The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-11-20
An Unwise Policy.

It will be recollected that when the
Kansa- N ebraska bill became law, and
the Missouri compromise was repealed,
the n. Y. Tribune raised a perfect howl
over Kansas, telling how the Democracy
had sold that virgin Territory to the
slavery propaganda, and that, like Vir-
ginia, it would become a great slave-bread-
ing State in spite of every effort which
could be employed to the contrary. On
every movement made in the East to
induce emigration to Kansas, the N. Y.
Tribune throwed cold water. All its ed
itorials, instead of breathing words of hope,
were filling the people with despair
When Kansas was overrun with border
rufians, and the whole country was agitated
to an extent never known before, HORACE
GREELEY was, virtually, saying, through
his paper, az told you SOL If the people
had taken my advice they would never
have gone there" and then would follow
a column or two of denunciations against
the pro-slavery Democracy. Instead Of
advising the people to come to Kansas, to
engage with the advocates of slavery in
hand to hand contest on the soil for the
freedom of the Territory, he proposed
Congressional action, and the restoration Of
the Missouri compromise, and to that end
he directed all his energies. During those
periods we published article after article
begging the Tribune and kindred papers
to keep silent. "Ifyou can't do anything
for US, for the sake of heaven don't do
anything against u.s." was our language.
A gentleman of Massachusetts, advised
personally, and by letter, with Mr.. GREE
LEY, begging him to take q more hopeful
view of Kansas affairs; and, finally, he
volunteered to furnish editorials of more
hopeful character, and kept them up until
the tide was turned in favor of Kansas,
and Mr.. GREELEY saw that in spite of his
opposition, the people of the Territory
would work out their own freedom, then
the tone of his paper was entirely changed
and he became the patron saint Of Kan
sas, and now he would claim credit for all
the noble results which the people of the
Territory have worked out for themselves.
Our thoughts have been thus directed
from the perusal of late speech made by
Senator SEWARD in Rome, N. Y, on pc.
litical affairs. Mr.. s. has been our beau
ideal of an American Statesman; but we
regret that the tone of that speaker ii
very similar to Mr.. Greeley's editorials
they are filled with despair; and instead
of raising incentives to increased action
and cheering on the advocates of freedom
to still nobler victories, he tells US tina
our only hope lies through change o
policy in the affairs of government. Thu
Supreme Court has decided that the fed
eral Constitution takes slavery along will
it, and Mr.. Seward sees no relief only b,
abolishing that Court, or so remodeling
that the present Judges shall be removed
to give place to others.
Whilst we would love to see the Court
so constituted that they would do justic
to all parties, yet as we know that is i'm
possible, we propose to go to work in
practical way by rendering nugatory al
decisions of that body which are i
contravsntion of established principles Q
law, by building up a healthy public opin
ion, which all experience has demonstrat
ed to be "higher law" than acts of Con
gress or judicial decisions. The fugitiv
slave law is an act of Congress to tn
point. Who is there SO ignorant Of tn
fact as not to know that the South hs
not reclaimed one slave under thu
law of 1850, where she reclaimed
hundred under the statute Of 1898? TIL
cause is not to be found in defects in th
law-for that is sufficiently stringent, an
is surrounded with the severest penaltie
and every citizen of the United States
virtually converted into a blood houn
at the beck of the master to pursue b
fleeing bondman-but because Of its 81
verify the public sentiment was outrage,
and the fugitive slave law, so far as pra'
teal results are concerned, is dead lett
on our statute books.
1t is so with the bred Scott decisio
The Supreme Court Of the United State
in its efforts to aid the slave-power, lii
vaulting ambition generally, has owe
leaped itself; and though the decisie
furnishes matter for whole volumes
reviews, and leading articles for newsp
pss for a year, and probably will be the 81
crossing subject of debate through who
session of Congress, yet the people of Il
Territories will make that ruling mop
rative, and of no practical importance, l
silent legislation, which no Courts c;
reach. Though Mr.. Buchanan does So
that Kansas is as much slave Territol
as Florida. yet the slave holder does N
bring his chattles here, and those alread
held in violation Of "the higher law
which is snstamped on the hearts of
very large majority of the people of. Kal
sas, will be removed BY the drst day
March next
Or Look out for bills purporting to |