The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-05-09
AN ADDRESS

AMI hANSAS- TERRITORY. BY TIL
FREE STATE Topeka CONVENTION
The Committee, appointed by th,
late Free State Convention, held a
Topeka, K T., On the 10th of March
1857, to whom was committed tn
charge of preparing an address to thu
American people. have prepared. anJ
respectfully submit the following:
The Pro-Slavery Convention. which
assembled at Leeompton, Januar,
18th. 1857. have issued an "atlaress'
which has been spread BROADCAST
over the States. In this pamphlet an
attempt is made to palIiate the crimes.
and excuse the outrages. of which fh4
Pro-Slavery party--sailing under the
eolors of "Dsmocracy"-have been
guilty, in the Territory. Nay more.
1t is sought to throw the entire blame
and responsibility of the Affections
which have been visite1 upon the set
tiers and residents Of Kansas, on the
Free State men, and those active and
earnest patriots who have labored with
an energy that knows no defeat. and a
will that knows no faltering, in behalf
of freedom and free labor.
The burden of the address is that
the Free State party initiated and in
augurated revolutionary and incendia-
ry proceedings; that they rallied
against the enforcement of legal enact
ments. laughed to scorn the authori-
ties, and beat back the officers of JUS
tiee, thereby necessitating the ..law
and order men" to take up arms for
the preservation of peace. and for the
punishment of traitors. They brand
Lime. Robinson anil Reeder and host
OF other good men anu true, as hired
emmisaries. animated by fllibuster-
ing spirit, hostile to the Constitution,
foes to the Union of the States, and
enemies to the prosperity and we'll be
ing of tn, Territory They represent
themselves to have been innocent, law
abiding, AMI inollensive, earnestly in
favor OF peace and repose in Kansas,
anil eni their address with a great
rhetorical flourish, and oomb bastic as
surances of patriotic devotion to their
country. their party and their God.
To unmask the hypocrisy, to ex-
pose the falsehoods. and reveal the
contradictions AMI Inconsistencies of
this address, would be supeffiuous. for
the throes and the anguish. the indig-
mites and the expressions, which tue
Free State men have suffered are writ
ten in characters of blood, and burned
into the msmory of every honest citi-
zen of our country. SHbteriuge and
deceit. b-azen falsehooi and base per-
jury can avail nothing, for the great
truths. in the gigaatic wrongs of Kan
sas history, have been seen and known
and pondered of all men. and will
stand like the Egyptian pyramids, to
surprise and the wonder of coming
generations.
The Free Safe men have violated
no law, for that which is not just is no
law, and that which Is devoid of JUS
tice should not be o5e5ei. The code
attempted to be forced upon them was
no, enacted for proper Legislation, for
the regulation and protection of soci-
ETY., and for the development of the re-
sources of the country, but to enSlave
the body AMI soul of every citizen,
and to rivet the in H;titution Of slavery
upon a soil conserrated to freedom.
No honest man could endorse or ssib-
scribe to such a cole. anl the Free
State men did not. Yet they raisel
no arm, neither committed any vio-
lenoe against their oprpes>ors. But
when they were driven from their
homes, and their families treated with
unheard of cruelty by this self-siyled
Law and Order" party, then it was
that all the higher voices of their ma
ture appealed to them 20 rise and pro-
tect their rights and liberties. or sink
to the level of serfs. The blood and
the manhood and the muscle of North :
ern Freemen could brook no more. for
forbearance bad ceased to be a virtue,
and the time was come when they
must vindicate their courage. and es-
tablish their right to the title of MEN.
But whea their invaders were driven
back, and the dissensions in \ measure
quieted, they once again returned to
til, more congenial pursuits of p a,e,
and devoted themselves. with activity
and energy. to the industrial oecupa-
tions which they loved.
1t is our purpose to present a brlei
though comprehensive sketch of what
has transpirel in Kansas since the
passage of the K.nsa,-Ns 'raska bill.
and to let the American people ln lgr
for themselves whether or not th' : To- =.
State party have acted as-'~f s;,,p, - o
dictates OF Justice, "iiu ol
- Mss.,,o. ~, icy have been wrong
VI "ns1, ,.'',.ased, aud whether they or
j.. j. ",, sa,f .syied claw aud Order party"
.aS .S s"esponsible for the crimes and the
,.ood which have stained the virgin
soil of the Territory.
But in this cause we must take our
proper position. The Free-State par
ty of Kansas cannot act upon the de-
fensiye before a tribunal where the
American people sit ss Judges. We
arraign the self-sty1ed Law and Or
der party', of Kansas as guilty Of
high crimes and misdemsanors. we
charge upon them the burden of gull.
and o. wrong, and we only ask far
and honest verdict from the evidence
sad arguments we may all,inee.
Although ths Kansas Nebraska Bill
wss violently opposed at the time of.
its presentation to Congre IS by a de.
cidei majority of thu Northern Rep,
resentatiyes. backad by tia opinion of
their constituents. it was endorsed as
"a law,,by the citizens of Kansas who
desirejonly to have its principles aud
proviy yons faithfully carried out. a.
Il. Reder was appointed Governor of
the Territory under the Bill, and q
lape Northern Emigration poured in