Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-08-20

no THE VOTERS OF IOWA.

Ga usIg " Futu, ana 70 turoWa u efuSa uSeiS.s's v
- the complaints Of an outraged people, the 70
lowing brief summary Of facts is earnestly CON
IA mended socsndd men of all parties, and weeou
), fdentiy believe that you win not read them an
!, afterwards do us injustice. eaF
:, The Free State - constitute very larg,
majority in this Territory, which we are willing
!, to show by any just means.
;, The Free State party were anxious to form
Territorial Government in accordance with the
Organic Act of Kansas.
At our elections vast bodies of armed men
:, from Missouri surrounded our polls, seized OF
. destroyed our ballot boxes, drove our Judges
= from their places, and chose men to rule oyerus
many of them non-residents, who we're hostile
to the interests Of a large majority of the legal
voters Of the Territory.
The laws thus made, by Legislature which
was not chosen by the citizens of Kansas, have
been upheld by the Administration, with a spirit
of lpsW Subdae You," and their odio,ls enact
ments enforced upon US. a T.
The people, believing in the principle OF Squat
ter Sovereignty, and being desirous Of governing
themselves, (thisrght being taken from them by
Rutiian mob) adopted the only alternative, that
of framing Constitution, and presenting it to
Congress for admittance into the Union.
This was not party movement, but tho call
fer Constitutional Convention was addressed
to the residents of the Territory. a~,
The Organic Act guaranteed to the settlers the
right of deciding for themselves, whether slav-
cry should or should not be admitted into Kan.
sas; whereupon mob from an adjoining State
crossed into this Territory, and assumed to, and
did, determine this question for us, and the whole
power of Government has been directed to main
tam this decision, and force us to submit.
Because Freedom loving people attempted to
redress their wrongs by forming government
emanating from themselves, the President has
caused them to be arrested, incarcerated in jails
and sent United States troops to Topeka, to dis
perse the peoples Representatives.
To be compelled to submit to just laws, en-
acted by foreign Legislature, chosen by vote
OF the citizens of an adjoining State, is more
than the people of any State in the Union would
submit; to be compelled to obey the most out
rageous enactments that ever disgraced civil
or criminal code, scarcely equaled by the bar
berous laws of oden times which were forced
upon us by enemies, backed by all the power the
Executive could array, when he has sworn to
protect us in our liberties, and our guaranteed
rights, is more than humanity is capable of en-
during, and need only be mentioned to an intel
ligent people, to merit their just disapprobation,
and to disgrace the authors and abettors of the
crime forever. .4
The laws which the Administration is attempt
ing to enforce upon us, deprive us of the freedom
of Speech and of the Press, establish slavery
in the country, and aftix the penalty of death
against encroachments upon slave property, and
prevent the possibility of repeal by disfran
chising all who will not take an oath to support
the Fugitive Slave Law, the Kansas Acts, and
the existing Territorial Laws.
The President has placed over us men, who
are merely the tools by which he and his friends
may carry out their nefarious designs; men who
are large portion of their time incapaci-
tated for doing business on account of intoxica-
ton, and when sober, are so weak-minded that
they can act only by the direction Of others.
|
been for the punishment Of crime, such as arson,
burglary, highway robbery, murder, &C., but for
the purpose Of compelling Freemen to acknowl-
edge bogus officers, and more especially pseudo
sheriff Jones' Law Is intended to render Justice,
but justice is unknown here.
A Pro-Slayery man may commit any crime
with impunity he will not be molested; Free
State man can get no redress in Kansas Courts
Dow was kill in cold blood, and his murderer is
still free in the Territory. Barber was shot on
the highway, by man holding the Office of In
dian Agent, appointed by the President, and is
still retained in that position. The murdcrers
of Brown, Jones, Steward and others, are still at
large, and no effort is made to bring them to
justice, while Jury, packed by Judge Lecompte
g. Co., indicted Bridges, Hotels, Printing Pres
ses, &C., as nuisances, and a special charge was
made to the Jury, to indict men for high treason
who were guilty Of no act but loving liberty and
taking an oath to support the Constitution of the
United States. -F-- -sz -. s.. ID. .t.5
The Free State men have ever acted on the |
defensive; they believe in a natural right to |
protect their hearth-stones, and they look to the
future, for their dehverance from their present |
thraldom. |
During last spring large numbers of armed
men from the Southern States came into Kansas,
and, instead of settling among US peaceably, lived
in tents, roamed around over the country, rob-
bed unOfending travellers on the highway,
burned houses, and invaded the sanctity Of the
domestic circle.
They have been hired by Southern gold to do
this. Our Congressman, dazzled by the glitter
of the same, refuse to relieve us, and our Pres!-
dent, who has been twice bought, and has at
last been sold, body and soul to the Devil, has
been controlled by those who are doing all they
can for our injury.
Citizens of Iowa, to your now are the people
| of Kansas looking for aid the oppressed, here,
| feel as though you have in yoar power, to do
much for US, if you will enter into the present
campaign, and work with energy; and the inquiry
arises what will you do? The struggle will be
hard one. You owe duty to yourselves, duty
to us, and duty to your country.
When Frank Pierce was chosen for the Execu.
tive of our nation, it was not expected that he
|
sonal enmity against us. He was not pledged
publicly to carry out the measures, since adopted
by the Democratic party as their policy, but he
was willing to be made the instrument which he
has been. On the contrary, Buchanan is pledged
publicly, to pursue the course marked out for
him by the Cincinnati platform; speaking Of it
he says: ~ ~
81 find that platform suited to tie exigeney q
the times; 4 am ~iHing to stand upon it.; IAare
no desire to add anything to, or take anything
from it; I am no longer simply james Baeha,.
an, but the Nominee ofthe Democratic party"
What is that platform? 1t is the embodimen,
of the principles adopted by the Administration
! in their whole action relative to Kansas. Il
: plainly shows that the man who adopted that a.
his guide must travel in the footsteps Of his 'il
| Iuctrions uradanaSror What r,,bt x, n ,ao