The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-03-19
Tor IL. Herald of Freedom.
WYASDoTr CRY, K. T. \
March IL. 1859.

March IL, 1859.
G. W. BRowS Eso.-SIR:-We are con-
stantly told, by certain class of political
doctors, that the Free State party of Kan
sas ''has fulfilled its mission" and that it
should now give way to other parties that
have "a work to perfornI'-that the Free
State Party has come to ripe old age,
and that it should now be 'laid out'' and
"decently buried in the seitive grave' in
order that more vigorous youth should
receive his baptism and enter upon his
active duties.
l propose to look at those declarations
for moment and see if they are just and
true.
What was the object of the Free State
organization, as set forth by the conven-
ton that gave it existence .? Simply ato
make Kansas a Free State" Has that
been done? If so, then the Free State
party has fulfilled its mission; if not,
then the Free State party has work vet
to do.
The Free State party was formed out
of all the various parties, except the Pro-
Slavery party, at that time known to the
American people. Old-Line Wings and
Old-Line Democrats ; adopted citizens
and native born; Know Nothings and
foreigners; Nationals and Abolitionists-
in word, all shades of opinion except
that which sought the establishment of
slavery in Kansas, was admitted into the
ranks of the party, and the freedom of
Kansas was the only test of party ortho-
doxy.
Under this broad and glorious banner,
upon the folds of which was inscribed
"Free State" we took the field, and the
history of the contest that followed, is a
history of which every American citizen
should be justly proud.
That differences of opinion existed
amongst us, in reference to the best mode
of effecting the great object of our organi-
cation, 1 am not disposed to deny, and
that mistake was occasionally made is
nothing more than was expected but, as
whole, assert that the record of the
Free State party, as such, forms a bright
page in American history.
Look, if you please, at the position of
that party, over-ruled d and deprived of the
right of voting the repeal of odious and
unjust laws; deprived of the right OF
selecting the officers to execute them, and
compelled to receive such as were sent to
perform that duty "and to eat out our SUBJ
stance" by our most deadly enemy-the
Executive of the U. s.
Look at that party, on the broad plains
of Kansas, hemmed in by the State OF
Missouri, through the borders of which
none were allowed to pass or repass, who
designed to do US other than mischief
with the Nrong arm and the iron hand oil
the National Government upon our throats
ready to crush out our vitals and painting
for our destruction. This was the cham.
Der in which the Free State party was
born, and the cradle in which it was
rocked. 1t grew to manhood under cir.
cumstances no less adverse, and it has
known no day in its existence when it wa:
not in danger of determination and the
loss of the glorious cause, in the defence
Of which we had enlisted, was only pre-.
vented by 'eternal vigilance" and at the
cost of many individual lives and much
treasure.
Yet against this inveterate enemy, with
all the power and patronage of the Terri.
torial and National Governments in it:
hands, to be used az will, without any
check from the hand of Justice or con.
siderations Of right, the Free State Party
with its foundations deep rooted in the
rock of eternal truth and the rights oi
American citizens, entered the lists-and
it has conquered.
The red glare of our burning cabins
the desolation of our sacked villages, mol
the ghastly visages of our slain, deferred
US not, nor compelled US to bow down tc
the power that would oppress US, nor to
submit to usurpation, tyranny and unjust
laws and, to-day, every vestige of thai
code that once disgraced our statute books
and the age in which we live, is wiped
out and lives only as dark and disgust.
ing page in the history of the past, warn.
ing to future generations, a monument ol
folly and an evidence "strong as proof Of
holy writ" that the american people wR
not be governed other than by las0s ,Ohich ar.
the legitimate offspring of the popular wiA
Not only was the Free State party af-
f1icted, and its designs and its policy
thwarted by this outside enemy, bu,
within our own ranks were elements Of
mischief hard to manage-I allude to the
faction called "Ultras." This faction has
had strong and active leaders, and, at diff
ferent times, it has espoused politics ad-
verse to the object and design of the party,
and has asked it to defend actions similar
to those against which our organization
was designed to contend /; and, in few
instances, this faction has succeeded in
controlling the party to its injury, but its
strength has always been more mani.
fest in conventions than among the peo-
pie.
It was under the lead of this faction
that we lost the control of the Lscompton
Constitutional Convention. 1t was this
action that contended against the policy