Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-01-02


The opinion that Kansas will become free
State has been gaining ground for sometime
Though ve do not yet sse tia way clear to
that result, and do see ver7 heavy difficulties
in the way Of its accomplishm ont it is not
30 be denied that there are favorable
cnene which did not exist n few months ago
The turning poin. in the affairs Of the
Territory we are disposed to place a. the time
when fret large body of free State settlers
made ruccessful entrance BY tho way Of
Iva. By the Kans,s.Nahraska Act, Kansas
was cut of from Nobrtssa as II v1s.
for an obvious rurpJEe Lying ada
cen. to several thickly s1ttled and rah.d P'o.
slavery counties of Missouri, and naturally
spproichable By the river only any one must
sse That when it was oponsl f,r settlement,
the slave holders Of those counties could
s,sily pour in aettlers Of a character Ike
their own. Free state settlers would have to
come from O distance and right through a
hostile country and if necessary. vol nca
could DO used to binder them with great
effect: Proof enough exists that violence to
any required extent was determined on before
hand, if free State men could not be
Kept out without resort to ~
The extent and desperation cf that yl1-
lsnce is now matter Of hiftory. The national
highway thus held in possession By ro5llnc
and numbering brigands the legislative
power Of the territory usurPed by pgo.sltvarv
rufi4ns men placed N authority. both
Judicial and eza-uti7e, hy The National
Government, who would stick ut No abuse
OF power and no rer7ersion Of law which
would best servs their wicked purposes 49,
influential men omor. the free 5.s.e SOFT! rs
arrested on fslse pre.aneos b. the a,1 n Z. 5
troops, AMI KEEP. ID sIict confinement, not
allowed even to commuuicats With their
friend. except on condition. frch es the most
despotic and inquisiton4l authorities IN the
world prescribe to the unfortunate victim. Of
their power the eustsnance Of the roo- ut.
lers in a new country Gu, of by the force Of
their enemies who openly declared tAst they
would drive them cut or star7s them 10 aea n
when winter came on.-what help "7a tharo
Left to the Free State men
The psri!s Of their condition rers iucysas-
Cd by the great extent to which tho eff rts Of
theis friends to help them had been frustrat-
Cd. Strong as wa. TIE sympathy felt for
them and for their cause, there had boon lar :
unity aud completeness of plan among their
soattsrad friends than was necessary. The
need Of it had not been r,ali.aj The 80 ruro
OF the national Highway, vhioh the United
states government would not open as Il vas
bound to dc, and which tho people If tho
free States coul1 not oren elthout a resort
10 open ard organized force, the turning back
Of indiv iduaIs, families, and companies BY
rufhan bands, which the civil authorltrss Of
Missouri did not check, hut rather favored
stripping them first Of their arms and all
means of support, for time rarslysei all
attempts at succor, Meantime money, men
and aims were poured in from tho sllve
States on the Missouri to help the PRO slavery
cause In the TERRITORY. Instead Of being
nolestsd, the men were plaosd under pay, and
encouraged By territorial and United states
oHcisl..
Even the mem bers or the Coneresgiors'
Committee officially engaged in the territory
were threatened with personal violence, anc
found It prudent TO send privately the testi
rnony which they had taken, out Of tho reacl
Of those who Vers determined to destroy u
The threat was openly made in the senate %
the nation that the free State men should h
subdued, and that obedience to tho bogus ter
ritorial laws should be secured, cost what i
might. black cloud indeed hung over Kan
sns.
But while on one hand the free State mei
in Ksnsas we're brought to realize that the,
mutt resist their oppressor' by force, at an,
risk Of future consequences, or perish speed
", on another more united ard organize,
effort was in progress to carry them relief il
another way, A long and uninhabitcd rout
was opened into the territory, by way o
Iowa and Nebraska. The flank OF the ruC
fans was turned aud free State settlers il
large numbers were found pouring into tn
territory in their rear. If ons thousan'
could get in that way, many thousands coul'
sasilyfollow, About the same time also two o
three violent conflicts brought into plan
notice the fact that the free state men coul
fight. and that when they fought they wcr
full match for their enemies.