The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1858-03-23
HILLsDALE, MICH, TUESDAY, MAR. es 1855

men III the Territory had all the rights
which freemen could desire-perfect free
dom to do everything but establish Slavery.
Popular Sovereignty offered the indulgence
OF taste Of the fiuit Of the tree of knowl-
edge Of evils as well as of good-a moro
perfect freedom. Insomuch as the promo.
sltion seemed to come from a Free State
the Slave States could not resist its seduc-
tlons, although sagacious men saw that
they wore delusive. Consequently, small
and inegectua stream of slave labor was
at once forced into Kansas, engineered by
a large number of politicians, advocates ut
once OF Slavery and of the Federal Ad.
mlnlstration who proceeded with great
haste to prepare the means 80 to carry
the first elections as to obtain the laws
necessary for the protection of Slavery.
IL is one thing, however, to expunge stat
utes from national code, and quiet anoth.
er, to subvert national institution. even
though il be only monument of Free
dom located in tn, desert. Nebraska was
resigned to free labor without struggle,
and Kansas became theater of the first
actual national conflic between slave hol.
ding and free-labor immigrants, met face
to face, to organize, through the machine
ry Of republican action, civil community.
The parties differ as widely in their APP
pointments, conduct and bearing, as in
their principles, the freelaborcrs came into
tn Territory with money, horses, cattle,
implements, engines, with energies concen-
trated by associations and strengthened by
tho recognition Of some of the States.
They marked out farms, and sites for for
mills, towns and cities, and proceeded at
once to build, to piongh and 10 SOW.
They proposed to debate, 10 discuss, to or.
ganize peacefully, and to ote and abide
the canvass. The Slave labor party en-.
tered the-Territori irregularly, staked out
possessions, marked them, and then, in
most instances, withdrew to the States
from which they had come, to sell their
new acquisitions or to return and re.
sumo their, as circumstances should rem
der one course or tho other expedient.
They left armed men in the Terrtory to
keep watch and guard, and to summon ex.
ternal aid, either to vote or firbt. as
should be found necessary. They we're
fortified by the favor Of the administration.
and assumed to act with its authority.
IHtolerant Of debate, and defiant. tbey
hurried on the elections which were to be
SO perverted that an usurpaiton should be
established. They rang out their sum.
mons when tho appointed time came, and
armed hands Of partisans from States
near and remote, invaded and entered The
Territory with banners, ammunition, pro-
visions ard forage, and encamped around
the polls. They seized the balot-boxes,
replaced the Judges Of Election with par.
tlsans OF their own, drove away the oppo-
hents, filled tho boxes with as many votes
as the exigencics demanded, and, leaving
the results 10 be resumed by reliable hands,
they marched back again to their distant
homes TO celebraae the conquest and exult
in the prospect Of the establishment of
Slavery npon the soil so long consecra
ted TO Freedom. Thus, in a single day.
they became parents Of a stabe without af-
lection for II, and chldlcss again without
bereavement, In this first hour Of trial,
the new system Of Popular Sovereignty
slgnally failed-failed because it is impos.
sible to organize, by one single act, in one
day, community perfectly sovereign, and
perfectly constituted, out of elements un-
asslmllated, unarTnged and uncomposcd.
Free Labor wrested the victory to itself by
fraud and violence. Instead of a free Re-
publican Government in the Territory.
such as Popular Sovereignty had promis
ed there was then and thenceforth hateful
usurptatlon. This usurpton proceeded
without delay and without compuncton to
disfranchlsc the people it transferred the
Slave Code of Missouri to Kansas, with. |
out stopping in all cases. to substitute the
name OF the new Territory for that of tho |
old state. 1t practically suspended popu-
lar elections for three years-thc usurping
Legislature assiging that term for its own
members while it committed all subordin-
ate trusts to agents appointed by itself.
IL barred the Courts a. d the Juries TO its
advcrsaries by test oaths, and made il n
crime to think what ono pleased, and
write and print what one though. 1t Dor.
rowed all the cnginery of tyranny, but the
torture, from the practice of the Stuarts
The party Of Free Labor appealed to the
Governor (Recder) to correct the false cI.
ectlon returns. He interviewed. but incffec.
tually, and yet even for that intereu.
ton was denounced by the Administration
organs, and, after long and unacceptable
explanations, he was removed from Office
by the President. Tho new Governor
(Shannon) sustained for a while the
nsuption, but failed to effect tho sub
ugation of the people, although he organ
zed as militia m armed partizan band
'f adventures who had intruded themselves
nto the Territory to force slavery upon he
people. With the active cooperation of
his band, the party Of Slave Labor dis.
'rmed the Free State migrants, who had
low learned the necessity Of being prepar.
ID for self-defencc, on the border of the
larritory, and on tho distant roads and
md rivers which led into it. They des
royed bridge that Frec-L Labor men used
their way to the scat of Government.
acked hotel whore they lodged, and
'roke up and cast into the river a press
which was tho organ Of their cause.
The people Of Kansas, thus deprived.
ot merely Of self government, but even
4 peace, tranquility, and security, fell
ack on the inalienablo revolutionary right