The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1858-06-26
For tie Herald of Freedom.
LAWRENCE, June 81, 1858


Mr.. BRowS:-Haying, in former COM
; munication, attempted to show what I
thought was the true policy of Kansas,
on former occasions, I proceed to give
some of the reasons for the position 1 oc-
! cupy at the present time. only pro-
] posed TO advocate the adoption of the or
dinance submitted to the people Of Kan
sas, in the event that Gen. Calhoun gives
certificates of electionto the Free State
officers elected on the 4th of January;
State officers, as we'll as members OF the
Legislature. Although with a Free Stats
majority in both branches of the Legisla-
ture, for which, not only Calhoun, but the
National Administration was pledged, We
might have taken hold of the State Gov
eminent and moulded it to suit ourselves;
but had not sufficient confidence in some
of the members elected to the Legislature,
to believe that they would fully come up to
the work, hence preferred having all the
cards in my own hand, to make the thing
sure, before / would go into the contest.
What is the objection, then, to this Con-
stitution Why, that the Lecompton Con-
stitution emanated from Legislature
elected by fraud, and forced upon the peo-
pie by usurpation, and that the Constitu-
ton itself was forced upon the people
against their will, and that to touch it
would be backing down from our former
position. That it was a fraud and an
outrage upon the rights of the people, is
true, but that it would be a backing
down to seize and destroy it, I deny. If
it is, we have already fallen from our high
position. The same Legislature that
enacted the law under which that Consti-
tuition was made, passed the law and part
of the same act under which the Free
State party went into the election in Oc-
tober last, and took possession of the Leg
islative branch of the Territorial Gov
eminent. Is it any worse to use the
same corrupt machinery to take posses
sion of the other two branches of the Gov
eminent, so that we could have complete
control of the whole Government, and
blot out bogus laws and bogus Constitu-
tons. Clear away the rubbish, like a
man would rem owe an old house to build
a new one. Settle this perplexing ques-
ton at once, and give peace and prosperi-
ty to Kansas. 1t was urged last fall that
We ought to go into the election under the
bogus laws, and we could wrest from the
enemy one of their batteries, turn it upon
them, and use it to defeat them. IF it
was good policy then, to take one gun,
why not take the other two, and turn all
their artillery against them, and leave
them no weapon with which to defend
themselves.
approved of this course then, and
do so now. I wish, however, to be dis
tinctly understood that / make no insinu-
atoms against the honesty of either the
Executive or Judiciary of the Territory.
From past experience, we have as much to
fear, if they act justly toward all parties,
for that would be the harbinger of their
dismissal from Office, and the appointment
of others who would harrass and Cypress
the people for years, if we let this oppor-
tunity of relieving ourselves, go by. But
it is said that we are degrading and hum
bling ourselves by taking charge of the
Government under the Lecompton Con-
stitution, even to make new Constitution
and Government admit that officers
and laws have been forced upon the people
of Kansas by the most unheard-o of tyranny
and outrageous oppression, backed up with
all the power of the General Government;
and that we had as good reason as our
fathers, in 1776, to resort to arms and rev.
olution to throw off the burden and crush
out the audaeious tyrants who were rivet-
ing the chains of slavery upon us, and rob-
bing and numbering our citizens but the
people of Kansas have decided to use pro-
priety. l think that they would exhaust
all peaceful remedies before they would
resort to revolution; and, in doing so, have
been compelled to use the. very engine
prepared for their destruction, and by
which they have, in part, relieved them
selves of their oppressors. Then, why not,
with the same instrument, continue the
good work, until the last vestige of slavery
is driven from the Territory, and we are
safely moored in the haven of Freedom.
What would the men of the Revolution
have said, if, after they had achieved their
Independence, some of our modern Solons
had been there and proposed, at once, to
throw aside the laws and institutions under
which they had lived before the Revolu-
ton, because Great Britain had tyrannized
over them, oppressed them, robbed and
murdered their citizens and waged
bloody war against the country No
such children's play was thoughtof at that
day /; they went to work like wise states
men, to found, upon the ruins of tyranny,
Republican institutions-many of them
continuing their form of Government for
years-Rhode Island, I think, under
charter from Charles IL, until about 1910.
But it is useless to waste words with
such aummery as that. Is either backing
down or degrading, to bring order out of
chaos, or good out of evil ? The Almighty
stopped from Heaven to make man after
His own image, out of the dust that we
trample beneath our feet; and vet we are