The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-03-21

the territory. IL was then enacted that
every person who should raise an insurrec-
ton or rebellion Of negroes in the territory
every person who should aid or assist in 30
enticing away slave within the territory
and every person who should entice or car
ry away slave from any other State or ter
ritory OF the Union, and bring him within
the territory Of Kansas, with the intent to
effect or procure his freedom, upon the con-
yiction thereof, should suffer death.
Ii was further enacted, that if any per-
son should write, print or publish any book,
paper, argument, opinion, advice or inuenda,
calculated to produce a disorderly, Danger
Gus or rebellious disaffection among the
slaves in the territory, or to induce them to
escape from their masters, he should be
deemed guilty ola rELoNY, and be punished
by imprisonment at hard labor for a term
not less than FIVE YEARS and that If any
free person, by Speaking or writing, should
assert or maintain that persons have not the
right to hold slaves in that territory; or
should introduce or circulate any book,
\ paper, pamphlet or circular, containing such
denial Of the right of persons to hold slaves
in that territory, he should be deemed guilty
Of felony, and be punished by Imprisonment
ut hard labor for a term not less than two
years.
Ii was still further enacted, by the samc
legislature that every free white male citizen
Of the United States, and inhabitant of the
territory, who should pay u tax Of one dol
lar, and take an oath 10 support the consti.
tuition Of the United States, the net organ
ling the territory of Kansas, the territorial
laws, and the act for the recapture Of fugi-
! tive slaves, should be entitled to vote at any
election in said territory-thus making citi-
zcns Of Missouri or of any other State legal
voters in Kansas, upon their presentation at
the polls, upon taking the Oaths prescribed,
and upon payment of one dollar-in direct
violation Of the spirit of the acto Congress,
and in open disregard of the rights OF the
people Of the territory. and having made
these enactments for the establishment Of
slavery, the legislature appointed sherias,
Judges, and other officers OF the territory for
their enforcement-thus depriving the peo-
pie Of all power over the enactment OF their
own laws, and the choice Of officers for their
execution.
, These dcspotic acts, even il they had been
, passed by legislature duly elected by the
people OF the territory, would have been
. null and void. inasmuch us they are plainly
in violation of the federal constitution, is
too clear for argument Congress itself is
expressly forbidden by the Constitution OF
, the United States TO make any laws abrids-
ir> the freedom Of speech and Of the press
{ and = is absurd to suppose that territorial
: legislature, deriving all its power from Con-
I grcSs, should not be subject to the slime re-
strietions. But these laws were not enacted
: by the people of Kansas. They were i'm
5 posed upon them by an armed force, Yet
the President Of the United States, in special
, message sent TO Congress on the 9th OF
, January, 1856, declares that they have been
, enacted by the duly constituted authorities
: of the territory, and that they arc of bind
inc obligation upon the people thereof
: And ON the llth of February, 1856, heissued
} his Proclamation, denouncing any attempt
10 resist or subyert these barbarous and void
7 enactmcnts, and warning all persons en-
gagged i'm such attempts, that they viii be
opposed not only by the local militia, but
by any available forces belonging to the
regular army of the United States. Thus
has the federal government solemnly recog-
nized the usurlatiOns set up in Kansas by
the invaders from Missouri, and pledged all
the power of the United States TO its sup
port. American history furnishes no parall-
Ell to the cruelty and tyranny Of these acts Of
the present administration. The expulsion
of aliens, and.the penalties intlicted upon
citizens for exercising freedom of speech and
of the press, under the alien and sedition
laws, which were oycrthrown by the Repub-
llican party of l79S, were lenient and mild
compared with the outHgcs pcrpetratcd
upon the people of Kansas, under color of
law, by the usurping invaders sustained by
the ltierll government.
With full sense of the Importance of the
declaration, we affirm that the execution of
thcse threats by the President Of the United
States upon the people of Kansas, would be
an Unconstitutional exercise of executive
{ powcr, presenting case of intolerablo tyr
Ianny-that American citizens cannot sub
init 10 il and remain free, and that IL blood
shall be she'd in the prosecution Of so unlaw-
ful purpose, those by whose agency it may
be split will be held TO strict account 10y
the frcemen of the republic. 81 plain, pal
pable and deliberate violation OF the con-
stitution would Justify the interposition OF
the States, whose duty it would be, by all
constitutional means in their power, to vim
dictate the rights and liberties of the citizens
against thepower Of the federal government ;
and we take occasion to express to our fell
low citizens in Kansas, against whom these
unconstitutional acts are directed, our pro-
found sympathy with them in the resistance
which Il Is their duty TO make them, and
our determination to make that sympathy
efficient by all the means which we may
lawfully employ.
Thus, for period Of twenty-five years,
has slavery been contending under various
prctcxts, but with constant success, against
the tendencies of civilization and the spirit
OF our institutions, for the extension and
pcrpetuation Of its power. The degree in
which tho general government has aided its
ar ,-,, IA, =, a. tracNI in the successive stem,