Freeman's champion., 1858-03-25
Kapzas PoIitics, &c.
From the Lyons IN. ~ Republican,
Resistance to DespOtism.

The beginning Of tyranny should
bring forth prompt and efficient re-
sistance. Where despotism seeks to
lay its violent hands on the rights Of
individuals or the liberties of peo-
pie, thon and there physical force is
lawful to prevent it, and should be
employed. The king, the constable
and the private man can alike be law
fully resisted unto the death, in at
tempts to seize the person or the
liberties of another in England and
in other free countries. Such resist,
ance is not only lawful, but it is a
duty freemen owe to the infancy, the
age and the womanhood Of the pres
ent, and to the sacred demands Of
posterity.
In free country the actual practi-
cal government consists in the ad-
ministrstion OF the law, as prescribed
in constitutions, in statutes conform
able to constitutions, aud as ascer-
tained by settled adjudications Of the
courts. Despotism consists in the
exercise Of power by the will of those
having means Of enforcement All
acts Of encroachmsnt upon the rights
and liberties Of any one or any num-
ber not authorized by law, are des-
potic and tyrannous, and call for re-
sistance commensurate to the injury
and the danger. Death, present
death, is therefore the right remedy
for a people whose liberties are as
sailed by lawless power, whether the
assault come from invasion from a
Vandal horde, such as once overran
the fairest portions Of Europe, and
such as have threatened Kanzas, or
from the intrigueS and Vaccinations
Of Cesar, Caligula, Nero or Philip,
such as by degrees and stealthy steps
Subverted the liberties of ancient
Greece and Rome.
Our fathers and British subjects
too they wers) understood this, and
their commentary was marked upon
the tea.party in Boston Harbor; it
was engraved upon the retreat from
Concord and the route from Lsxing-
ton. The student Of Americ,n his
tory is challenged to find in the de :
tails Of the wrongs of the mother
country against the colonies, any acts
of tyranny or oppression to compare
with the despotism practiced upon
the people Of Kanzas by the present
administration of our national gov
ernmont. There is one wrong prom
inent in the recitals Of the Declara.
tion Of Independence Of kindred, or
rather identical character, namely,
forcing the institution Of domestic
slavery upon them but the other
.onormities, justifying war and blood
shed in defence, are as molehills to
mountains compared with the muir
,ders, the robberies, the rapine, the
burniags, the impriSonmentS, tn, un-
just combinations and sufsrings,
= inflicted upon tho people of Kanzat
for the purpose Of forcing on them
institutions Of government which
they abhor. a. n. a.
\ Old John Bull said to tho colonies
I'VE claim tho right to tax you
You must pay duties on tea and
stamped paper" Our fathers re.
piled, "ThiS is unlawful power YOU
attempt TO set over us, and we will
"bSook tho eternal devil as soon. y
Concord, Lexington, Long Island
White Plains, Quebec, Saratoga
Monmouth, Yorktown and many 9th
Sro battlo.felds, bore witness to tn,
carnestnoss with which they resisted
All those things began In 6rst steps
by individual freemen resisting un
lawful power. We SEQ the blessing
resulting from tho triumphs Of tn,
spirit OF freomon then. 0HalNI
DO we mean to charge dospotisn
on JAMES BUoHANAN? We do. w
prove it thus The people Of Kanza
have tho right Of self-governmen
from the time there was enough 0
them to form q political community
From Mr.. BuObsuan's position II bo
came bis duty 70 cid chem in th