The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-08-01
For tie H5raId af Freedom.
-. 1..:s;.,, .r5 xxTk,-, - L.,d 7.

Our Position and Why we hold t.
Before stating our present position, We
will state what it has been, and see if there
be good reason for the change. First,
when the people of Kansas were ovcrrun
by Missourians and driven from the polls,
it was clearly their right to take such
steps as to them seemed most likely to
result in the restoration of their lost rights.
They chose to form State government,
and apply for admission into the Union.
Their application did not meet with favor.
In our opinion, Congress should either
have promptly admitted them into the
Union, or have declared the bogus statutes
null and void. They did neither. That
the people of Kansas should for reason
able time hold on to their State organiza-
ton seems but reasonable.
1t isquite common, we believe, for peo-
pie who are in trouble to hope that
Something will turn up' that viii afford
them relief from this suffering or embar-
rassment. But in the present instance it
seems much like the person, who, in his
desperation, accepts the challenge to throw
up penny upon the condition, ''heads,
win, tails, you loose"
During the last Congress, when the
House was favorable to what is called the
Topeka movement we were rejected.
What can we reasonably hope when nei-
| ther branch of the National Government
favors our admission? To us it seems
like heads, Congress wins, tails, Kansas
looseS.
Our position, briefly, then, was, that the
Topeka movement was right. Our pres
ent position is that the people of Kansas
should go to the polls every time an op-
portunity is offered them. This we be-
lieyed in the spring, and only neglected to
advocate it because the people, at the To-
peka Convention of March last, had deci-
ded against it. Had the people generally
concurred with us in opinion, or, rather,
had not the Topeka Convention forstalled
public opinion by advising the people to
stay away from the polls, we might have
secured control of the Constitutional Con-
vention and thus have beaten the pro-
slavery party at their own game. But
what is still left open to Us? In October
We shall have an opportunity of electing
Territorial Legislature. We can thus
repeal the infamous code passed by Mis-
souri, and enact such one as the people
will be content to be governed by until
we have State Government, recognized
by the Federal Government. Is there
anything either impracticable or humilia-
ting in this course?
The only objection we have urged
against taking possession of the TERRITORIAL
Legislature and keeping it until we have
a State Government is, that should the
State Government emanate from the Ter
ritorial, the State would be saddled with
the debt arising from the service rendered
by the Territorial militia, which service
consisted in arresting innocent persons,
stealing horses, battering down and burn
| ing houses numbering persons who had
the folly to love liberty more than slavery,
&C., &. Now this is certainly to be avoid
ed by all means, if practicable. But what
! is the evidence that such is the fact?
ILLS, oil INV 1eA1
written to some friend of his in Lawrence.
No law or precedent is referred to to sub
stantiate the assumption-and assumption
it must be unless there be law or precedent
to that effect. But it is not an assumption
that should we be admitted under the
Topeka Constitution, we are saddled with
debt of 100000 more or less. We dc
not say that this latter should not be paid
but it is none the less debt, and we are
not able to see that it viii grow "beauti-
fully less and less" however long the time
that transpires before our admission, a:
ali the evidences of debt issued by the State
movement, are drawing ten per cent In.
tereSt per annum.
Now all are not able to see that howev.
er persistently we may urge our admis
sion under the Topeka Constitution. tha
it would be the most direct, or most de
: sirable way of entering the Union. Blu
persons who fail to come up to this ide;
are denounced as enemies of the Ere
Z State party. journals advocating an,
other line of policy are classed as pro
slavery. Now why all this? Suppose W
can be admitted under the Topeka Con
, stitiiti6n, why is this better than all othe
+ modes? This we express ourselves unzbl
to answer satisfactorily. But let us sup
I pose that glory and strife underlie thi
= movement, and all can see that there vii
+ be no lack of zeal in the Topeka move
e ment. For what movement ever lacke
: jealous advocates that was sufficiently un
! derlaid with glory and SCRIPT We do nc
4 near to condemn the love of either {
= these things; but when this love amount
8 8 to passion, and all else must be sacrifice
4 in order that they be attained, we mu!
4 not be considered as endorsing the idet
: as expressed by one of the warmest ad
. nlirers Of the Topeka movement, VIZ: tn;
Il the SUCCESS Of the movement was par;
ri mount to the liberties of the people
Kansas. We do not wish to find faul
All we wish is the liberty to express full
and freely our own views, just as we al
is cord the right TO all others. Now the
e, may be nothing but the good of the who
= people that aniniates and incites To actio
h those who are most urgent that the Topel
1t movement be adhere TO. But We belle,
d it is generally conceded point that ii
1, consciousness of correct position alwa,
y makes those who hold such positio
i ready to hear, careful to consider and slo
i to denoahce arr whom they may final
ot differ from. This determination to do
al good whether we will or not, reminds
Is of the zeal to do good to the poor Africa
IN which is not unfrequently manifested
al seeking out opportunities, that less zes
ar Gus persons would have suffered TO pa
,e unnoticed. aTe do good, and to commur
r cate forget moi, seems to be the motto
al some persons in Kansas. We have no o
ne lection TO this disposition to do good, b
n- simply wish that the zeal to do, may
le accompanied with the knowledge OF VII
T. Is good.
y, But we have. perhaps, pursued d
subject far enough for the present Y
have no disposition TO unnecessarily C
by up any unpleasant reeollections But
e, win not suffer ourselves who have nei
Il oi zen 2 nr1,- slavery vote fo be deuOunc