The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-03-29

sA1C4ou uI4uSbtiCSS anu Surfing HltHiu
men life and independence, is full Of di-
visions aud strifes. Slavery cannot split.
1t is thin, gaunt, compact. tenacious. In
productive organizing force, liberty IS
mighty; in councils and concert she is
weak. In creative force slavery is imbe-
cile, but in ambition and in council aunt
and efficient.
If ihA- South xafe 10 stiafnpt Ia eope
with the North on the field of Kansas.
by simple emigration, taking possession
of the land for industry, they would be
defeated before they began. This was
apparent. The only hope lay in violence.
Violence was tried. At the hiss of an
unscrupulous man, hordes of wild and
indolent fellows that hang around the
towns and cities of slave States, gigan-
tic vermin, rushed into Kansas, crushed
the free and actual settlers at the polls,
and by wholesale fraud not even dis.
guised. reared up Legislature whose Of
fee it was to forge laws for the benefit of
slavery and for the extinction of liberty.
And well they performed their work.
Consider this wrong, o we freemen of
the North! This was the Territory
given to freedom by the God who made
it; by the institutions and spirit of the
country which owned it; by the desires
OF the North. and by the most solemn
Agreements of the South:
When the day came for freedom to
take it, the South broke down its treach-
erous promises, opened the gates, and let
forth its children to enter the race against
liberty; yet solemnly declaring that the
one which took possession first, sheuld
hold and control it. Free settlers took
it. Slavery Jagged behind and lost it.
Seeing itself defeated in this nefarious
scheme, the South, treacherous again,
poured armed men across her border to
plant, by violence, a Legislature there,
and the coerced and fraudulent Legisla-
ture dared to legalize slavery. to defend
it against even discussion, by binding a
law around every free throat like halter.
Lest it be thought that We exaggerate, We
give two sections of the laws of this
pseudo Legislature
"SEc. II. If any person print. write.
introduce into, publish Or circulate, or
cause to be broughtintoy printed, written,
published or circulated, or shall know
ingly aid or assist in bringing into, print
ing, publishing or circulating, within
this Territory. any book, paper, handbill,
pamphlet, magazine or circular, con-
tanning statements, arguments, opinions,
sentiment, doctrine, advice or inuendo,
calculated to produce a disorderly, dan
gerous, or rebellious disaffection among
the slaves of this Territory, or to induce
such slaves to escape from the service of
their masters, or to resist their authority,
he shall be guilty of felony, and be pun
ished by imprisonment for term not
less than FIVE years.
"SEc. Ia. If any free person, by
speaking or writing, assert or maintain
that persons have not the right to hold
slaves in this Territory, or shall intro
duce into this Territory, print. publish,
write, circulate, or>cause to be introduce
ed into this Territory, written, printed,
published or circulated in this Territory.
any book, paper. magazine. pamphlet,
or circular. containing any denial of the
right of persons to hold slaves in this
Territory, such person shall be deemed
guilty of felony, and punished by i'm
prisonment at hard labor, for term of
not less than two years"
1t was to such laws that armed scoun-
drels of Missouri swore that the free set
tiers of Kansas should submit. North
ern men, taught to think. to read, to dis
cuss, to make the commerce of opinions
free as the air that surrounded them,
though in an immense majority, were re-
quired by a pitiful crew of wretches.
thrust over the border of the State, for
the mere purpose of violence. to acsept
these laws that outrage every institution
of the land, and every historic antece-
dent of our country, or be cut down and
shot. It was thought, perhaps. that these
sturdy settlers could be made to throw
up the undigessed milk of liberty. as ca
SHY as they do who disgrace New Eng
land in the chief places of government
at Washington. But the men of Kansas
were men of stomach. They had di-
gested every orumb of liberty. 1t had
gone into their blood and bones. It had
fashioned their heart and conscience. 1t
had made men and Christians of them.
When the ill-gashered rabble drew
near to Lawrence. threatening to raze &c
to the ground unless they would yield up
every sentiment of honor, and fall down
before Satan and worship him. the men
of Lawrence raised their defenses. and
took their arms, determined 70 beat of
violence by force.
That courage saved them. The rife
brought peace. Had they been unarm-
ed, had they been pusillanimous, had
they had such Christians as infest the
North, who Justify arms for tyrants. but
inyeigh against self-defence on the side
of freedom, We should have had mon
strous tragedy of violence and blood.
The storm vas held back but not dis
persed. The same mea are still in Kan
sas. face to face.
The same ruthless assault from the
South viii be renewed. The same man
ly breasts will meet the war. Already
we hear the muiterings IN tha clouds Of
those thunder-voicess which win yet roll
over the prairies and reverberate along
the Alleghenies! There Is bat . little