The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-06-12
Speech Of Senator Wilson at Topeka

Zen. Wilson spoke several times 70 spon-
taneously-gathered meetings Of the people,
during his recent hurried visit to Kansas.
Everywhere he Was received with enthusiasm.
The whole population, men. women and
children, turned out to greet and hear him.
OF what he said, the following report Of his
speech at Topeka, will furnish . proper
idea -
Senator Wilson commenced by thanking
the audience for the honor they had done
him, and for their cordial GREETINGS. He
had no advise to give the people concerning
any particular mode Of action. He had en-
tire confidence in the fidelity Of the people Of
the Territory to the cause Of Freedom, and
in their capacity to decide for themselves the
best modes Of actions to secure the objects
they had in view. and to vindicsts their own
rights, without interference from friends or
foes out Of the Territory. He had come to
the Territory to see the country % cherished
in the hearts Of the lovers Of Liberty, and
to see the people whose heroic endurance Of
wrongs and outrsges had won tho affections
Of the men who loved Justice and Freedom
and loathed wrong and oppression. He
could assure the men, aye the women OF
Kansas, that the people Of New England, Of
the great central States, Of the West, cher
ished In their bosoms the profoundest admir-
alton Of their self sacrificing constancy and
devotion. Around tens Of thousands Of
Christian fresides, prayers daily ascend to
Almighty God for Kansas and the people of
Kansas. They lived IN the affections aud
the memories Of the people Of the North,
and were borne IN their prayers to the
God Of piece, Liberty and Justice The
fields Of Kansas which had been pressed by
the heel of Border Rutianism and redeemed
by the blood Of Barber, Brown, Hoyt, Phil
lips, Buaum, and many other victims Of the
hand Of violence, were dear to tho loyers OF
Freedon-the people Of Kansas who had re-
sisted aggression, adhered to principle, and
endured outrage, were ende red to them by
u thousand associations The people Of the
North having failed before the nation TO %.
cnre Kansas to Freedom by National legisla-
ton, looked now hopefully To the people Of
the Territory 10 secure the admission OF
Kansas as Free State. To aid in the work
they had contributed tens Of thousands OF
dollars, and encouraged their brave SONS and
noble daughters to leave their homes, bid
farewell TO the haunts OF childhood and the
associations Of kindred and friends, to come
to this new land and endure the privations
incident to new country, to restore these
glorious fields and Territory, once consecrat
I'd forever to Freedom Tor all men, to Free
dom again. The hopes, the Efforts, the sac
rifces, the prayers Of the people OF the
North, he felt continent, would DO crowned
by success. The heroic devotions the endur-
ing constancy, the answering fidelity Of the
men and women of Kansas. would save her.
would yet overthrow the infamous code i'm
pissed upon the Territory by an armed usur-
ration, although it was recognized, sane
toned and upheld by an Administration
that had just ps.sed away, and its successor.
Kansas was cousccrated to Freedom The
,laye Power looked upon the beautiful fields
with hungry eyes Congress, in obedience
to the will Of that power, opened this glori-
Gus land, the ct above of toiling freemen, to
the blighting footsteps OF the bondmen.-
Horde. Of lawless invaders poured over the
Missouri, seized your government, forced up
ON you hateful laws, established slavery,
supported their acts by armed invading le-
gions, redeemed your fields with blood and
illumined your skies with the light Of sacked
and burning abodes Of frcemen. The gov
eminent recognized and now sustains the
usurpation. But oil the deeds Of violence
will ANONYMOUSLY fall. In spite Of all the
acts OF border ruffanism, in spite Of the ef-
forts OF political power, in spite Of all the
seductions Of Office, the free-men Of Kansas
will win glorious triumph, They had al-
ready settled the Question-settled II by their
fidelity, devotion, suftrings. Thousands Of
men, with motives as pure and aims rs loft y
as ever swayed the heart Of the Puritans,
had rushed to these fields, and by their in
telligence, their industry. their strength and
their hIed resolve, had made il impossible
TO continue slavery in this fair Territory.
Border ruthauism may do its worst, the Bu-
chanan administration may reward with Of.
fetal position the men from whose hands the
spots Of blood will not out, but all the ef-
forts Of power. all Establishments and 81
auctions viii fail to pcrpetuate human slave
~ in Kansas. A cunningly devised plan,
which closed against the actual settlers OF
the season, the ballot boIes, which has en-
rolled men beyond the Missouri, on the 9TH
CT side oi the line, 4 plan % carried out
that tho people are made Pow erless in the
choice Of delegates To the Convention. will
not accomplish the object Of making Kansas
a slave State. AL, all Of the appliances
would fail, because the people were true
to the great principles, to the mighty I'M
pulse that brought them into the Territory;
and BY their deeds, by the daily beauty OF
their lives, they wers winning over to Free
dom many who came here to blast these rich
feds with slavery. He should return home
with the conviction that neither fraud nor
violence, nor the Establishments Of power,
could perpetuate in Kansas tho 0dious and
infamous code Of Slave LAWS that darkened
the statute book Of the territory. These
laws had received the sanction Of the Ma
tioual Government, but they will. 70 down
before the people. The ccnsus-tkers had
fospd but IS 900 inhabitants and 1000 vo-