Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-05-14
The Manifesto of Free Kansas
AN ADDRESS
TO fHE
PEOPLE CT THE UNITED STATES
ASD
KIN.SAS,
BT TEE
KlASAS.

BIZ TEE
FREE STATE CONVENTION.


ing an Address to the American People
have prepared and respectfully submit the
following:
The Pro-Slagery Convention, which as.
semb!ed at Lecompton January II, 1857
have Issued an Address," which has been
spread broadcast ever the States. In this
pamphlet an attempt is made 10 palia,e the
crimes and excuse the oufrages of which
the Pro Slavery pariy-sail:ng under the
cOlors of ''DemOcracy-'-have been guilty
in the Territory. Nay. more. 1t is sought
to throw the entire lame and resp nsib liiy
Of the affections which have been visited
upon the settlers and residents of Kansas
on the Fee State men, and those active
and earnest patriots v no have Iabored with
an energy that knows no defeat, and vii
that knows ne faiteIDg, in behalf Of Free.
dom aud Free l,abor.
Tie burden of the Address is, that the
Free Stale party initiated and inauguratec
revolutionary and incendiury proceedings
that they rallied against the enforcement o
legal enactmenrs, laughed 10 scorn the au
Ihorilies, and beat back the officers OF ius
tce, thereby neoessilating the Law aDe
Order men, to take up arms !or the preser
Walton OF peace and for the punishment o.
traitors. They brand Lane, Robinson ana
Reeder, snd host of other good men snC
true, ss hired emi-suries animated by fiji.
clustering splrit, h, etile 10 the Cons tiiut on
iocs t. The Union uf the States, and enc.
mics TO ihe we'll Ebeing of the Terrirorv -
They represent ihcuse VS. to have b, en- iL.
notent. Iaw-abid:ng aud inofiensive, earn
estly in favor Of peace ana repose in Kan.
sas, and end their Asdr. IS with a great
rhetorical flourish, and bombastic assurance.
OF patriotic devotion 10 their country, Iheil
party and their Goo.
To uninusk the hypocrisy, to expose the
falsehoods an6 reveal the contradictions ant
inconsistencies of this Address, would be-
superAueus, for the throes and the anguish
the indignities and the expressions, which
the Free State mrn have suffered, are writ
ten in characters of blood, and burned int,
ne memory of every honest citizen of ou
cUuhtry. Subteriuge and deceit, brazeI
taisehood and base perjury, can avail moth
ing; for the great truths, in the giganti,
wrongs of Kansas history, have been seer
and known and pondered of all men, an,
will stand, like the Egyptian pyramids, t,
the surprise and wonder of coming genera
tions.
The Free State men have violated no law
for that which is not just is no; law, an,
IT, at which is devoid OF justice should not b,
oseyed. The coee attempted TO be forcet
upon them was not enacted for proper leg
islatlon, Tor the regulation end protection
OF SOC eiety, or for the development of the re
sources Of the country, but to ems ave III,
body and soul oieyery citizen, and to rive
the institution of Slavery upon soil con
secrated to freedom No homes: man cuul,
indorse or subscribe to such code, and tn,
Free State men did not. Yet they raise,
no arm, neither committed any violpnc,
against their opprcssors. But when the,
were driven from their homes and thei
families treated with unheard-of cruelty b,
this seli-styled claw and Order" partv
then 1t was that all the higher voires o
their nature appealed to them to rise an
protect their rights and liberties, or sink /,
the level OF seris The blood and the man
hood and the muscle oil every Northerl
freemen could brook no more, for forbear
ance had ceased to be d virtue and The tim
was come when they must rindicate the
courage and establish their right 10 the it'll
OF mcE.
But when the invaders were driven bacI
and the dlssensions n a manner quieted
they once again returned TO the more con
genial pursuits OF peace, and devoted them
selves with activity and energy to the in
dustrlal occupations which they loved.
1t is our purpose to present brie thoug
compre hensiye sketch OF what has ira, spire,
in Kansas since the passage o The Kansss
Nebraska BILL, and 10 iei the American Peo
pie judge fer themselves wheh her or OF tn,
Free State party huve acied according t,
the dictates Of justice and OF right, he,Le
OF no. they hsye been wronged and outraged
and whether they or the self-styled "Lav
and Order" party are responibie for tn
crimes and blood which have stained ;h
virgin soil OF the Territory.
But in this cause we must take our prn
per position. The Free State party of Kan
sus cannot act upon the defensive before
! tribunal where the American People si: a
judges. We arraign the sel,-styled Law
and Order party" OF Kansas as guilty o
Irn md i..,l..
upon them the burden OF guilt and wrong
and we only ask far and honest verdic
from The evidence and arguments we ma
adduce.
Although the Kansas Nebraska bill wa
violently opposed, at tie time of its presen
tation 10 Congress, by decided majority O
Northern Representatives, backed BY In
| opinion OF their constituents, it was indors
ed as "a law" by the citizens Of Kansa.
who desired only to have its principles an
provisions faithful y carried out. A. II
Reeder was appointed Governor of the Ter
ritOry under the bill, ard large Northerl
emigration poured into the Territory to ties
The question Of popular sovereignty" an
secure Freedom fer Kansas by a numerical
preponderdnce.
The time came at last for eIecting Ter
ritorial Legislature and a Delegate to Con
gress. How ihIs election was carried is
matter of history. The MiSsuurians poure
into Ihe Territory, violated the sanctity O
the ballot-bcx, outraged all law and dece ncy
and thwarted the voice und the will OF tn,
actual residents. This was on the 3Gth da
oil March. ls55-a day never to be iorgetter
when the invading hordes. with insulrin:
banners, on which were inscribed: "Deatl
to the damned Aboltionists," "a Slav
State for Kansas" mo quarter for Ere
State Men," and other devices, and wit
bowie knives and revolvers bore down upol
ihe polls, ousted the Judges and clerks O
election, and stuffed tie boxes with illega
ballots. ln this mode, and by such means
the first so-caied Legislature of Kansas Wa
elec,ed-4,90S illegal votes being pulIed b
Missourians. Only four days had been al
lowed 10 protest agains the returns of tn