Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1858-04-15

indictments, and impeachments, all brush
cd aside, they can indeed be ga law unto
themselves" and become the irresponsible
and unrestricted Robespierres of the State.
And tourfhly, in full view. of the fact that,
before the constitution was framed, or even
fairly commenced, the people. by vote
six times greater than that by. which the
delegates had been chosen, had elected a
Legislature, which, by the act of Congress,
approved by the President, had been cloth
cd with full power of legislation on all
rightful subjects, they attempted to legis-
! late through their constitution, even before
its ratification by Congress, and to tram
mel and restrict the legal power and au-
thority Of a legislative body. whose COM
missions sprang from as high an authority.
| at least, as theirs. They declare, in section
two, Of the schedule, that all laws then in
force shall continue in full force until the
State Legislature, to be elected under the
constitution, should assemble. Such AFRO
gance is In fit unison with the conduct oi
the reckless men who framed the instru-
ment in open, undisguised contempt of the
known will of Kansas, and who ask Us to
force it down the throats of thepeople they
seek to punish by its adoption. But there
is an object in this, and it was to prevent
/ the repeal or amcndpent of the atrocious
code which for years this usurpation had
been vainly striving to enforce on the peo-
ple of Kansas. Some of its features ]
quote from speech had the honor of de-
livering during the last Congress; and those
who vote to ratify this rejected Constitu-
ton, give their willing sufrages to also
maintain and uphold those laws which the
constitution so jealously preserves from a
mendment or repeal: gfe la Has
II will now invite your attention to a
contrast in the penal code ofthis Territory,
singular in its character, to say the very
least. Section five of the act Furnishing
offenses against slave property, page 6Oi,
enacts as follows: s.s..- -
"'If any person shall aid or assist in en-
ticing, decoying, or persuadiRg, or carry
ing away, or sending oat ofthis Territory
any slave belonging to another, with intent
to procure or effect the freedom of such slave
he shall be adjudgcl guilty of grand lar
ceny, and on conviction thereof shall sufel
death, or be imprisoned at hard labor fol
not less than ten years
ga person who, by pro-slavery packed
Jury, is convicted Of aiding in persuadine
out of the Territory slave belonging tt
another, is to suffer at least t,cice as seper,
a penalty as he who is convicted of com
mitting the ,vilest outrage that the mind o.
man can conceive of on the person of YOU
wife, sister, or daughtcrl Nay, the con-
traAis still stronger. The jury, in tn,
first instance, are authorized even to infic
the punishment of deoM-in the latter, sc,
page 20S. the penalty is mot less than fv,
years. Such is the contrast in Kansas
between the protection of wife's or daugh
tei's honor and happiness, and that whicl
is thrown as protecting agis over tn
property of the STAKEHOLDER!
again, on page 300, You will find tina
the ruflian who commits malicious may
hem, that is, without provocation, knock
You down in the street, cuts of your nos
and cars, and plucks out your eyes, is pun
ished mot less than five nor more than tel
years. the same degree of punishment tina
is meted ont in section seven of the abov'
act, page 605, on person who should aid
or assist. OF. even 'harbor, an,aescapec
slave! s-sss s,
] "On page 300, you will find that maj
who sits at your bedside, when You arr
prostrated by disease, and, taking advan
tage of your confidence and helplessness
admistcrs poison to you, but whereby deatl
does not happen to ensue, is to be punish
cd not less than five nor more than ter
years. though it is murder in the heart, j
not the deed. And this is precisely tn
same penalty as that prescribed by the elev
enth section quoted in my remarks abov'
on the five violations of the Constitution
against one who but brings into the Terri
tory any book, paper. or handbill contain
ing any sentiment 'calculated,' in TIN
eyes of a pro-slavery jury, to make slave
'disordcrly.' The man who takes into tn
Territory Jclleason's notes on Virginia
can be, under this law. hurried away to tin
chain-gang, and manaclcd, arm to arm
with the murderous poisoncr.
"On page 90, the kidnapping and con
fnement Of free white person, for any pur
pose, even, if man, to sell him into slave
ry, or, ifa woman, for still baser purpose
is to be punished not exceeding ten years.
De,oying and emitting away a child unde
twelve years Of age from its parents, no
less than six months, and not cxccedin;
five years. But de-oyiny and emicin.,
(mark the similarity of the languagei)
slave from his master is punished by deat,
or confinement not less than ten years.
Here is the section. page 604: aA''e -
i "SEc. A. If any person shall entice, decoy
or carry away out OF this Territory, an,
slave belonging to another, with intent tt
deprive the owner thereofof the services o
such slave, or with intent to procure th
freedom of such slave. he shall be adjudgeJ
guilty Of grand larceny, and, on conviction
thereof, shall sy6er. DEATH. or be in.pr soaet
at hard labor for not less than ten gears
Ind ffihly, this constitution, section
three, article ten, expressly empowers th'
Legislature, besides poll taxes, income tax
es, and uniform taxation on property of al
kinds, to levy additional taxes on aH per
sons pursuing any occupation, trade, or pro
fession." Under this. the gentleman o
the sluggard, who is too wealthy or to,
! lazy to work, is to be- exempt from thi
tax on industry, while the mechanic, tn
!, laborer. the mannfacturer--in word. tn
men who earn their living by the sweat o