Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1858-05-21

crn men. The very worst class of 'bo,ic, . !,
hSnsas 'hc chief priests and scribcs Of Inc Pha-i
secs the active spirits and the fe-eaders Of the PRO
the frauds and vainie which have marked thr bi.,os,
OF Kansas FOR the last three years, q obliged and vel
ashamed 70 confess it, were from the free States AM
sorry mat 10 is 50. sorry that truth and Justice re-
guire this admission. But am aware st the same tim
mat ii is no new thing under the sun" slavery ha
aWays been accustomed 10 do its cowardly wei
a. s holdcs works Of aggression through the agency
9thcrn men Let the responsibility and the accounta
"",,} resi where they belong
me late Secretary and acting Governor Of the Terri
/ .oi{ himself informed that upon going 10 Kansa.
Ill., 5Shlus acquainted with the people. and the con.
uon OF parties there aud with their opinions and sent
Icnt, hc was not lttle surprised 10 find 80 MANY Of
We nnlnants who had gone to that Territory from the
Southein otatcs-and some Of them his old
. muh lenness.e-now acting earnestly and vigorously
win the ftecSatc partv-nen born and reared ,,hcr
'Fely existed who had always been proSlavery men,
ana VINO went 10 Kansas the friends and the advocates II
slavery But their observation had satisfied them
h"t the highest interest and urosuorifv Of the State
would be promoted by the exclusion Of Savcrvthat tho
opuntf was Vastly better adapted 10 free labor than 10
slave labor. II not that these southern mon had
any prejudice against the institution Of slavery hut they
ougnt 70 not adapted o. the soil and climate of KANSAS
nave also been told bv persons well arnuaintcd with
e state OF feeling and Of parties in Kansas that II the
question whether it should he free State or slave State
'unmtted 20 those alone who had gone there from
NE southern States they would decide without the aid
". single Northern vote, Ia favor Of making t free
ae have no reason TO doubt the Of this
'. as an index or the public sentiment there, and
among That class Of citizens In the TERRITORY upan this
Iu'sueh will state another fact in this connection
a ilpiUed upon good authority, that amnur the Free
,'ae members OF the present Territorial legislature
Iee OF them were originally from the State of virginia
alone, while there were hut five of tho Fro, state e,
ueds 9" mat Legislature from al the Now Enrand States
ihese facts alone, fprnsh an appropriate answer and
huns tnue to the persistent aud reiterated assertion
thAt te frec state party in Kansas is made up in great
t1 u nor quite altogether Of Northern fanatics and
Anoutonists,' sent ont under the PATRONAGE Of the
aSsaohnsetts smigrant Aid Society" / repeat then
en"t t1e question oi bringing Kansas into the Union
under Constitution recently devised NJ cropton is not
one which divides the people, either In Kansas or in the
states by old party lines or by geographical lines
II is not 10 be denied however that this is an Admin
NUauon moasure-most cmphatcally an Administi alton
mea.ute-and nrgs9 on with an infatuaton blind il
must prove To be fatal Yea, more, sir; IL is urged
WIN rccke-sness and desperation spirit a. needless
ana a. dch1nt N tho popular sentiment of the country
N' u''usNt INTO over Or as u is false 10 the prom
Hef ana assuranccs by which ID ullcd Tor time the
storm IN Kansas and inspired hopes and expectations in
e country only 10 await as it would SEEM the rekindl-
ing OF the flames 0f still fcrccr strife and 10 meet the
atc OF moro sad disappointment This issue Is urged
on 10y the Administration against the voice Of remou-
'"ance and Of warning from the great body Of the De-
mocacy Of the North and from many of IFS earliest and
most rihecnt supporters at the South and has
pc maue the touchsonc of political fidelity it, and II
political favor from IT, In the yigor and pertnacitv with
which this obnoxious is urged nv the Admin
siratlon we are furnished with another and striking
cmphcafon Of the ancient adage, Vhom the gods would
destroy they first make mad"
but Mr. President, the material question presents
itself 20 our consdcrat0uis this Iccnmpton Constitu
nn the act and deed Of the people of Kansas Do they
give the sanction Of their approvali Sir / undertake
to say what the whole country knows full yyeu 10 he
ue mat s Constitution Is not the act and deed Of the
people Of Kansas, and does receive tho sanction Of
their approval And by the people Of Kansas. mean
the mAoutythe great mass of her bona fde inhabitants
or TO speak perhaps with more technical accuracy the
majority Of her legal voters. undertake to say that
tins Constitution is but the result the bitter fruit the
logical sequence if you please, Of systematic scheme
OF violence and fraud bv which the people OF Kansas
have been pursued rodden down and deprived Of their
common rights citizens and freemen and hy which
small, unuTucinled. and uuscruuulous mil
been able to usurp and to WELD all the powers Of the
Territorial Government. Sir will not weary this body
by recital Of the oftold tale OF the wrongs and injuries
the subluga'on and the persecution Of the people Of
Kansas They all familiar the country or at least
to those who are willing 10 know the truth Of what
Wers betc purpose, for the moment in others TO deny
II is enough for this occasion say that this dynasty
Of usurpaton and tyranny installed in power by
armed invasion from the border counties a neighhor-
ing state az the first Territorial election on the 30th
day OF March, 1850 when the bona fde settlers
overpowercd and driven from the polls in every
district save one. and the election taken by force and
violence entirely out Of their hands The truth Of this
act has become historical II stands upon the authority
Of the inconrovcrtihlc testimony Of Governor Reeder
NE Investigations of a commission from the National
House OF Representatives, upon common noioretv and
upon the admissions Of the invading parties themselves
"hen upon their return to Missouri on the following day,
according 20 the account given by their ORGAN pub
shed at the time in Weston, they camc in with music
and banners and loud huzzas. making public and boast
iul proclamation that they had made clean sweep NJ
The Kansas election" Well sir, they did make a clean
weep Of that election. quito tempted to ask here,
'rcconce and in organized and armed companies rush
nto Delaware Maryland Virginia on election day.
md make clean sweep Of their legislative election
put the question, and leave it, unanswered for your
contemplation. leave the question be answered by
hose who deny our right to inquire into these things,
md who deny power authority 70 anply any cor
ecton or any means Of prevention. I will only remark,
~ the way, that the Of Territory, heing under tho
peculiar care and guardianship of the Federal Govern
nent, is much stronger than the Of n State.
With that spurious Territorial Legislature, nau-
Iurated reign OF nsurpaton and Of tyranny over the
people Of that Territory which has parallel in the his
tory OF the country and which has been maintained by
system OF fraud and violence, with the
knowledge and acquescence, If not with the
nd connvance, ~ the Federal Administration and with
me aid Of Federal troops, from that day the parturi
lion of the Lecompton Convention and this usurpaon,
maintained is the natural parent Of the Iecomptnn
md NJ whom speak, ahatc 'ot or title" from
he full measure and significance Of these declarations.
system Of terrorism thus established, under
which the most hagrau outragcs practiccd with inn
unity upon the prescribed Free State people Of Kansas
All protests against the egaty Of these elections were
Impressed code Of laws was enacted by this spur-
us Assembly, u keeping with its origin and charac
er and IN harmony with the purpose ofits creation, with
view 70 maintain the ascendncy OF the minority
he great majority Of the people, and which aimed
eady blow al the fundamental principles Of free govern
imposed its penalties upon the freedom OF
pecch upon the freedom OF the press upon the freedom
4 jury trial, and upon the freedom Of suffrage and
shch denounced the penalties Of felony against all who
hould call in question the legal existence Of Slavery or
he right 90 hold slaves in the Territory This bloody
ode enforced by fitting instruments 0f tho Govern
nent, and with spirit which seemed 70 eNut in its
leeds Of blood and hardarsm. The Free State men did
lot see t 20 acknowledge the authority of a Legislative
ssomby fostcd upon them by foreign Invasion They
I'd not t 90 recognise tho validity the binding
lrce and obligation Of its enactmonts yet ncverheless
ofrainng nom all Of resistance TO them They
ould do no less. They could acknowledge the au-
horty Of that spurious Assembly orits Had they
iadc any such humiang submission TO the demands 0f
surpaton and tyranny, they would have shown them-
elves unworthy the title and unworthy the privileges Of
american frecmen.
In this condition Of affairs, by voluntary movement
the people, aud with view Of adopting peaceful
ieasure Of relief from the dcspoiism under which they
ere then suffering, Convention holden at Topckn
September, 1855. AZ which a Constitution Of State
Government was framed, submitted to the pcuple
large, ratified by the popular voice, and was pre
ented to Congress- with AN appeal for admission under
into the Union That application was rejected these
ous-rcbeli0us, against q spurious Government IN
.ansas set up by invaders from Missouri and the
Of "Iopckaies has since been the slang phrase of
ugar reproach 70 the majority Of the people Of ansas
seems 10 have been quite forgotten that, in the case Of
ic admission Of Michigan, fundamental condition Of
cr admission had been rejected hy regular Delegate
onyentOn and that. subsequently, another Convcn-
on was formed by voluntary movement If the people
the people, aud By the exercise Of their own power
hch expressed the assent OF the people TO the prcrc
iisitc condition and That, thcrcupon she was admit
"a INTO the Union. Congress said then, say now
at mere forms and modes Of proceeding In such cases
e not 10 be regarded as absolutely essential The ma
rial fact 70 he asce ained was, they said them as we
~ now Is II the will Of the people? II matters little,
how ii is asccrtained provided always Il be satis-
ctory, reliable, and certain. The aScerf7iaed ,sR Of
@ sovereign people, hy whatever mode or manner Of
oceeding it have been manifested they said then