The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-09-25

in hard labor without the walls of any jail or
prison"
If q man is wronged under this code, he has
redress through the Courts, it is said. This is
cold-blooded mockery. Judge Lecompte is OF
one mind and heart with the bogus Legislature
which enacted the code, and the following test
oaths take away all chance of justice from Free
State sufferers:
ATTORNEYS AT LAW.
An Act concerning attorneys at Laao,"
Chapter IL, provides as follows:
"SEc. l. No person shall practice as an
attorney or counsellor at law, or solicitor in
chancery, in any court of record, unless he be
free white male, and obtain license from
the supreme court, or district court, or some
one of the Judges thereof, in vacation.
"SEc 8. Every person obtaining license
shall take an oath or affirmation to support the
Constitution of the United States, and to sup
port and sustain the provisions of an act en-.
titled can oct to organize the Territories OF
Nebraska and Kansas and the provisions OF
an act commonly known as the 'tugitve
Slave Law and faithfully to demean himself
in his practice to the best of his knowledge and
ability. A certificate of such oath shall be
endorsed ON the license
-.
in any court of record, without being licensed,
sworn, and enrolled, he shall be deemed guilty
of contempt of court. and punished as In
other cases Of contempt"
This is not q dead letter. As will be seen
by a report in another column of the proceed
ings of the trial Of the Free State prisoners by
Judge Lecompte, one of their counsel was ruled
out of Court by the Judge, because he could
| not submit to this degradation.
But, to insure the conviction of Free State
men, the juries are always to be composed OF
Pro-Slavery men.
WHO MAY NOT BE JURORS.
The thirteenth section of Chapter 81, emit
tied I" An act concerning Jurors" is as fol-
| lows:
"SRC 13. No person who is conscienti0atsty
| opposed to the holding slaoes, or who does not
| admit the right to hold SLAVES in this Terrific
| ry, shall be Juror in any cause in which the
right to hold any person in slavery is involved,
nor in any cause in which any injury done to
| or committed by any slave is in issue, nor in
any criminal proceeding for the violation Of
| any law enacted for the protection of slave
property, and for the punishment of crimes
committed against the right to such property
Justice from the courts" ehg
And then, to perpetuats the RuAian rule, the
right of suffrage is restricted, and another test
oath prescribed, intended to disfranchise the
Free State settlers,
DISFRANCHsEMENT.
The twelfth section of Chapter &c, entitled
An act to regulate Elections" is as follows:
"SEo. II. Every person possessing the quail.
| fcation of a voter, as herein above prescribed,
and who shall have resided in this Territory
thirty days prior to the election at which he
may offer himself as a candidate, shall be eli
| gible as Delegate to the House of Represent
atives of the United States, to either branch
of the Legislative Assembly, and to all other
offices in this Territory not otherwise especially
member of tho Legislative Assembly, and every
officer elected or appointed to office under the
laws of this Territory, shall, in addition to the
oath or affirmation specially provided to be
taken by such officer, take an oath or af6rma-
| ton to support the Constitution of the United
States, the provisions of an act entitled "Au
act respecting the fugitives from justice and per
sons escaping from the service of their mas
ters," approved February IL, 1893; and of an
act to amend and supplementary to said last
mentioned act, approved September l8, 1850
and of an act entitled "An act to organize
the Territories of Nebraska and Kansas" ap
proved May 80, 1854"
The first section OF Chapter III, entitled
{" An Aot regulating oaths, and prescribing tn
form Of oaths of office" is as follows:
| "SEO. l. All officers elected or appointed
under any existing or subsequently enacted
laws of this Territory, shall take and subscribe
the following oath of Office: 81, dc
solemnly swear, upon the Holy Evangelists OF
Almighty God, that will support the Consti
tuition of the United States, and that will sup
port and sustain the provisions of an act emit
tied An act to organize the Territories Of Ne
braska and Kansas and the provisions of the
law of the United States, commonly known as
the Fugitive Slave Law and faithfully and
impartially, and to the best of my ability de-
mean myself in the discharge of my duties in
the Office of -; so help me God"
This atrocious code, which inAicts upon the
Territory, to use the language of the Baltimore
Clipper, more outrageous despotism thar
prevails even in Austria and Russia" is sought
to be enforced by the arm Of Federal Power
and when the People resist, they are arrested
or shot down as insurrectionists and traitors.
Let us have the judgment of Senators from
the South, and Senators supporting the Admin
istration, on these infamous acts.
| MIR WELLER OF CALIFORNIA:
In Senate, August 26th, Mr.. Weller, of Cali
fornia, having introduced bill designed to ab
rogate these acts, said,
"I know very we'll that no prosecutions have
taken place under those laws, nor has an at
tempt a. yet been made to enforce them bu
they are 20 IN famOus in their character, that
am unoilting they should stand upon the stat
utebook Of any Of the Territories Of this Union
l believe they cioIate not only the organic lao
but the Constitution of the United States.
am anxious, therefore, to do all in my powe,
to wipe them out. This proposition has already
as have said before, received the sanction the
Senate. 1t is true, the House of Representa-
tives take shelter under other provisions of tn,
bill. do not wish that it shall be ,cithin til,
po,cer Of the President Of the United States tt
enforce single one Of those taos which are alb
rogated by the provisions of this BILL"
4 He was mistaken in assuming that no attempt
had been made to enforce the laws. The tes
oaths are of course in operation all the time, AND
we should like to know why the Anti SLAYER,
presses were indicted and destroyed, and Anti
Slavery editors incarcerated.
Mr., BAHARD, OF Observation-Disclosures Sen.
tor)-Ssns day and place; 7'''
There are certain of the laws of Kansa
which are unquestionebly, in themselves, shock
ing to ne moral sense. There are certain of tn,
laws of Kansas that invade natural right
MR. WELLER, AGAIN,
"Sir, these laws violate the Constitution
some OF them its letter, and others Its spirit. /
} net freedom of speech guaranteed by the Fed
oral Consultation to all the people Of America
and is there not law in the Territory of Kan