The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-03-01
Poiitieai.

Speech Of Hon Freeman Il. Morse, on
lature of Maine.
Mr.. Morse said he was at less to un-
derstand what motive could induce any
gentleman to desire the assignment of so
distant a day. The only reason offered
by the gentleman from Portland was,
that the House wanted time to determine
whether the people of Kansas applied to
Congress for admission, with republi-
can constitution or not. He said their
constitution had been before the country
for months he had seen it, and members
on this floor had copies of it in their
hands, and every intelligent man has an
ample opportunity to solve any doubts he
may, in his over caution, entertained on
that subject. But he thought, if her
constitution had been accessible to but
few members of the House. the heroic
career of her people was sufficient guar
sntee for the republicanism of any con-
stitution they might make. The objection
seemed so strangly out of place, so forced
and unnatural, that he could hardly be-
lieve the gentleman serious in urging it.
He said every observing man, who h I'd
watched the course of events in that far
distant, abused and outraged territory,
for the last eighteen months, must know
enough of the men who framed the con-
stitution of Kansas, to be satisfied of its
republican character. He begged gen
tlemen to pause moment, in the midst
of their career of party success, and turn
their attention to the true condition of the
settlers in that unfortunate territory. AT
ter the establishment of territorial gov
ernment there, supposing that they would
be protected in their rights as settlers,
men from Maine, and from all the free
States, went there to endure the toll and
hardships of frontier and pioneer life,
that they might, in that distant wilder
ness. plant aud rear up free Institutions
and free State. Their. trials, he said,
had been unprecedented, even in frontier
life. The Inconvenience and privations
naturally incident to such life, they
were prepared cheerfully to endure, but
they did not expect that their brethren
in the East,a the government at Wash
ington, which ought to have protected
them, would stand idle and see armed
hordes of "Border Rufians" trample
upon rights secured to every American.
The eruption of these freebooters from
neighboring slave States. principally from
Missouri, he said, had kept the Free State
men in continual struggle for twelve
months, to protect their lives and cabins.
He said they had been, with savage bar
barity. driven from the polls, denied the
rights of suffrage, and had non-residents,
men from neighboring States. imposed
on them for rulers. They have, (said
Dir. b.. been obliged TO 60 armed to
their daily toll. to sleep on their arms,
and to frame the constitution, under
which they wish to live, with arms in
their hands. 1t is such men, purified in
the fires of continual strife and affiiction,
for opinions sake, that you insult by re-
pelling and turning your backs against.
with the chilling inquiry, is the fruit OF
your labor republican in character ?-as
II men from such school could forget
the great object to which they have de-
voted themselves, and form constitution
despotic or aristocratic in character.
Mr.. M. said he believed the resolution
was so drawn as to avoid all party preju-
dice, and he thought no man who was
ready to extend the right hand of fellow
snip to Kansas, in her struggle for free
dom. and bid her welcome to our great
iamily OF States. could consistently vote
lot the gentleman's motion, and shut our
doors against her earnest prayer for kind
words and encouragement in her noble
struggle to rear free institutions in that
distracted territory. The executive COM
mittee of the Free State party in Kansas.
OF perhaps hs should say the provisional
government of the territory, so far as
.aey were under any government. had
commissioned delegates to visit all the
''ee States, and endeayor to obtain sn