Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-05-07
Letter Of Acceptance from Hon. ,Wilnot
TOwANDA, Anril II laE.

absence of two weeks, found your communi.
cation informing me of my nomination az
candidate for the Office of Governor hv Q
convention of the Freemen of PENNSYLVANIA
opposed to the leading measures Of the loto
and present National Administrations wb;oH
assembled at the State Capitol on the 25th
ultimo; together with a copy of the declare
ton of principles promulgated by that Con
vention
| accept the position to which am called
by the unsolicited suffrage of the body ehooa
organ you are ; profoundly grateful for So dis.
tinguisbed a-mark of the confidence of NV feI.
low citizens, yet painfully sensible of nv ina.
blity to meet its responsible obligations
The approaching election is one of no ord;-
nary interest. Important questions of Stat.
policy, affecting the public welfare and pros.
perlty, are not alone involved in the issros
presented. As one of the largest and most
powerful OF the sovereign States of our eon.
federate Republic, the honor and interests IF
Pennsylvania are deeply concerned in the nrin.
ciples that animate our National Goyernmon,
She cannot, with safety to her Independence
and the liberties of her people, be indifferpnt
to the momentous questions Of National i'm.
port in progress of settlement-questions toucb.
ing the constitutional powers of the federal
Government, and vitality affecting the dignitv
and rights of free labor. Nor can she. withont
dishonor, Withhold her protest against tho
wrongs inflicted upon her sons in a distant
Territory, under the license of Federal eutbor
ity.
The dearest rights of freemen. secured bv
plain constitutional guarantee, are ruthlesslv
ioln tnA q fha cDil nf
American citizens are made the victims of q
tyranny unknown in the despotsms of the old
world. The annals of civilized and christian
nations furnish no examples of cruelty and ont
rage on the part of government towards its
people, such as has been endured by the peo.
pie of Kansas; unless they be found in the per.
secutionS of the Huguenots under Louis the
Fourteenth, of France, and of the Protes,ants
of the Netherlands, by the Duke of Alva, IN.
der Phillip second, King of Spain Indeed,
the barbarities to which the people of Kansas
have been exposed, were of character so in
human as to provoke incredulity in the minds
of large portion of our citizens. Thousands
have been deceived into the belief. that, for
partlzan purposes, fctiOns were substitute for
facts although no events in American hsto-
ry are better authenticated, than are the mnr-
ders, robberles arsOns and lawless rapacitv in.
filcted upon the free settlers of Kansas
These outrages had for their object the SUBJ
jugation Of that Territory to the curse of sla.
very.
We speak ofquiet being restored to Kansas,
because armed bands of lawless men do not TO.
day infest her highways and!pluuder her people;
because her towns are not sacked and the ca
bins of her settlers in flames This peace is
deceptive, and insecure 1t will be broken the
moment that the people Of Kansas make
vigorous effort TO recover those rights of which
they have been frauduleutly and violently de.
prived Tn purpose of her ensavement is
inexorably pusled forward. A system of
ingenIouSly devised fraud, kindred to that
employed in the ,usurpaton under which she
now grOanS, is being carried out for the con-
summation of this great wrong To this end,
also, the power of the Federal Government is
basely prosttuted We are given words of
fairness, but persistence in support of the
wrong. Every appointee of the President in
Kansas is an active cO-worker in the scheme
for her ehslavement.
Principles of eternal truth and Justice, which
lie at the foundation of Christian civilization,
and upon which repose the rights of humanity,
are deflntIy assaIled by the power that con-
trolls in cur National Government Those
truths, decIaratory of the natural ard inaIiena-
ble rights of man. contained in the Great Char
ter of our liberties, are condemned by our
highest judicial authority as unmeaning and
false The sanctuary of our Courts of justice
is closed against an entire race Of men. The
poor and downtroden are not allowed to petit
tion for a redress of their wrongs, in those trlb-
unals of human government that should most
nearly represent the benefcent attributes OF
the Creator and fual Judge Of ell meu.
In view of these incontestibe faCts-of the
wrongs perpetrated against the rights OF Amer
lean citizenship and the dangers to which our
liberties are eyposed-thus presented in Its
true aspect-the contest before rs assumes
dignity rarely given to human affairs, and I'M
poses duties upon our citizens as high aud SOL
emn as ever appealed to the hearts and con-
sciences of men. The question is before us
from its demands there is no escape. Declue
we must, either for the right or forthe wrong
Sooner or later the verdict of this great Com
monwealth must be pronounced on the issues
forced upon the country by the advocates Oh
human bondage History will record that YER
dict to her enduring honor, or to her everlast'
ing shame.
The repeal of the Missouri Restriction, and
the attempt to force slavery upon Kansas oy
fraud and violence, prcciptated upon the coun,
try conflict between the antagonstlc systems
of free and servie labor. In the issue OF thi'
conflict is involved the democratic character
of our institutions of government, and the III
dependence, dignity and rights OF 'he "e0
white laboring man and his posterlty'
Slavery is the deadly enemy of free laGor; t.
The two cannot coexist on the same heid Oh
enterprise. Either labor will vndlcate lN
right or freedom, or it will sink into dePtns
dence and dishonor. Free labor Is clot"eu
with intelligence and power. 1t stands erecV
in the dignity of true manhood. 1t suS'alna