The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1857-07-25
Eor tie Herald of Freedom,

6or Ae herald Of Freedom
To Vote. OF not to Vets.
The great obstacle inthe way ofyotine
by the Free State party, in the coming
October election, is the recognition of au-
thority in the bogus Legislature. We have
held, uniformly, that it is policy for Free
State men to use every legitimate means
available for wrestling the power from the
National Democracy. It has heretofore
been shown that many Of the Free State
leaders have asked for, and accepted, IA
vors from this illegal body, in the way of
charters for towns, &C.; and in our opinion
this was not ashadow of acknowledgment
that the Leeompton government was Just
right or legal; it was merely recognizingit
as the government de .facto-which it al
ways has been, and still is, and 50 long as
the federal government supports this Ter
ritorial organization, the Free State party
cannot escape from acknowledging it as
such.
It is very difficult to conceive how vot-
ing under this bogus authority is any.
thing more than confession ofits de faeto
character. If nothing more, does it not
throw the responsibility Of sustaining upon
the q. S. Government, instead of the Free
State men, who, from the first to the last,
Z ,v,1 faH
There is another consideration. The
most strenuous supporters of State govern
lment-those who believe that it is brim-
full of vitality and efficiency-haye and
are continually urging that the Territorial
power must be taken from the Democra-
cv-that the bogus laws must be repealed,
| from the first to the last-that the Free
State men need the Territorial govern
ment, as means to give a start to their
State organiEation-the programme being
something like this: that the individuals
of the Free State party are to gointo the
election in October, and after getting pos
session of the Legislative department of
the Territorial government, to repeal all
the laws, and then adjourn, and leave the
responsibility upon the State govern
ment.
We desire to inquire, first, whether, if
this election was carried by the Free State
men, the Free State party would not claim
to have the power of the Territory in
their hands? Doubtless they would. The
party would have the unquestionable right
! to so claim it. Now if the bogus govern
ment is not government de .facto, where
would be the necessity of rspeaiiRg the
laws? l. not the very act of repeal ac-
knowledging the existence of these same
laws? How then, is the party tn avoid,
sooner or later, the recognition of these
bogus enactments as the existing law of
the Territory? In our opinion, they can
not do it. Is it not, then, the policy
Ito come out boldly and avow deter
mination to use these laws to externi-
nate border ruffianism from the govern
ment, and perfect the organization on that
basis-thereby rendering a victory easy
and eertain-rather than to leave the ele-
lments of freedom in the Territory unor-
gained and in confusion? The confes-
sion of the legality of the Territorial gov
eminent is the same, whether the party as
a party resolve to go into the October
election or not.
The idea that taking this course
will result in the triumph of the Demo
cratic party is an absurdity, unless the
virtue and vitality of the Republican par
ty is destroyed by the settlement of the
Kansas question, and no one will for mo
ment adhere to such an opinion. The Re-
publican party is on the enduring basis Of
personal and national freedom; and while
lit is no propagandist, it is firm on the
ground ofFesistance TO the further expau-
sion:
Those men who fear that by max
ing Kansas free State through the H.
str,1mentality of the Territorial Legisla-
ture, and by adopting the means that
cannot fail of recognition by the general
government, the Republican party viii
thereby lose strength, and the Democracy
gain the ascendancy, have no faith in the
genuineness of Republican principles, and
are not entitled to fellowship with the
supporters of those doctrines.
The Free State men may take any
course they may see fit, to accomplish the
disenthralment of Kansas, and when il is
done. the National Democracy will be no
stronger than they are to-day. The record
/ is against them. The mark of infamy is
burned deep into Pierce's administration,
and Buchanan bids fair to share in its
shame. The idea is absurd, that the pol
icy of the Democratic party is TO make
Kansas free State, and there are few who
have the unblushing impudence to assert
it. FREE STATE