The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-05-16
Town Organization of Hyatt Kansas

$S@1 SA6o4AA1oeASA VI x2ydII AAHSdS.
A meeting of the CITIZENS of the
town of Hyatt, Kansas. was held at
that place on the End day of May,
1857. Capt. Isaac Hull, was ap-
pointed Chairman, and G. ]. FARLEY,
Secretary. By invitation. w. F. N.
Army, Esq, addressed the meeting in
relation to the present unprotected
condition of the citizens of this town,
AID presented the following declara-
ton of rights, and plan eff town gov
eminent, which after discussion were
unanimously adopted.
DECLARATION OF RIGHTS.
We. the undersigned, citizens of the
United States, inhabitants of Kansas
and settlers of the town of Hyatt, in
convention assembled, do hereby or
Iganize ourselves into legal corporate
community. subject to laws of our
own making. and to. such laws as may
from time to time be enacted by rep
resentatives of our own choice, and
to the constitution of the United
States, and to such laws of the gene
raj government as are in accordance
Herewith. Holding fast to the tradi-
tions Of our fathers in respect to hu-
man rights, wereceive these truths as
self evident, "that all men are born
free and equal that they are endow-
ed by their creator with certain inal-
ienable rights; that among these are
life, liberty, and the pursuit of hap
piness; that to secure these, govern
ments are instituted among men, de-
riUing Aeir Just POWERS FROM THE con-
SENT OF THE GOVERNMENT that when
ever any form of government becomes
destructive of these ends" Tor any
community is without government, J
it is the right of the people to alter OF
abolish it," or "to institute a new
government, laying its foundation ON
such principles, and organizing its
powers in such form as to them shall
seem NEST likely to effect their safety
and happiness" !"
The citizens of the town of Hyatt,
being without any government of an
operative character, and without Off
GERS or organization, are necessarily
thrown back upon that individual SOW
ereignity contemplated in "the or
ganic act of the Territory" and an
nouFced by the trainers of the act, as
"the squatter sovereignty principle. +"
AS the only divine right :" of
governing, emanates from the people,
it follows that the sovereignty of
the individual is FIRST, the sovereign
ity of communities next, the sover
eignity of associated communities or
States, third, and the sovereignty of
union of States is last and least.
All history warns us that the ten
dency of power is to Capitalization
This danger if less apparent in repub-
lies than in despotisms, is still immi.
nent at all times thus, eternal Wig
ilance," is now as it has ever been,
" the price of liberty"
The object of our present union and
organization is that we may have the
benefit of claw and ORDER We
have waited already too long for the
action of the general government
We have proved to the world our de-
sire for peace, and our respect for le-
gally constituted authority. To ac-
quiesce longer in the present anarchi-
cal state of affairs, would be to stultify
ourselves in the eyes of the nations,
and to prove ourselves to be unfit to be
freemen. When the officers of the
general government shall have awak
ened to true sense of their response
bilitieS to the people, and their allie
glance to freedom, and shall extend
to us the benefits of that constitution
which should be their guide and our
defence, then we shall be ready to
yield an active obedience, in place of
a passive enon-resistance.
But while we thus proclaim our
selves lovers of peace, and conserva-
tors oc order, while we thus acknowl-
edge the legally constituted authority
of the general government, and our
respect for all its constitutional enact
ments, while we seriously and earn
estly depreeate the least collision with
its exercise of even doubtful or un-
constitutional powers, we still cannot
forget our dignity as men, nor our
rights as freemen.
Prudence" 1--WE quote the Ian
guage of our fathers. Prudence "
dictates, "that governments long es-
tablished, should not be changed for
light and transient causes and &C
cordingly all experience has shown
that mankind are more disposed to
suffer while evils are sufferable, than
to right themselves, by abolishing the
forms to which they are accustomed"
But aClen community. finds themselves,
as aCe now are, aOithout dny form of
government, 1T Is THEIR RIGHT, 1T is
THEIR DUTY, TO PROVIDE THEMSELVES
WITH GOVERNMENT, AND THE NECEssA
RY GUARDS FOR THEIR FUTURE SECURITY
A denial of this right of self gov
eminent. is the keystone in the arch
of every despotism. Upon this denial
rests to-day, the throne of every ty-
rant, and the superstruction of every
DENIED TO MAN, IT IG-
MED TO A PEorLE, 1T CRusHEs OUT THE
OF THE MASSES.
Self government is the life blood
of liberty! Self government is free
doms divine pulsation Deprived of |
it man becomes chattle; Deprived