The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-10-09

House declares snail not De further upneiQ ana
enforced by the army. The Senate, by the votes
of the Senators from New England, [Messrs.
ToUcEY aud ALLEN, from the Central States,
| TMessrs. BIGLER, BRoDHEAD, and WRIGHT, and
the Northwest, GMessrs. CAss, DOUGLAS, PUGH,
BRIGHT, and DODGE has declared that the Pres
ident shall not be denied the use of the army to
enforce this gigantic crime of usurped power
| against the free people of Kansas. Let the peo-
pie, sir-let the people of New England, of Penn
| sylvania, and the Northwest - remember that
their Senators have voted that the President
shall not be denied the use of the army to enforce
this test OATH that DISTINGUISHES free men. These
Senators have responded to the declarations of
the Senator from Virginia, Mr.. HUNTER, and
they are ready to let the bill fail, and the army
perish, rather than yield up the power to uphold
with the bayonet this browning act of usurpa-
ton.
By another act of this Kansas code
Each member of the Legislative Assembly and every
officer elected or appointed to office under the laws of
this Territory, shall take oath support the provisions
Of an act entitled An ACT respecting tngives from Jus
ters approved Feb II 1795 and o. amend and
supplementary TO said lsst-menoned approved Sept
Is 1885, and of entitled An organize the
Territories of Nebraska and Kansas approved May 80
1882
No man can be elected to an Office, except by
men who have sworn to support the Fugitive
Slave Law. 1t is fitting that officers thus cho-
opportunity the people have to right their wrongs,
when not one of them can vote or hold an office,
if elected, without taking these test oaths Is
it not the sheerest mockery to tell the people of
that Territory that they are left free to frame
their own institutions These test oaths are to
be enforced, say the Administration Senator's by
the army, the flag of the country shall come
down from the fortresses of the country, the army
be disbanded, and the line of sea coasts and the
frontiers exposed to the foe.
Having prescribed test oaths for voting and
holding office, test oaths that disfranchse and
prescribe honest Free State men, this Legislature
proceeded to enact laws, and to put them in ex-
ecution, by which the offices were all filled for
long periods by the Legislature. District Attor-
neys, Sheriffs, Probate Judges, and COUNTY Com
mssioners, were chosen by the Legislature, and
the County Commissioners were authorized to
appoint County Treasurers, Coroners, Justices of
the Peace, Constables, and all other officers or
agents provided by law. The people were over
powered, conquered, then DISTINGUISHED, pro-
scribed, and denied the right to elect even a
Constable. Having driven conscientious Free
State men from the ballot-box, and excluded
them from holding office, having imposed upon
the people long list of officials chosen by the
usurpers or their agents. this Legislature enacted
a chapter of atrocious acts, which the National
Inteltigencer pronounces offensive to every notion
of free government, and which Congress owes
it to public decency to abrogate. | propose, Mr..
President, to hold these laws, which you insist
the President shall enforce with the army up to
the gaze of the Senate and the country. | ask
the Senators upon the Administration side of
the Chamber to examine well this black code
which they refuse to repeal.
If any free person shall bring into, print write, pub
lish. circulate, cnhse TO be brought into, printed
written, published circulated, iii the Territory,
book paper magazine pamphlet circular for the pur
pose of exciting nsurrecton, rebellion, revolt
spiracy on The part of the slaves, free negroes,
latoes, such shall be guilty of felony and shall
suffer death"
The literature of the world is against human
bondage. If any one shall bring into the Terri
tory those songs of Liberty or those appeals for
Freedom to which the human heart always beats
responsive, such person may be charged with
the offence of bringing into the Territory such
booksfor the purpose of exciting revolt, and may
be convicted and suffer the penalty of death.
Senators, remember this is of the laws you in
sist shall be enforced by the army.
IF any person shall en,ce of this Territory any
slave with effect procure the freedom such
slave he shall be adudged guilty of grand larceny and
on conviction thereof, shall suffer deathn
Shall entice-yes, that is the word-if any ma
tive of your State, in Kansas, Mr.. President hold
ing that Slavery does not legally exist in the
Territory, shall say to the bondman, he has q
right to go free from his MASTER and if the bond
~ =,
penalty. The House declares the army shall not
enforce this monstrous act. You, sir, vote to
retain the power in Executive hands.
If any person shall aid assist in enticng decoyng
or psrsuading, or carrying away, sending of this
Territory any slave. with intent procure or effect the
freedom of such slave, he shall be adudged guilty of
death"
This section of this black code makes it a crime
punishable with death, to aid in carrying out of
Territory a a Sir
this is monstrous act-an act to be enforced by
the army. So declares the American Senate, in
the noon of the 10Th century. Let the Christian
men of America remember these votes.
"If any person shall knowingly aid in bringing into
printing, publishing, or circulating within this Territory,
lar, containing statements arguments, opinions,
iiments, doctrine advice nuendo, calculated pro-
70 induce such slaves from the service their
masters he shall be guilty of felony, and be punished
by imprisonment and hard labor for term of not less
i've years"
There is hardly book in the English language
that is not calculated, if read to or by bondman,
to produce disaffection. This enactment must
be upheld and enforced by the sword So de-
clares the Senate.
any free person. by speaking by writing
maintain that persons have the right hold slaves in
this Territory or shall introduce into this Territory print
publish write, circulate, be introduced into
this Territory, wrtten printed, published circulated,
circular containing any denial Of right persons
TO hold slaves in this Territory such person shall be
deemed guilty OF felony and punished by imprisonment
AT hard LABOR Tor ter I'm OF not less than two years.
The people were to be left free to settle their
own domestic affairs; so said your Kansas
Nebraska act. Now, to maintain that persons
have not the right to hold slaves in the Territory
is to be punishable by not less than two years
imprisonment-"n not less than t,ro years" may be,
as suggested by the Senator from Delaware, for
life if the person should live to the age of Methu
selah. This is the liberty the sons of New Eng,
land, of the Great West of New York and Penn
syvapia, enjoy in Kansas. This is your squatter
sovereignty in practical operation. Those who
were left free to shape the future institutions of
the Territory, by the kansas-Nebraska act, are
now by this act consigned for life to felons
prison, for denying the right of persons to hold
slaves Let the freemen of the free States remem-
Der that the supporters of the Administration in
both Houses are ready to let the appropriation
for the army fail, to let the army be disbanded,
rather than withhold from the President the
power to enforce this atrocious act with the
army. The Free State men of Kansas may, un-
der this act be sent to the penitentiary they may
be chained together and compelled to toll on the
public works A son of your State, Mr.. Presi-
dent, and a son of my State may go into Kansas
to become actual residents. They cannot vote
unless they will swear to support the Fugitive
slave acts OF 1898 and 1885, they cannot I'LL
the hpmbest office, unless they will swear to sup
port these Fugitive Slave acts; they cannot prac-
tice law, without swearing to support these Fugi-
tive Slave acts. If they deny the right of per-
sons to hold slaves, they will be held in the Gus
tody of sheriff sworn to support these Fugitive
Slave acts. They will be prosecuted by District
Attorney sworn to support these Fugitive Slave
acts. They will be tried by jury from which
has been excluded every person who is consci-
entiously opposed to holding slaves, or who does
not admit the right to hold slaves in this Terri
lie vicfad fhav ha