Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1858-03-18

coveted the land. The Slave States
could rot fail to sympathize with them.
Ii seemed as If no organization oi
GovcrnmeGt could be effected IA the
Territory. The Senator from Illinois
(Mr. Douglass projected a scheme.
Under his vigorous leading, Congress
created two 'i'eiritofics--N Nebraska and
Kansas. The. former fthe more Nori
thcfn one might, it was supposed, toe
settled without Slavery, aud become 4
Free State. or several Free States
The latter (the Southern ouc) was ac-
ccssible to the Slave States, bordered
on one OF them, and was regarded a
containing region inviting to Slave
holders. SO it might be settled by
them, aud become one Oh more Slave
States. Tins Indirectly further
compromise might be effected. if tho
Missouri prohibition of 1920 should b,
abrogatcd. Congress abrogate,l it
with the special and effective co-ope-
ration of the President. and thus The
National Government directly inter
vcned in favor of Slave labor.
iGnd rcmonstraaccs against IT,
measure on the ground of its violation
of the national laith were silcnced by
clamorous avowals of discovery thai
Congress had never had any right {,
intervene in the Territories for ol
ageinSt Slavery, but that the citizens
of the L. .,itcd States residing within. .
Territory had, Ike the people of every
State, exclusive authority and iuris-
diction over Slavery, rs one of the do
nestle relations. The Kansas Ne
braska act only recognized and affirm
ed this right, as it was said. The
theory was not indeed new. but . Va
grant one, which had for some time
gone about seeking among political
parties the charity of adoption, under
the name qf Squattcr Sovereignty II
was now brought to the font, and bsp-
tizcd with the more attractive appclla.
tion of Popular Sovereignty. 1t ws'
idle for time to say that. under tn,
Missouri prohibition, frcemcn in tn,
Territory had all the rights which frcl
men could dcsirc--pcrfcct freedom t,
do every thing but establish Slavery
Popular Sovereignty offered the indul,
gcncc of taste of the frnit of the tree
of the knowledge of evil as well as o
good-a more perfect freedom. lnso
much as the proposition seemed tc
come from Free State, the Slay,
States could not resist its scductions
although sagacious men saw that they
were dclusivc. Consequently a small
and intellectual stream OF Slave l3bcl
was at once forced iLto Kansas, engin.
ccrcd by large number of politicians
advocates at once of Slavery and o
the Federal Administration, who pro
cccdcd with great haste TO prepare The
means so to carry the first election,
as 10 obtain the laws 4ecessary for til,
protection of Slavery. 1t is one thing
however, to cXpungc statutes from 1
national code, and quite another tC
Subvcrt national institution, ever
though it bc only Il monument of Free
dom located in the desert. Nebraska
WAS resigned to free labor without 4
struggle. and Kansas become thea
ter of the first actual national conflict
between Slavcholding and free labor
iml,ligrants, met face TO face, to or
ganizc. through the machinery of re
publican action, civil community.
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF KANZAs-Cos.
TEST BETwEE.. FEEE-sTATE AND PRO
SLAVERY MEN.
TIE parties differed as widely ii
their appointments, conduct, and bear
ing, as their principles. The free la
borcrs came into the Territory Will
money, horses, cattle, implements, and
engines, with energies concentrated b,
associations and strengthened by tho
recognition of some of the States
They marked qut falg,s, and sites fcj
mills, towns, and cities. and proceeded
at once to- build, to plow. and 70 SOW
They proposed to debate, to discuss
TO organize peacefully, and to vote, ant
to abide the canvass. The Siaye-labol
party entered the Territory irrcgularly
stakcd out possessions, marked them
and then. in most instaI. -es, withdrew
To the Ststes from which they had
come, to sell their new acquisitions, ol
TO return and resume them, as circum.
stances should render one course q
the other cxpcdient ag,cg left armed
men in the 1crritors to watch and
guard, and to summon external aid
either to vote or to fight, as should b,
found necessary. They were fortiliec
by the favor of the Administration
aud assumed t. act with is authority
Intolerant Of debate, and dofielt, the,
hurried on the elections which were t.
be so perverted, that an usurpatioI
should be established.
They rang out their summons whcI
the appointed time came, and armed
bands of partizans, from States neal
AMI remote, invaded and entered th'
Territory, with banners. ammupitio..
provisions anil forage, eLa encamped
around the polls. They seized Tho
ballot boxes, replaced the Judges o
elections with partizans of their own
drove away their opponents, filled ths
boxes with a. many votes as the cxig
cncies demanded, and, leaving the Re
suits to be returned by reliable hands,
they marched back again to their dlis
tant ZONES, to celebrate the colgucst
and exult in the prospect of the esrab
Iishment Of slavery upon the soil sc
long consccrated to freedom. Thus
in single day, they became parents
of a State without affection for it
and childless again witheut bareavc
ment. in this first hour of trial, tho
NV system of popular soveTcigni.