Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-05-23

lerTuOfy. Anu H6Viug Hiaue ulcSc tudCuucnts iui
the establishment of Slavery. the Legislature sp
pointed Sheris. Judges and other officers Of the Ter
r,,ory for their enforcement thus deprvng the peo
pie OF ell power over the enactment OF their OWL
laws and the choice Of officers for their execution.
That these despotic acts. il they had been pass
I'd by Legislature duly elected BY the people OF the
Territory, would have been null and void. ,nasnuch
as they are plainly in violation o the Federal Const.
ton 10 too clear for argument. Congress itself is
pressly forbidden by the Constitution Of the United
sstatss to make any laws abrdging the freedom Of
speech and Of the press; and it IL absurd To suppose
that Territorial Legislature, deriving all It's power
ron Congress should not be sub ect TO the same
strictons. But these laws were not enacted by the
people of Kansas. They were imposed upon them
bS an armed force. Yet the President OF the United
States, in special Message sent 10 Congress Oh the
oath OF January 1856, declares that they have been
enacted by the duly constituted authorities oi the
Territory and that they Of binding obligation upon
lhe people thereof. And on the llth OF February.
1866, he ISSUED his Proclamation denOuncing any
attempt -ubveu these barbarous and void
ensctmehts, and warning all pefsons engaged IN such
attempts that they wall be opposed not only by the
local militia but BY any available forces belonginglto
The regular army OF the United States. Thus has the
Federal Government soeInDy recognized the usurpa
ton set up kansas by invaders from Missouri, snt
pledged all the power Of the United States to its sup
port American history furnishes parallel 10 the
cruelty and tyranny Of these acts Oi the present Adj
nnisraton. The expulsion Of aliens and the penal
Lies inflicted upon citizens for exercising freedom Of
speech and OF the press under the Alien and SedIOn
laws, which were overthrown by the Republican
psrty of 1885 were lenient and mild when compared
with the outIages perpelrated upon the people OF
Kansas under color OF law by the usurplng invaders,
sustained by the Federal Government.
With full sense OF the Importance OF the declara-
tion affirm that the execution oi these threats by
The President of the United States upon the people OF
kr. tif,fio nj safE Ey-
ecuve power, presenting case OF intoerabe tyranny
that American citizens cannot submit TO It and re-
main free and that blood shall be shed in the prose-
euton OF unlawful purpose, those by whose agency
II NAV be split will be held to strict and stern ac-
count BY the freemen OF the Republic So PLAN. pal
Dable and deliberate violation OF the Constitution
would ustiy the nterposon of the States. whose du-
" il would be- by all the constitutional means in their
unwer to yndicate the rights and Liberties OF the cI
zen against the power OF the Federal Government;
and we take this occasion to express 10 our fellow
citizeps in Kansas, against whom these unconsltu-
tonsl acts are directed, profound sympathy with
lhen in the resistance which 1t is their right and their
duty TO make to them and determination TO make
that sympathy efficient by all the means which we
may lawfully employ.
Thus for q period of twenty live years has Slavery
been conendng, under various prete1ts, but win con-
slant SUCCESS against the tendencies OF civilization
nd the spir of our Institutions for the and
perpetuation of its power. The degree in which the
General Government has aided It's efforts may be
traced in the successive steps 1t has taken In 1877,
all the Suites in the Contederacy united IN odalnng
that Slavery should be forever prohibited from all the
territory belonging 10 the ohi.eu ota'es' In iIo9' te
first Congress Of the United States passed law re-
affirming this ordnance and reenactng the prohibition
of Slavery which it contained In ls20, the saVehod-
inc interest secured the admission OF Missouri as
Slave State into the Union, by acceding to similar
prohibition of Slavery from the Louisiana territory
living north Of 80 deg. 80 min. In 1884, that prohbl
lion was repealed, and the people OF lie territory
were left free TO admit exclude Slavery in their own
1;.creton In 1856, the Genera! Government pro-
claims its determination to use all the power OF the
limited States enforce upon the people obedience TO
laws imposed upon them BY armed invaders, establish
ing Slavery and visiting with terrible penalties their
exercise oreedom Of speech and Of the press upon that
.nhect While two thirds of the American people live
IN States where Slavery forbidden by law, and while
five sxths of the capital enterprise and productive
industry Of the country rest upon Freedom as their
h.,s Slavery thus controls all departments Of their
common government, ana wieds their power on its
own behalf
THE PLEAS URGED IN Defense OF THESE AdaREs-
sIoNS OF SLAVERY.
A. matter of course for all these acts and for all
Tho ontra pes by which they have been attended, the
savehodlnR interest pretends to md warrant IA the
Constitution of the United States. Ali usurpaon, ia
countries protesting TO be free, nus have the color OF
law for its support Nooutrage committed by Power
,non Popular rights is left without some attemp, at
.ndcstion The partition Of Poland, the overthrow OF
The Constitution of Hungary, the destruction oil Irish
io1s,endence like the repeal OF the Missouri Com
urom,se and the conquest of Kansas, were consun-
mated with scrupuous observance oi The iorhs oi
law. -
TuF PLEA THAT THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE WAS
NOT A COMPACT
The repeal Of the Missouri COMPROMISE, IL IS
tt,ss hv w hom effected. III
yolyed no violation oi good iaith because 'lat 'ol
oromise was merely an act Of Congress- and as such
fsne.,ble at pleasure Regarded legal technical
ty we are NOT disposed to contest this plea The Com
tom,ss WAS undoubtedly embodied IN Congressional
.o,ctment subject 10 repeal but IN tins case by the
rv nature t the transaction, the faith OF the parties
ndueJ that this enactment should nOi be repealed
rh. sorit ot the law whatever its form was the spirit
-. compect lts enactment was secured by an eX-
,anpe Of equivalents The slavehoidng interest pro.
red the admission OF Missouri INTO the Union by con-
n,nu and voting through lis representatives, III Con-
.ss that north of its southern line n the Territory
e Iousiana Slavery should be prohibited forerer.
,yhout that consent and that vote the admission OF
W;.mri could not have been secured; nor would the
b;h,;on ofSayery until 1854, until any other date
= 10, snv other time than that specified IN the act,
.m.v Goreper-have purchased the assentoft the Free
S,,,.. 10 the admission of Missouri as SavesState
,o,, the IJDion The word forever, therefore. was
material mart of the law, and OF the consideration Tor
,,s enactment Such u law may be repealed but It's
,ene,l ia rupture OF the cOmpact-the Reputation OF
solemn covenant. The Missouri compromise mas
been regarded such compact from the date Oh Hs
enactment in all sections and by all the people o the
country Successive Presidents have invoked for 1t
tssr nj