Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-09-17
THE BLooDYLAws oFKANsAs.

Freedom of speech and freedom of the Press
are guaranteed by the Constitution. The Lo-
cofoco leaders claim that they wish to sustain
the Constitution. Below give one of the
acts of ssthe bloody code Of Kansas 1t in
fringes upon both the above constitutional
rights. And yet Mr.. Buchanan and the De-
mocracy are bound to uphold these laws, which
the National Intclligencer says ssare disgrace
to the country and its free institutions, and
greater invasion of public liberty than were
the acts which brought the head of Charles /.
to the block.'' The Administration have
dered the entire disposable force of the Army
there, to aid the Border Ruffians and Slavery
propagandists to enforce these laws at the
point of the bayonet, and never to cease until
the Free State Settlers are exterminated by
the employment at once of all the power and
vigor of the military and the Southern marau-
ders in that region.
The following law passed by the Border
Rufian Legislature, and is now being enforced
upon the doomed people of Kansas at the
point of the bayonet by the United States
troops. Read it thoroughly.
fin -fct 10 punish Offences against Slave Property.
Sec. /. Be it enacted by the Governor and
Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Kan
sas, That every person, bond or free, who shall
be convicted of actually raising rebellion or
insurrection of SLAVES, free negroes or mulat-
toes in this Territory SHALL SUFFER DEATH.
Sec. .. Every free person who shall aid and
assist in any rebellion insurrectior of SLAVES,
free negroes or mulattoes, or shall furnish
arms, do any overt act in furtherance of
such rebellion or inSurrection, SHALL SUFFER
! DEATH.
Goo IF opv fran ,arcou shall nv spFAR-
ING, WRITING PRINTING, advise, persuade or
| induce any SLAVES to rebel or conspirc against
any citizen of this Territory, or shall bring in
| to, print, write, publish circulate, or cause
| to be brought into, printed, written, published
| or circulated, shall knowingly aid or assist
| in the bringing into, printing, writing, pub
| fishing or circulating in this territory, any
| book, paper, Magazine, pamphlet or circular,
| for the purpose of exciting inSurrectfon OD
| the part of the SLAVES, free negroes or mulat-
| toes, against the citizens of the Territory, or
| any part of them, such person SHALL BE GUILTY
| OF FELONY AND SUFFER DEATH.
Sec. 4. If any person shall entice, decoy or
carry away out of this Territory, any SLAVES
! belonging to another. with the intent to de-
prve the owner thereof of the services of such
slave, OF with intent to effect or procure the
freedom of such slave, he shall be adjudged
| guilty of grand larceny, ard on conviction
thereof SHALL SUFFER- DEATH. or be impris-
| oned at hard labor for not less than ten years.
Sec. D. If any person aids or assists in entl-
| cling, decoying, or persuading, or carrying a.
| way sending out OF this Territory any SLAVE
| belonging to another, lcifh intent 10 procure or
| effect the freedom Of such Stare, or with intent
| TO deprive the owner thereof of the services
| of such slave, he shall be adjudged guilty OF
| grand larceny, and on conviction thereof SHALL
SUFFER DEATH, or be imprisoned at hard Ia
Dor for not less than ten years.
Sec. 6. If any person shall entice, decoy, OF
Il Anfa Tor nj
the United Stotes, any slave belonging to an
other, rith intent 70 procure or effect the freedom
of such Stare, or to deprive the owner thereof
of the services of such slave, in this Terrific
ry, he shall be adjudged guilty of grand lar.
| ceny, in the same manner as if such slave had
been enticed, decoyed or carried away out OF
| the Territory, and in such case the larceny
may be charged to have been committed in
any county of this Territory, into or through
| which such slave shall have been brought by
such person, and on conviction thereof, the
person offending SHALL SUFFER DEATH, or be
imprisoned at hard labor for not less than Ten
years.
Sec. Z. If any person shall entice, persuade
or Induce any SLAVE to escape from the ser.
vice of his master or owner in this Territory.
or shall aid or assist any slave escaping from
the service of his master or owner, or shall as
sst, harbor or conceal any slave who may have
escaped from the service of his master or own
er, he shall be deemed guilty of felony, ana
punished by imprisonment at hard labor for no
less than fire yed1s.
Sec. 8. If any person in this Territory shall
aid or assist, harbOr or conceal any slave who
has escaped from the service OF his master ol
owner in another State or Territory, such per-
son shall be punished in like manner as If sucf
slave had escaped from the service of his mas
ter or owner in this Territory.
Sec 9. If any person shall resist any officer
whilst attempting to arrest any SLAVE that may
f.z.~ &t.1 Of Sfn
| or owner, or shall rescue such slave when II
custody of such officer or other person wht
may have such Slave in custody, whether sucf
Slave has escaped from the service of his mas
ter or owner in this territory or in any othel
State or Territory, the person so offending
shall be guilty Of felony and punished by impris
onmcnt at hard labor for term not less than f'ct
years.
Sec. 10. If any marshal, sheriff, or consta
BILE, or the deputy of any such officer, shall
when required by any person, refuse to ard ol
assist in the arrest and capture Of any Stare tina
{ may have escaped from the service of his mas
ter or owner, whether such Slave shall have
, escaped from his master or owner in this Ter
l ritory or any other State or Territory, such of
ficer shall be fined in a sum of not less thai
one hundred nor more than five hundred dol
lars.
Sec. IL: II any person print, 'orite, tnfrOdue
into, publish or circulate, or cause TO be brough
into printed, icyitten, published or circulated, o
: shall knoUfngly aid assist in bringing INTO
printing, Publishing or circulating within thi
Territory, any book, paper, pamphlet, maya
, zine, handbill or circular, containing an,
STATEMENT, ARGUMENT, OPINION, SENTIMENT
DOCTRINE, ADVICE OR INUENDo, calculated t
produce a DISSATISFACTION among the SLAVE
, in this Territory, or to induce such Slaves t,
2 escape from the service of their masters, o
resist their authority, he shall be gully of Eel
l oNY, and be punished BY ENVIRONMENT AT HARl
4 - Al 4.