The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-06-13
LAWRENCE, KANSAS. SATURDAY,

consequently the capitalist invests his
money in those roads which promise to
pay best. Can we, dare we hope that cap
itaiists will aid us in the construction of
railroads in sparsely settled State, where
they can invest it in reads IN more densely
! populated localities | have no such hope
If it were not for the capital of the State
being sunken in Slaves, the day might
possibly come when we could build our
own roads; but slavery viii sink out capt.
tai and compel us to, for years to come,
submit to the common wagon road or the
more narrow Indian path. If Kansas had
10 rival, competitor for the great Pacific
railroad, possibly our internal improve
ment interests might suffer some less. If
/ the road could not pass any other way,
than to traverse our Territory, then we
should have but little to fear, but the case
is different one. Nebraska is preparing
her claims for the road and has recently
secured large appropriations for the estab-
lishment of a good wagon road, and when
we recollect that the capital to build
roads as well as the men to construct them
belong to the North, can we doubt which
route will be selected should this be made
slave State To make this slave
State then, will be to decide that the
great Pacific railroad, soon to become lv-
| ing reality, shall not pass through the Ter
ritory of Kansas, is the connecting link be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific and between
the snowy regions of the great northern
lakes and the Gulf of Mexico on the
South. She has right to her claims for
the great highway of nations; will her
people load her with great sinking
weight will they curse her by drawing
| her down with chains of slavery? l cam
not believe it.
Missouri thouglrsettled almost genera
ton, has not yet, in many places, a good
foot path for horseman. Dare we hope
to outstrip her and carry the same weight
If any one wishes to see the effect that
slavery has on the internal improvement
of State let him compare one or two of
the States. New York in 1851 had loo
miles of canal and some 5000 miles of
railroad, while Virginia, the glory of the
whole South, has but 200 miles of canal,
and some 700 miles of railroad. True, she
is making laudable exertions to make
more, but while she pays to her workmen,
for constructing these Improvements, the
sum of 100000, New York pays out
95,000,O00. If Pennsylvania is compared
with North Carolina, the difference is still
greater. The former State has about 1900
miles of railroad and canal, while the latter
has 261 miles. And the same result will
appear if other States are compared Pos
sibly our railroad interest might not suffer
quite SO severely were we contiguous to a
large fourishing Free State. In thatease,
her success would result in our gain. But
I this is not the case, we are placed in the
rear of Missouri, large State, but not
| fiourishing one in internal improvement or
wealth. To make Kansas slave State,
in such circumstances, then will be to de-
eide the fate of its internal improvements
! for the next twenty years.
Again, if we examine the figures we
| shall find similar results with reference to
other important interests. Turn to COM
merce moment and see the vast superior.
| ity of freedom over slavery. The imports
and exports of New Y orlz in the wear 1853
amounted to over 81, 100000, while those
of Virginia were 100000. The imports
and exports of Pennsylvania the same year
amounted to 31,00OO00, while those of
North Carolina were 100000. The same
result will appear if other States are COM
pared. The TRUTHS where the capital of
| State is invested in blacks, commerce, with
other interests must drag along. A State
or Territory that strikes down the dignity
of labor and individual enterprise cannot
have but little commerce.
/ Again, take the manufacturing interests? ?
1t is thought by many that Kansas is not
and never can be a manufacturing State.
Let us examine the facts. Our position is
midway between the great oceans, about
third the distance from England, the
great workshop of nations round the
globe. One-half of the Territory belongs
to the great grain growing valley of the
Mississippi, while the remainder is the
buffalo pasture land. No country In the
West is so well adapted TO wool growing
as the vast plains of Kansas none better
, fitted to cattle raising than the natural
ground for the buffalo. The numerous
and varied water falls which are heard TO
murmur from the summit of the Rocky
mountains to the very banks of the Mis-
sour, together with the vast extent ei
Territory covered with the most nutricious
grapes in the world, together with an un-
equalled manufacturing population cause
. the statesman to regard the manufacturing
r interest of this Territory with especial
interest.
/ Whether we profit by these great natural
e advantages or not, depends on the choice
!, we make of free or slave labor
Kansas is settling with no inferior popu
4 lation. The United States has sent he
n best sons here. Education, refinement
. energy, enterprise, with thousands skilled
? in all the arts of the East are already witt
d us. Whether we give them scope to ex
:, ert their powers or cause them to retir,
n before the whitening seourge of slave labo
/ depends on ourselves. If Kansas states
: men are watchful of her true interes;
!, the day is not far distant when she vii
n manufacture for not only Missouri, and tn
S southwest, but viii fayorably compet
!, with the workshops of either nelo or oil
!. England.
s Our mountains are filed with Ticl
j, breezes, our rivers run salt and thei
; banks viii furnish the purest sand 70
e glassware. If we sustain the dignity o
n labor, and give full scope to indiyidus
e enterprise, the day is not distant whenth
e natural resources of the Territory viii be
e come grand source of wealth. Slave
it never can and never susR develop the nat
y ural resources of our country Their fin
ltI gers are uIsuited to turn the numerou
$ wheels of complicated machinery SO ne
e cessary 10 the manufacturing arts. i
o then, we do not feel the evils of SLAYER
it now, we shall feel them when circsIm
n stances compel Us to orely on cur own en-
eTgies and natural resources. Trace slay
d labor where you viii and you viii find
Ie curse TO State. 1t paralyzes indisidus
lie enterprise BY striking down the dignit
IT and price of labor The country languis1
e. IS under it and free labor retires before i
se and while it strikes down the dignity an
e price of labor at the same time it destroy
n the demand for iabofefs. The Unite
e. States census for 1850 shows that Ne
II Vnxf- Al 10sA 0zs3 900 = 4