Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-01-07
The Leeomton Constitution.

The administration papers IN this State, ana
all throuh the North are laboring to create the
impression that, notwithstanding the Constitu-
ton recently formed by the GO border ruf6an "
conspirators at Lecompton, is not itself sub
mittcd to vote of the people, the slavery ques-
ton is g fairly submitted'' SO that the people
have but to vote /" for the constitution with no
slavery" to secure u Free State. No impress
sion could be farther from the truth. There is
no Freedom clause in the whole instrument.
Let the people vote as they may, for the clause
" with slavery" OF Z" with no slavery" they
impose upon themselves slave constitution and
slave laws. To make this matter plain. we give
here, first, the 90 slavery clause of the consti-
tuition, against which the people are allowed to
vote. This is it:
Sec. l. The right of property is before and
higher than any Constitutional sanction, and the
right of the owner of slave to such slave and
its increas, is the same and as invioabe as the
right of the owner of any property whatever.
Sec. g. Tho Legislature shall have no power
to pass laws for the emancipation of slaves
without the consent of the owners, or without
paying the owners previous to their emancipa
ton full equivalent in money for tina slaves 80
emancipated. They shall have no power to
prevent emigrants to the state, from bringing
the law of any one of the United States or Ter
ritories, 80 long as any person of the same age
or description shall be continued in slavery by
the laws of this State.
The above is all against which the people can
vote. And before they can vote against even
this, they are compelled to vote for everything
else which "border ruifan malignity and cum
ming have been able to weave into an instrument
ri. a.
of the articles not submitted to the people, and
which the Free State men must vote for, in Or
der to be allowed to vote against the above
clause C establishing slavery:
Sec. 2. All la,os now Of force in the Terri
tory of Kansas, which are not repugnant to
this constitution, shall continue and be of force
until altered amended or repealed, by a legisla-
ture assembled under the provisions Of this Con-
stituti0n.
By this, it will be seen, that the Free State
men are compelled to vote to re-enact the entire
code of bogus laws, against which they have
protested from the beginning, and which SO ar
rant slavery doughface as Gen. Cass, was
forced to pronounce in the U. S. Senate, ga
disgrace to the age" And these are all made
part and parcel of the constitution, until re-
pealed "by a legislature elected under the pro-
vision of this constitution" As a specimen of
what the people are compelled to vote into the
constitution in order to be permitted to vote the
"slavery clause quoted above, out, we give
here two or three sections of an Act "now in
force in the territory of Kansas entitled San
act to punish offences againt slave property;
Sec. 8. If any free person shall, by speak,
ing, acriting or printing, advise, persuade or in
duce any slaves to rebel, conspire against or
murder any citizen of this Territory, or shall
bring into, print, aorite publish or circulate, or
cause to be brought into printed written published
or circulated, or shall knowingly aid or assist in
the bringing into, printing, ,criting, publishing
or circulating IN this Territory any book, paper
magazine pamphlet or circular for the purpose of
| exciting Instruction. rebellion, revolt or con-
spiracy on the part Of slaves, free negroes or
mulattoes against the citizens of the Territory,
Or any part of them, such persons shall be gull
ty Of felony and SUFFER DEATH.
SEC. 4. fany person shall entice, decoy, Or
carry away out of this territory, any slave be-
longing to another, aoith the intent to deprive the
gunner thereof Of the services of such slaue, or
Nth intent to effect or procure the freedom Of
such slaUe, he shall be adjudged guilty of great
larceny, and on conviction, thereof, SHALL SUI
) FER DEATH, or be imprisoned at hard labor for
not less than ten gears.
Sec. 5. If any person aid or assist in en-
ticing, decoying, or persuading, or carrying
away or sending out of this Territory, any
slave belonging to another, with intent to pro-
cure or effect the freedom Of such slaue, or Nth
intent to deprive the gunner thereof of the serUi-
ces Of such slaue, he shall be adjudged guilty
c of grand larceny, and, on conviction thereof
+ SHALL SUFFER DEATH, or be imprisoned for moi
less than ten gears.
Sec. ii. If any person print, write, intro
+ duce into, publish or circulate, or cause to be
brought into, printed, written, published OF
# circulated, or shall knowingly aid or assist il
:, bringing into, printing, publishing or crcula
Il ting within this Territory any book, paper pam
rs phlet magazine, handful, or circular, containing
/, any statements, arguments, opinions, sentiment
N doctrine, aduice, or inuendo, calculated to pro
p duce disorderly, dangerous or rebelhous disaf
j fiction among the slaues in this Tev1tory or h
ID induce such SLAVES to escape from the service O.
il their masters or to resist their authority he shall
q be guilty of felony, and be punished by impris
= onment at hard labor for term not less thai
five years.
lie Sec IL. No PERSON WHO is CONSCIENTIOUS
,e OPPOSED TO HOLDING SLAVES, OR WHO DOES NO
~ ADMIT THE RIGHT TO HOLD SLAVES IN THIS TERRTC
' RY, SHALL SIT AS A JUROR ON THE TRIAL OF AN
io PROSECUTION FOR ANY VIOLATION OF ANY OF TIL
to SECTIONS OF THIS ACT.
n. These are a sample of " the laws in force,
os in Kansas in which the free State men mus
vote to re-enact, or else not to be allowed t
he vote at all. We ask honest Democrats to rea
On there, and then say whether the party, the y,
lg pers and the administration which are seekn
do to force the freemen of Kansas to thus degrad
- disgrace and enslave themselves, can deser,
he their longer support, or can deserve anythir
lis but'scorn and contempt, and to be trodden III
der foot of all who call themselves men?
But this is not all. Here is another provi
Wi ion, in the "Schedule" of the Constitute
ng which the people must uOte for:
in SEC. 9. Any person Offering to vote at IL
as aforesaid election, upon said Constitution, sha
y if challenged, take an oath to support the Co
I'd" stitution of the United States, and 10 suppo
he this Constitution if adopted, under the penalti
l." Of perjurg under the Territorial hr,cs.
IN That is, no free State man shall vote eth
l.. way, on this Lecompton constitution, until
INV has taken " an oath to support it," if adopte
Or g under the penalties of perjury" Could al
,pe man, conscienciousy opposed to that infamous
ion strument, take such an oath ? We may concei
80 that an honest man might vote for it, thou,
i"' disappearing nine-tenths of its provisions, [
as the sake of voting out the " slavery clause
len But no honest man could Or would swear to su
M port and uphold it, "under the penalt
~ of perjury y especially, when the CONSTITUTE
'iu which they are to thus cote for, and cam
'cl- rote against, is the following
end SEC. IA. That after the gear one housa
cry eight hundred and sirtyJour, whenever the L,
~ islaturc shall think it necessary to amend, all
'au and change this Constitution, they shall reco
he mend to the electors, at the next general cl
md ton, t,cO thirds Of the members Of each Ho
concuming, to vote for or against calling @
vcntion and if it appears that a majority
no all of the citizens of the State have voted
/ in q Convention the Legislature shall, at its n
.er- regular session, call Convention to consist