Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-05-09
Kansas of the Free State Settlers

The ST. Louis Democrat publishes an address
to the American people, prepared by Com
mtiee appointed by the Free State Convention
held o, Topeka on the 10Th of March last, Civ
ing brief history of the events which have
lranspired in Kansas since the passage of the
Kansas Nebraska act, and defending the course
of the Free State party and defining their po-
sition. In their Introductory remarks the COM
mittee say:
"The Free State men have violated no law, for
that which is not just is not law, and that which
is devoid of justice should not be obeyed. The code
attempted TO be forced upon them was not enacted
lection Of society or the development 81 The S
ces Of the country, but to enslave the body and
soul of every citizen and to ryt the institution of
slavery upon soil consecrated to freedom. No
honest man could endorse or subscribe to such
code, and the Free State men did not. Yet they
raised no alarm, neither committed any violence
against their oppressors. But when they were
driven from their homes and their families, treated
with unheard Of cruelty by this self styled law and
order party then it was that all the higher voices
of their nature appealed to them to rise and pro-
tect their rights and liberties, sink to the level
of ser6 The blood and the manhood, and the
muscle of Northern freemen could brook more,
forbearance had ceased to be virtue and the time
was come when they must vindcate their courage
and establish their right to the title of men.
But when the invaders were driven hack and the
dssensons in manner quieted, they once again
returned to the more congenal pursuits OF peace,
~ ,ha ;rdNs,r;oi ocorn,t;ons ~Ioh ; UNI "
Wi It, ,.l..,l., -,
Kansas, our readers are already familiar and
we will not, therefore, quote from the recital
of the wrongs heaped upon the Free State men,
~ "" w Sus; VI oop''''.,'O"'' 'o',e"'''"
VIC T rcu'es' io"e'a''0 '"' po"oy e"""''a'e' u'
'"e i0ieAa eo'e"'o" says
oh .he io'n n Oh March, fIee ota'e convention
which viii he faupd onncnJsd to his addross In
that platform it will be seen that the Free State
men refuse to vote for delegates TO n constitutional
convention, under register act which passed the
last bogus Legislature. Late developments have
proved the wisdom of this policy for by the lists
of qualified electors returned by the sheriffs of the
different counties, thousands of Free State voters
have been ignored, while the names of numerous
unknown and mythical individuals entered as
qualified electors All the machinery ofthe cleo
ton is to be controlled by pro-savery partsans,
and it would be suicidal for the Free State party
to go into election in the face of such Odds and
with their past experience"
7, ;s rern,,od ,b., ,bo F.oo c,.,, .,,u La...
.oaolnI e., ,so;- II; ~. .r NV" '''
reeeueu iron" 'neir Pos''ioh' opt Inc report re-
mains to be verified.
The address protests against the federal ap-
pointmepts for Kansas on the Ground ,ha, thew
hove hoon .oIoo,od e., ,l,o
- wv" ',"'' '''' '''os' eu,'y anu oo'
"oA'o"s VI 'ne Pto-s'aVefy party IL also ex'
presses the confident opinion that if the pledges
J of President Buchanan and Governor Wake,
to secure San omen. honest and indenender, ex.
n,o.sion or oorion Co.,, H. 49,. eJ-
PO19" VI oP'"'"n .'".' ,'o 0o"" J'oe RESIDENTS
OF Kansas are faithfully executed, then the
= next Legislature of Kansas will be pre-em
nen,y Free State, and Kansas will come inf,
! the IInion with FREQ CONSTITUTION Tha "a