Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-03-05
Tbegree Nteaa
BURLIN NGTON:
FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH. ., 1875.
THE KANSAS QUESTION.
SENATOR CoLLAMER's REPORT.

SENATOR COLLAMER'S 5 REPORT.
Congress has paes,d laws in relation to
Slavery in the Territories, at all periods of its
cSistcnce-whcre the Territory was held by
grant or treaty that in no wavailcctcd slavery
and where such an institution existed if at
all. to a very limited extent, there Congress
entirely prohibited it. If Slavery existed,
and especially if the Territory was holden by
a title or treaty which forbid abolition, there.
slavery was suffered to continue; but even there
Congress ftcn adopted measures to prevent
or to check further additions, and often, and
before 1870, the taking of slaves into a
Territory for sale was forbidden.
It is most observable, however that in no
case was the condition of Territory as to
Slavery over left to be matter of contention
to the people therein. 1t was regarded as a
question Of too much interest to the whole
country to be left to local legislation At no
period in our history has it ever, by any par
", been insisted that the people We're not at
liberty to arrange thi0 matter, like all others,
IN their own wav, in he formation or altcra-
ton of their State Constitutons, In all the
Territories North of the Ohio, Slavery was
utterly forbidden by Congress from time to
time, as they were formed, and in pursuance
of the ordinance of l1NI. In Mississippi, in
1893. Congress prohibited the importation of
slaves, which they could not do in the States
until 1905. This wa, direct intervention. In
1904, in Orleans Territory O.ouisiana,l Con-
gross adopted thr'c express provisions on
Slavery. Slaves wer, forbidden to be brought
in except with the owners family, to settle
They were not to be imported from beyond
the United States and none were to be taken
there, in any manner, if imported after 1898.
For breach Of either Of these provisions, the
slav : were declared free. This was plenary
Intervention.
In 1920 was passed the Missouri Comprom-
iso, by which Missouri was admitted as a
Slave State, and all Slavery was forever for
biddcn north of sc 30 in the country ccded
to us by France This was done by the
Southern vote by large majority, with a
small minority Of the North, and So a South
orn measure. This settled the condition ofall
the territory we then owned, and was the
bond Of peace on the subject for more than a
quarter of a century. When Texas was ac-
quired the same provision by a line on 36 :
30 was made for peace.
When, by arrangement with Great Britain,
we claimed the exclusive right TO Oregon, it
was formed into a Territory and Slavery ut
terly prohibited. After our acquisition by the
treaty of peace with Mexico, difficulty and
trouble on this subject was again renewed
In 1850 this was arranged by the admission
Of California as Free State, and forming
New Mexico and Utah into Territories, with
the right, when forming State Constitutions,
at the proper time, to be admitted either with
or without Slavery, as such Constitution
should provide This was also Southern
measure, and it, together with the former
measures then in force, again settled the con-
dition Of all our territories as to Slavery. 1t
was claimed and sustained as a tnality of this
subject.
In 1854 measure was adopted, at the
claim Of the slaveholding States, by which in
effect, both and all the settlements were bro
ken up and the whole policy of the Govern
ment on this subject changed The territory
South Of 36 80 Missouri, Arkansas, and
Louisiana and Florida, obtained from Spain
had been made into Slave States. But the
country North Of that line was mostly unset
tied, Iowa only having been formed there
from, The Kansas Nebraska act was passed
tho Missouri Compromise line declared inop
eratiyo, and the subject Of Slavery was pro
fessedly turned over to the people who SHOULD
20 and inhabit that country, This was al
invitation to all men to enter this field o
oompetitlon for free or slave institutions
and it was to he expected that the friends ant
promoters of these two systems would max
vigorous exertions in the struggle and tha
fattlement by each would be highly stimulat
ol by all ldWfM means. Hence association
and societies have been put in operation, bot
North and South, to promote such settle
nent by their respective friends, This was
however, neither wonderful nor censurabl6
That provision Of the Kansas act is as fol
lows
The eighth section Of the act preparator
10 the admission Of Missouri into the Cnio
(Which being inconsistent with the prin0p
Sfn -i,ta l,,( ('oY IL
in the States and Territories as required b
the legislation Of 1850, commonly called th
compromise measures), is hereby declare
imperative and void; it being the true inter
and meaning Of this act not 10 legisla
Slavery into said Territory, nor to exclude
theretrom, but to leave the people there
perfectly free 10 form and regulate their d.
nestle institutions in their own way, subie
only to the Constitution Of the United State
Prouded That nothing herein containc
shall be construed to revive or put in for
any law or regulation which may have exist
prior to the act Of the 9th Of March, l22
either protecting, establishing, prohibiting
abolishing slavery
Without now nquiring into the propriet
expediency or moral Justice Of -u law, Gle
it ia that it contains the pliehted public iai
Of this nation that the people Of Kans
shall have the right of selEgoyernment co
sistent with the Constitution,
Plighted public faith and just laws, ho'
ever secure no rights 10 man, That i foul
only in the just and fair execution of su
laws and we will now briefly inquire he
that has been done in relation to that peop
Have they been permitted to exercise thr
Promised freedom, oven in the initiation
the Government provided for them
The Governor Of Kansas having, in purs
ance of law, divided the Territory into d
tricts, and procured census thereof, issu
hi, proclamation for the election of IA Leg
ldtiva As mbly therein, to take place ON
Goth day of March. 1858, and directed he
the same should br conducted, and the
turns made 10 him a-rceably 10 the lnv
tahlshing said Territory. Ca the day
.lnDtin hmm L..Lln. q ..I-..,L.l t.nL1 L.