The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-05-06
TIKI. NATIONAL ERA: WASHINGTON D. G, MAY 6, 1858.

pSNSI3 WHICH 6Apfcb5SO the as 6fb Ol LDr pcO-
pie to the prerequisite condition an that,
tlsreupon, she was admitted fAto the Union.
Ctngress said then, as we say DOW, tina. mere
fogms and modes of proceedinl in such cases
are not to be regarded as sbsel utely %, sntisl.
T4e material fact to be ascerf lined We /, they
Sad then, as we say now, is II the will # the
people? 1t matters little, they raid thet as we
sag now, how that will is exprl ssed, or, ow it
is ascertained, provided alwayn it be q ,isfac-
tory, reliable, and certain. She asce aimed
soia of the sovereign people, bfwhsteve smode
OF manner of proceeding it y0ay hay been
manifested, they said then, as Va say nor must
BE- the rule and the controlling saw of II case.
sThe application of Kansas for ad, ission
ueder that Constitution was fAjected, I'd no
aaempt has ever been made TO put 1 into
operation. 1t was a proper, pSaceful not
al unprecedented mode of 81 oesling - Con-
geess for admission into the Union, "a for
relief from the oppressions of alien &Svern-
ment within her Territory. f|or this AN, and
III not acknowledging the auth yity of th. Gov
eminent which Missouri had 81 up over shem,
yeur President Eliminates 'ais anat Iemas
against the Free-State people pf Kanss !, and
denouree5 them as rebels and traitors "a be-
ing 4" in rebellion against the sgallyest Dhsh.
eo Government of the Territory and its VS. ~
ard the unfounded imputstios; is caus Vt mp
ard rung and reiterated through all the 'gans
OF detraction and calumny ,hroughoe the
G. untry-an imputation ss uni lst to the Free
s ate people Kansas as it is Unworthy ! the
CSief Magistrate of the RepubI c:
SSir, in the face of this chi rye, / vi say
hi re, in my place, and in this presence that
81 csc people, who have been 10 misreps ssent-
e. , so maligned, and SO ealumfiated, VIII, have
b en- pursued for years with tn most per istent
a, ID relentless ferocity by your pampere Gov
e lment hyenas, are, and eveS have b. N, as
orderly and peaceful, and as lsw-abidin = and
a, loyal as the most exalted their trat 1cers,
as loyal to the Constitution AMI laws their
ceuntry as any portion of the A perican sople.
Whatever excuses or violence they ms have
it ia not in human . sture,
h5nted aud bounded as they lave bee that
esscesses should not have been Committed ,-they
k we been committed in the necessary 1, fence
O their lives, their property, nd their fouse-
b Ids Prosecuted as they ha . been, icted
I1on charges of constructive tesson-agrime
rEade6ned, and unknown to he Cons sution
asad laws of the country--tres lon, too, > xainst
a.spurious Government, cast ION them " for
esgn arms imprisoned upon iarges pr, erred
By perjured informers; huntedlike wildi casts,
and driven from their own homes theiY settle
msents broken up; their~villagfs sacked their
Dwellings, burned down; thes fsmilisi and
fIiends msssacred before their fses; theE ielves
tIodden down, subjugated, rbd worrNd, as
tsey have been, what people o. earth eSsr ex-
bsbited more extraordinary al q long en- turing
firbearance? Had they tabsn speed ven.
Qzsance into their own hands, { I'D drives. these
ls~less marauders from the Z ,rritory, IS" de-
l.Tered them over to the tende mercies If fire
aad fagot," they would have stood ap roved
and justified before God and a mankil !;
Rebels, are they ? So, then, we're the sthers
a-ld their compatriots of the A. nerican syolu-
t.On-yes, much more rebels han the. . for
tSey actually took up arms a. Ainst the tecog-
r,sed Government of the psother gentry;
yrbilst these people have as yeI made ~ prsc-
t cal resistance to the spuriouE Governt ent to
xaich they owe no allegiance, Ind which grinds
q lem to the dust They have hus far sne no
Lore than to protest sgsinst1its usurt I'd au.
tiority, and to appeal to Com fess, tho Oh yet
il vain, for relief.
Rebels, are theyP Ifthey are,tebels, an ifthis
i rebellion, then commend me- hencefo, b and
tsermore, to such rebels and 81 such re, elton.
80 Just such rebellion, in prip eiple, areye in
: ebted for our national indepe adence. y Just
fhch rebellion are we indebted for the pSyilege
# sitting here to-day in this co lnci chasSber of
ne nation. To Just such rebellion is every
american citizen indebted for the birthrght of
as Freedom. To lust such rel elton ara we ALL
American freemen, indebteJ for all tat we
Fave, and all that we are, and all that re can
. ope to be on earth, which is worth liv;og for,
or worth dying for. Sir, the active or jrative
srinciple Of Just such rebelli has be IN the
.sigin and laid the foundation of all fra Gov
-nments. The living prime ole of iuirf such
sbellion has been, in times p st, as I'll all be
@ times to come, the redempt IN of don -trod-
zen humanity from the bondai g of oppi Jsion,
snd from the tread of deaf and dup 5 and
.lind despotism. 1t is the spirj which an mates
asst euch a rebellion which Il to wake ID the
cations of the Old World from the stup 4 and
p dispel the thick darkness VI ich haesthung
spon them through long pc ar night 81 des.
botism. 1t is the spirit, though yet silust and
unseen it may be, before who's resistless bower
he rotten and crumbling dyns ties of the earth,
SOW grim and hoary with the f,ge and w:th the
srimes of departed generation are yet 10 fall.
and no more to plague the ma ions of m. N. 1t
. this spirit which is to srous,t the stun berinp
snd oppressed millions of thl earth to n new
md higher hfe-to the assertion and ealiza.
Jon of Gods own gift to msn|his inal enable
sight to freedom, independeI ee, and ifgov-
ernment. Sir, / commend tNis spirit in the
7eople of Kansas. Call then rebels, If you
.,lease; prosecute them OPP ess them IS you
may; yea, snnihilate them if on can; ~ 1t you
Till never permanently subdle them. 81 the
arbitrary exercise of your over, 70 may
make them all martyrs to reedom nut as
Sod hveth, no power on earth shall be BILE to
make one man of them the ave of y, tr des
potism. If the voice of my COZ asels couas reach
them in their far-of Western ZONES, wi, re the
sun goes down in lurid light upon theN hum.
Die dwellings,, it should be, stand trm 70
% make no dishonorable cons essions to lsurp.
alton and tyranny" " dem and iusti, !, and
nothing less than Justice" off that be Ienied
you" if submission or dea must me at
last" then, better die all f'eemen, Il IN live
all slaves"
So much, begging pardon, dr. Presto mt, by
way of episode, in response to the chara of re-
bellion, as applied to the ac ion of th Free.
State people of Kansas. BIT now, he is it
with the other side? How u it with he mi
nority of usurpers in the TIE ritory-s th the
real authors of all the strifes Id mischis (which
have so long afflicted Kansi 8, and fif ID her
people with lsmentation and woe? b is il
with those who have let loose eir sleuth POUNDS
upon the heels of Free. State men-wit those
who have plundered freemt and d, poiled
them of their goods, and hive destro, d free
presses and who, with equal meas res of
meanness and malice, have indicted, . com.
mon nuisances, bridges over which Fl ,-State
men were accustomed to pess, and celia in
which Free-State men were accustc led To
lodge? How is it with those who havs :urned
adrift women and children f,ithout he ie and
without protection, and with those who's hands
are red with the blood of ass lss;nation, How
is it with those who have carried the actions
by force and violence, or by schemes efwhole.
sale fraud and forgery+-wit those VIZ NJ axe
false certificates, and copy, into the leturns
whole pages of names from I'D Dirsc. ties, to
swell the lists of pretended ''oters, ans insist,
with seni.serioua and sanftiraon;onH -;.a~a