Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-06-05

understood that in three sections only OF 1t Is
the penalty of death denounced no less than
forty-eight different times, by as many changes
of language, against the heinous offence des-
cribed in forty light different ways OF lnterier-
ing with what docs not exist IN that territory
and under the Constitution cannot exist there
mean property in human flesh. Thus is LIB
erty sacrificed to Slavery, and Death summoned
to sit at the gates as guardian Of the Wrong.
But the work Of Usurpation was not perfect
ed even yet. 1t had already cost too much to
be left at any hazard.
---" To be thus was nothing;
But to be safely thus {"
Such was the object. But this could not he.
except by the entire prostration of all the safe
guards of Human Rights The liberty Of speech,
which is the terror of wrong-doers the bar,
through which the opp cssed heards the AFRO
gance of law; the jury, by which right is vim
Dictated all these must be struck down, while
officers are provided, in all places, ready to he
the tools Of his tyranny and then, to obtain
final assurance that their crime was secure, the
whole Usurpaton, stretching over the Territory,
must be fastened and riyited by legislative
bolts, spikes and screws, so as 10 defer all efforts
al change through The ordinary forms of lao
10 this work, in its various parts, were bent the
subtost energies and never from Tubal Cain
to this hour, was any fabric forged with moro
desperate skill and completeness
Mark, sir, three different legislative enact
mcnts. which constitute part Of this work
FIRST, according to one act. all who deny, by
spoken or written word, " the right of persons
to hold slaves in this Territory" are denounced
as felons, to be punished by imprisonment at
hard labor, for q term not less than two years
it MAJ be tor life. And to show the extravu-
gancc of this injustice, it has been well put by
the senator from Vermont, Mr.. Collamcr,) that
should the senator from Michigan, (NIr. Cass,)
who believes thu. Slavery cannot exist in Ter,
rtory, unless introduced by express Legislative
acts venture there with his moderate opinions
his doom must be that Of ielon 10 this ex-
tent are the great liberties of speech and Of the
press s0bverted SecOndly, by another act, en-
titled" An Act concerning Attorneys at-Law,"
no person Can practice az an attorney, unless he
shat 0Jtdin q hcGnSe from the Territorial courts
Which, of course, a tyrlnncal discretion will be
free TO deny; and after Obtaining such license,
| he is constrained to take an oath not only " to
support the Constitution of the United States.
but also " to support and sustain mark here
the reduplication--the Territorial act, and the
Fugitive Slave Bill, thus erecting test for the
function of the bar, calculated to exclude citi-
zens who honestly regard that latter legislative
cnounity as unfit to be obeyed And, Mrd|y,
by another act, entitled " An Act concerning
Jurors" all persons " conscentiously opposed
to holding slaves, or - not admitting the right
to hold slaves in the Territory are excluded
from the jury on every question, civil or Grim
inal, arising out Of asserted slave property
WHILE in all cases, the sumuonng OF the j.ry
is lett without one word OF restraint to " The
marshal sheriff, or other officer" who arc thus
free to pack it according to their tyrannical dis
erection.
For the ready enforcement of all statutes
against Human Freedom, the President had al
ready furnished powerful quota of officers, in
the Governor. Chief Justice Judges, Secretary
Attorney and Marshal The Legislature com
pleted this part Of the work, Ivy constituting,
in each county, " Board Of Commissioners,
composed of two persons, associated with the
Probate Judge, whose duty it is " to appoint Il
county treasurer, coroner, justices Of the peace
constables. and all other officers provided for by
law" and then proceeded to It's choice oil this
very Board; thus delegating and difusng their
usurped power, and tyrannieally imposing upon
thc Territory crowd of officers, in whose APP
pointment the people have had no voice, directly
OF indirectly.
And still the final inexorable work remained
Legislatures. renovated in both branches
could not assemble until 1858, so that, during
this long intermediate period, this whole system
must continue in the likeness Of law, unles,
overturned by the Federal Government, or, il
default of such interpostion, by generous up
rising Of an oppressed people But it was nee
essary to guard against the possibility of change
even tardily, at u future election; and this wa.
done by two different acts under the first Of
which, all who will not take the oath to supper
the Fugitive Slave Bill are excluded from til,
elective franchise; and under the second o
which, all others are entitled to vote who shall
tender q tax of one dollar to the Sheriff on tn,
day of election thus, by provieion of Terrific
rial law, DISTINGUISHING all opposed to Slavery
and at the same time opening the door TO TIN
votes Of the inyadeas; by an unconsttutiona
shbboleth, excluding from the polls the mass o
actual settlers, and by making the franchise de
pend upon petty tax only, admitting to thu
polls the mass Of horderers from Missouri -
Thcs, by tyrannical forethought, the Usurpa
tiCn not only fortified all that it did. but assum
ed seIf-perpetuat'ng energy
Thus was the Crime contaminated. SLAYER
now stands erect, clanking its chains on the Ter
rltory OF Kansas, surrounded by code O
death, and tramplng upon all cherished liber
ties, whether Of speech, the press the bar, tn
tral by the jury, or the electoral franchise
And, sir, all this has been done, not merely t.
introduce wrong which in itself is denial o
all rights, and in dread of which mother bal
lately taken the life of her own offspring nc
merely, us has been sometimes said to protec
Slavery in Missouri, since it s futile for tbi
State to complain Of Freedom on the side q
Kansas, when Freedom exists without complain
on the side of Iowa and also on the side oil Iii
nois; but it has been done for the sake of pc
litical power, in order to bring two new slave
holding Senator upon this floor, and thus t
fortily in the National Government the dcsper
Ato chances of a waning Oiigarchy As til
ship, voyaging on pleasant summer seas, is as
sailed by pirate crew, and robbed for the SD
: OF it's doubloons and dollars-ao is this bcautif,
Territory now assailed in its peace and prosper
ity, and robbed, in order to wrest it's potica
power to the side of Slavery Even now tn
!. black hag of the land pirates from Missouri
9 waves at the mast head in their laws YOU hea
= the pirate yell, and see the flash of the pirat
kniie; while, incredible to relate The Pres
: dent, gathering the Slave Power at his bach
!. 'estines pirate sympathy.
IS SIR, all this was done III the name of ponulo
iSoyOregnty. And this is the close of tho tro q,