine, in the regular army navy
the United States, shall be entitled to by OF
being on service therein And prorided further, That
person who shall have been convicted of any violation
OF any provision of act of Congress- entitled An
respecting fugnves from Justice and persons escaping
from the service of their approved February ~
l793 or OF an act TO amend and supplementary said
act, approved 18th September 1e5O-whether such con-
vicuon by criminal proceeding by civil action,
said acts in any The United States or of any
State Territory of any offence deemed infamous-shal
be entitled 10 vote at election, hold any Office in
this Territory: And PrOrded further That if person
offering vote shall be challenged and required 10
oath affirmation, be administered by one of the
judges OF the election that he will sSai, the provisions
of the aboverecited of Congress- and ofhe
lied An net 10 organize the Territories of Nebraska and
Kansas approved May 80 1854 and shall refuse
such oath affirmation, the vote OF such shall be
| rejected"
Merely being an "inhabitant," if the person is
in favor of the Nebraska bill and of the Fugitive
| Slave Law, qualities him as a voter in all the
elections of the Territory affecting National or
| Territorial politics. The widest possible door is
opened for the invaders to come over and carry
each successive election as inhabitants" for
the time being of the Territory. But, turn to
page $50, and notice the following provision,
| (section 81 defining the qualifications of voters
at the petty corporation elections of Lecompton :
"All free white male citizens who have arrived to the
full OF twenyone years. and who shall be entitled 10
vote for Territorial officers and who shall have rssided
within the city limits al least SIR nonhs preceding
election, and, moreover who shall have paid city
tax or any city license according 10 ordinance shall be
eligible to vote at ward city election for officers
| of the city"
Being an inhabitant day clothes person
with the right to vote for Delegates in Congress
and Representatives in the Legislature but to
vote at an insignificant election, in comparison,
six months residence is required Am wrong
in judging that this nverting the usual rule
shows that Missourians wanted at the one
election but not at the other? If any one deems
this opinion unjust, let him study the following
sections of the General Election Law, page 1888:
"SEc 10. Whenever any person shalt offer vote, he
shall BE PRESUMED 10 be entitled 10 roe
"SFc 20 Whenever any person offers TO vote, his
voter, and the Judges OF the election may examine him
touching his right TO vote; and II so examined, xvi
DENcE TO CONTRADICT SHALL BE RECEIVED"
These provisions explain themselves without
comment
Section of the act furnishing offences against
slave property, (page 604,) enacts as follows:
"I any person shall assist encing, decoying,
or perSuadng, or carrying away or sending o of this
Territory any slave belonging 10 another with intent 10
to deprive the thereof Of the services OF such slave,
ne shall be adudged guilty OF grand larceny and on con,
vicon thereof shall Sntr dah or be imprisoned at hard
labor for not less than ten years"
Time will not permit me to go further into
| these Kansas laws, which Senator Clayton de-
clared to be an outrage upon q the rights of the
people and the civilization of the age in which
we live" while the Detroit Free Press, the organ
of General Glass;" declared:
But the President should pause long before treating
Unreasonable nsurrec the action of those nhahit-
ants OF Kansas who deny the binding authority of the
Missouri Kansas egisature for IN our humble opinion,
people that would not be inclined 10 rebel against the
acts of legislative body forced then, by fraud ard
violence, roud be unworthy The nar.so Amrican Uhere
usurpi and obnoxious Government that has
in Kansas
Bat, sir, Notwithstanding this appeal, the Pres
ident of the United States has declared, in his
special message to Congress, in his proclama-
ton, and in his orders to Governor Shannon
State and Secretary of War, that this code of
Territorial laws shall be enforced by the full
exercise of his power. He knows Of their pro-
visions. He knows these laws are in violation
of the organic law organizing the Territory,
which he signed. He knows they are in VIOLA
ton of the Constitution of the United States,
which he and we have sworn to support and
yet, on the eth of January last, in his special
message to Congress, he said:
soar affords justification of revolutionary
of UNJUST administrations and laws, by II change public
agents and by repeal, ARE AMPLE"
Again In his speech, as reported in the Union,
of June 10th, made to the Buchanan ratification
meeting, who marched to the White House, he
coolly told them
There will ne, on your part no appeal to unworthy
passions lnfammaory calls for second revolution,
like those which occasionally reported coming
from men who have received nothing the hands of
their Government pote elton and political blessings,
no declaration of resistance to the laws of the land"
But, Mr.. Chairman, will not stop to allude
to the protection and political blessings" which
the people of Kansas have received from the
I" hands of their Government" Let the free citi-
zens, driven from Kansas, with the sound of ar
tilery ringing in their ears, and the light of their
burning habitations flashing upon their eyes, rs
they turned to look back to the homes where
they had been forced to leave their wives and
children at the mercy of worse than barbarian
foes, answer Let the innocent blood of Dow,
Barber, and Brown, and other murdered free
men, that has stained the soil of Kansas, rise up
and bear witness against these false charges of
the President of the United States
The Democratic Convention at Cincinnati de-
nounced "treason and armed resistance to these
laws" in marked and special manner. If there
was any doubt as to the object of this declara-
ton, the speech of the Senator from Illinois,
Mr.. DOUGLAS, at the ratification meeting in
this city, short time since, removes it. The
Washington Union of June 10th contained these
extracts of that Senator's speech:
"The platform equally explicit in reference to the
in relation the Territory Kansas. 1t de-
clarcd be punished, and resistance the
laws 10 be put down.
He rejoced that the Convention by unanimous VOTE
had approved of the creed that law and shall all
[Applause He reoiced that we had standatd-Dearer
mir Buchanan with so much wisdom and nerve as TO
enforce firm and undivided execution OF those Idtcs"
This, Mr.. Chairman, leaves no room to doubt
as to the course of policy to be pursued by the
Democratic party towards Kansas. / confess,
sir, that on the announcement of the nomination
of Mr.. Buchanan at Cincinnati, ! entertained
some hope that he would rise above the party
shackles of the day. and use his power and in
fiuence in restoring peace and order in Kansas.
But these hopes were of short duration. On
the 9th of June last, he made the following
speech at Wheatland, which copy entire from
leading Democratic paper, published at Lancaster
Pennsy lvania
Speech Of Mr.; buchanan.
LANCASTER, PA, J1ns 81 1856
sThe keystone Club of Philadelphia. accompanied by
Becks Brass Band arrived here Sunday, II O'clock
A. NJ, and this morning paid visit 10 the Hon James
Buchanan, Wheailand, accompanied by procession
citizens, the number of three hundred. Upon
their arrival al Wheatiand, VIM. b. Rankin, Esq. Pres
dent OF the club, introduced Mr.. Buchanan, and
said behalf Of the Keystone Club over which he
nations choice adding that the which was
gun they intended to carry on until victory should crown