Freeman's champion., 1858-02-18

From the Lawrence Republican,
The Free State Idea. aoW

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Different motives have, undoubt-
edly, actuated different men in the
support Of the Free State party.
Some have acted with that party, be-
cause it was the popular side7-be-
cause there was to be- found the
intelligence, virtue and numerical
strength Of the people. Others have
done so, because they desired Kan
.zas to be a free State, merely on eco
grounds -because houses,
lots and farms would be worth more
in a free State than in slave State.
Others were exasperated and dis
gusted with the fraud and villainy
practised by the ro-slaveryites in
order to defeat the popular will.
Others have seen, or fancied they saw,
in the prcdominating power and in
Aucnce Of the Free State party the
sure road to oofficial promotion. But,
over and beyond all these influences,
other and more numerous than all
these classes, the great rank and file
of the Free State party, the bone and
sinew Of the organization, has been
composed Of men who hate Slavery
and Lore Liberty; and that hatred
and that love not based upon low,
mercenary considerations-upon the
value of town lots and prairie claims,
but ubon the inherent wrongfulness
Of Slavery and the inherent rightlhl-
ness Of Liberty In other words, the
anti -Slavery iaea has been and is, the
great informing idea of the Free State
movement. 1t is this which has Civ
en- that movement such tenacity--
such unyielding obstinacy Of pur-
pose-such moral power--such in
vincibility, 1t is this which has en-
abIed it to withstand the barbarous
outrages Of the Border RuflianS on the
one hand, and the corrupting and de-
basing Influences OF selfish and hypo-
critical demagogueism, on the other.
1t is this, which will finally carry it
triumphant over all opposition, to
complete and glorious success.
A great victory will finally be
achieved here. This will finally be a
free State. All the John Calhoun
Constitutions in christendom, backed
up by all the Lecompton woodpilc
returns and Jack Henderson iorgeries
that can be made till doomsday, will
never make Kanzas slave State,
The popular movement for freedom
and free institutions may be moment
arily checked, but only to rush on
ward again with increased and over
whelming volume. Conservatism,
falsely SO called, and Democracy
more falsely SO called, may each
strive to turn aside this great current
Of the popular feeling and will, but i
will be in VAN. The People OF Kan
zas hate and loathc the very name o
"Domocracy," 1t has become tc
them, and justly SO, the synonym o
all that is cruel, treacherous, hypo
critical, debased and damnable. Ev
cry outrage that they have suffered
every wrong that they have endured
tho utter prostration Of all thei
rights, the cruel mockery oftheir sui'
feringsAall has been in the name ant
for the sake of" "DemocracyP Grea
Heaven The Free State party to g.
into the ranks Of the Democracy
| It would have been as reasonable 10
the Victorious army Of Washington
at Yorktown, to have gone over I,
the defeated and depised legions o
CORVALLIS, Tarloton and the Tories
No in the grand victory which shall
surely DO won upon these centra
plains and ,prairies Of the continent
you shall behold the triumph, tn
glorious and complete triumph, 0
the one, grand, central idea, whicl
has loomcd up amid tho whole con
test, giving toit immortal energy an
ceaseless renown--tho idea Of Libcrt
-pure, true, undetilcd RErunLIcA'
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