The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-06-20
An Address,


An Address,
To THE PEOPLE OF TIE UNITED STATES AND
/ KANSAS TERRITORY. BY THE FREE STATE
TOPEKA CONVENTION.
! The committee appointed by the late free
state convention. held at Topeka, X. T.. on
the 10TH of March. 1857. to whom was COM
mittcd the charge Of preparing an address to
the American people. have prepared and re-
>pcctfully submitted the tollowins:- -
The pro-slavcrv convention. which as>emb-
led at lccomp,oE. January 18th. 1857. have
issued an "ad(lrrss which has been spread
broadcast over the states. In this pamphlet
an attempt is made to paIliatc the crimes and
excuse the outragc> of which the pro-slaverv
party-Salling under the co!or> of "dcmocra-
cy have been guilty in the ,crr,orv Nav
more. 1t is sought to throw the entire blame
and responsibility of the a.Iliction> which
have been visited on the settlers aud resi-
dents of Kansas on the free state men. and
those active and earnest patriots who have
laborcd with an energy that knows no ta!tcr-
The burden of the address is. that the free
state party initiated and inau-uratcd rcyolu-
tionary and iEccndiary proceedings. tha, they
rallied against the enforcement of legal en-
acimcntS laughed to >corn the authorities.
ana beat back the officers of Justice. thereby
nccrS>itating the law and order men to
take up arms for the preservation of peace
and for the punishment of traitors. They
brand Lane. c.Hobn>on and hccdcranr a hos,
of other good men and true. rs hired ennis
>arlc> animated by ilibu>,cring spirit hostile
TO the constitutions. foes to the union Of the
states. and enemies to the wcli-hciny of the
territory. They represent themselves to have
been innocent. lawahidiny and inoticn>iyc.
earnestly III favor of peace and rcposc in
Kansas. and end their address with q great
rhetorical flourish. and homha>tic assurances )
Of patriotic dc;otion to their coUntry to tn i,
r. unaa>k the hypocrisy. 20 expose the
f.I<rhaad> and rc,caI the contradictions ;..,,
Inconsistencies ot ;i.;> address. would he ~
pcrtuous. far y" thro>> I'D the anguish. the
indgniiie, AZ! the expressions. which ihc
free state men have suffered axe written in
characters Of blood. and burned into the
memory Of ever, honest citizen Of cur c,t;i:-
try. Suh:cr:j,-c au,! deceit. braztn fal>chood
and base perjury can avail ro,h;r-: for tn
grca; truths. i'll the gigantic wrongs OF Kan
Sa~ history. have been seen and known and
rondcrcl Of Ill mcu. a! will sand. like III,
Egyptian pyramids, to tn. surprise and III,
wonder OF coming generations
: The free state men have violated no law
for that which is moi jus, is not law. and that
which is devoid Of justice should not be ol, '
ed The code attempted to be forced upoi
them was not enacted tor proper legislation
: for the regulation and protection Of society
1 or for the development of TIE resources of
=. the country. hut to c,,>I.vc tLu body and sou
of every citizen. and r;vct the institution of
savcr, upon 4 soil con~ccra;cd to freedom
No hor,st man could endorse or subscribe t,
: such a code. and hc frcc state men did not
! Yet they raised no arm. neither colnmitcC
any violence against their orprc>>or>. Blu
when they were driven trola ;hcir homes. ant
their families treated with jnhear! of cruelty
by this sclf->t,lcd "law and order party
then it was tha; all the higher voices OF thci
nature appealed them to rise and protect tilci
rights and lihcrticS or sink to the level of
scrfs. The blood and the manhood an'
: the muscle Of northern trcc.ncn could brn0l
y no more. for forhcarancc had ceased to be
s virtue. and the time was come when thc'
! must vindicate their courage and establish
+ their right to the title of MEN.
But when the invaders were driven bacl,
y and the ,liSScnSions in manner quictcd. the,
once again returned to the more cOngcni;l
f pursuits of peace, and devoted them>clvc
f with activity and energy to the industrial oc
: cupatons which they loved.
1t is our purpose to present brief though
comprehensive sketch of what has transpirc'
r in Kansas since the passage Of the Kansas
g Nebraska bill. and to let the American pcopl
: Judge for themselves whether or not the frc
a state party have acted according to the die
4 tatcs Of Justice and of right-whcthcr or no
they have been wronged and outraged, ant
whether they or the sclf-stvlcd Z" law and or
: der party are responsible for the crimes an,
blood which have stained the virgin soil of
! the territory.
But in this case we must take our propC
i position. The free state party of kansa
+ cannot act upon the defensive before a tribu
i nal where the American people sit as Judges
We arraign the sclf-stylcd "law and orlc
party" of Kansas as guilty of high crime
: and misdemcanors; we charge upon then
t the burden of guilt and of wrong, and VT
. only ask fair and honest verdict from th'
evidence and arguments we may adduce.
Although the Kansas-NebraSka bill was Vi
olcntly opposed at the time of its presenta
g ton to Congress, by adecided majority Of th'
northern representatives, backed by thu
opinion of their constituents, it was endorse,
5 as "a law" by the citizens of Kansas. whC
desired only to have its principles and pro
, visions faithfully carried out. \. II. Rccde
was appointed Governor of the Territory, un
der the bill. and a large northern emigration
poured into the territory to test the questio,
. Of popular sovereignty" and secure free
! dom for Kansas by a numerical prepondcr
: ancc.
? The time came at last for electing terri
> torial legislature and Delegate to Congress
, How this election was carried is matter of
history. The Missourians poured into the
territory, violated the sanctity of the ballot
box. outraged all law and decency. and thwart
cd voice and the will of the actual residents
This was on the 3lst of March, lS55-a da,
y never to be forgotten-when the invading
hordes. with insulting banners on which were