The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-08-22

look back to the commencement of our
struggle, and to gather lessons from eur
early experience.
The first Delegate Convention of tAe
Free State party convened in Kansas, and
the one at which the party was christened,
was held at Big Springs on the 9th of
September, 1866. Delegates were in at
tendance from nearly every district in
Kansas. The Convention was in session
for two days and its action was harmon
ious. We copy the following preamble
and resolutions from the proceedings of
that Convention, which were received
with three hearty cheers, and adopted by
acclsmation:-
Hhereas, The Free State party of the
Territory of Kansas, about to originate an
organization for concert of political action,
in electing our own officers and moulding
cur institutions: and schereas, it is expe-
dient and necessary that platform of
principles be adopted and proclaimed to
make known the character of cur organi-
zation-and to test the qualifications of
candidates and the fidelity of our men,
bers: and tcherras, we find ourselves in an
unparalleled and critical condition-de.
prived by superior force of the rights
guaranteed by the Declaration of 1ndepen-
eence, the Constitution of the United
States, and the Kansas Bill: and aahereas,
the great and orersha1owing question,
whether Kansas shall become Free or
Slave State, must inevitably absorb all
other issues except those inSeparably con-
nected with it: and tohereas, the crisis de-
mands the concert and harmonious action
of all those who from principle or inter-
est, prefer free labor to slave labor, as
well as to those who value the prcserva-
ton of the Union and the guarantees of
Republican institutions by the Constitu-
ton, therefore:
ResolUed, That setting aside all the mi
ner issues of partizan politics, it is incum-
bent upon us to proffer an organization
calculated to recover our dearest rights,
and into which Democrats and Wings,
Native and Naturalized citizens may free
ly enter without any sacrifice of their re-
spective political creeds, but without fore
ing them as test upon others. And that
when We shall have achieved our political
freedom, vindicated our rights of self
government and become an independent
State of the Union, when those issues
may become vital as they are now dor
mallt, it will be time enough TO divide our
organization by these tests, the impoitanc
of which we fully recognize in their ap-
propriate sphere.
RESOLVED, That we viii oppose and re-
sist all nonresident voters at our polls,
whether from Missouri or elsewhere, as
gross violation of our rights, and a viz
tual disfranchisement of our citizens.
Resolued, That our true interests social
ly, morally and pecuniarily, require that
Kansas be FREE STATE; that free labor
will best promote the happiness, the rapid
population, the prosperity and the wealth
of our people; that slave labor is a curse
to the master and the community, if not
to the slave; that our country is unsuited
to it, and that We will devote our ener-
gies as party to exclude the institution
from, the Territory, and secure to Kansas
the Constitution of free State.
The position in that platform was to
eschew minor questions, and to unite in
the great and all-absorbing question of
making Kansas free. Party politics, as
found in the States, was passed over in
silence, and Democrats, Wings, Natives
and Naturalized citizens, all in favor of
making Kansas Free State, came together
to form the Free State party.
For nearly two years We have been
struggling to maintain that platform. We
defy the world to show the most trifling
departure in single instance on our part
from its requirements. We have been
laboring to get all men who were in favor
of the freedom of Kansas, though he were
Democrat, to act with us. Such we shall
continue to do and instead of being read
out ofthe party we begin to feel that if
there any to be read out of the party it
shall be those who adopt narrower line
of policy, and who are desirous of con-
verting the Free State party of Kansas
into Republican or National Democratic
party. To those who have thus acted,
and who arc continuing TO act we must say,
hands of, gentlemen! You are DEF arting
from the measures which called us into
existence. We shall turn no sommersets
with you, but we shall stand upon the old
platform and shall labor on it, and to all
men, we don't care who they are, or where
they have. acted in the past, if you will
come forward, and plant yourself fairly
upon the Free State platform of 1855,
adopted by the party before its leaders
had gone in pursuit of strange gods, you
are welcome to stand with US. There are
but two parties in Kansas, and there en-
be no other until Kansas is State. These
parties are pro-slaycry and anti-slayery.
The former, as we showed in our last
issue, has changed its name from time to
time; but the ass continues the same long
cared animal, and that without regard to
the different names he assumes. He is
Just as much an ass, with the name of
donkey as he was with the other platform,
and lions skin disguise can only cover
him temporarily.
Some of the Free State leaders have
thought to set up the Republican, and
Others Democratic standard to try men
by. Again we say it won't work, and re-
peat, the only test Of fidelity to the Free
State party which shall be recognized
among US is that which the party has es-
tablished in solemn convention, and that
Is devotion to the making of Kansas
Free State, and that without regard to
the manner it is thought the most practi-
,o5,la n, make II esfrh