Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-08-05
correspondence of the Boston Traveller.
LETTER FROM KANSAS.
Debate on Education of Colored chld,.n

CONVENTION HALL. !,
WYASDoTrE, kansas, July Is.
Editors Of the Tiauslsr;
The inevitable "nigger y
was again made the subject of an exciting discu,-
sion this morning, and in the afternoon Yesterday
with all the cowsrdly cruelty and tenacity Of the
tyrant, the democratic members (iucontinently
Juggling in the unfortunate darkey in season and
season and ou Of season-On all occasions ft or
UNITY have attempted to unearth this unfortunate
J lnilvldual The particular cause of the debate
alluded to was an attempt TO prohibit colOred
children from receiving any educational oppOrtun-
tiles. The report of the Committee on Education
was under discussion, and the second section Of it
was the particular point Of attack. 1t reads a.
| follows
" The Legislature shall encourage the promotion
of Intellectual, moral scientific improvement, by
| establ ishing uniform system OF common schools
| and other schools Of higher grade, embracing
| Normal. preparatory. collegiate and university
departments, which schools shall be open 70 pupils
/ Of both sexes"
| No sooner was it read than up sprang member
| from LcavenwOrth, and moved to insert " white
before pupils in the last line. II was moved
| to lay the table,
| The mover Of the word white" REPLIED in an
| insolent manner, and with the dictatorial tone
| common to the OligarchY aud their allies, that all
| they wanted was to get the Republicans on the
|
| Mr. kingman (Rep), Of Brown County, was on
| his feet "a soon as the Democrat was seated For
/ twenty minutes he poured forth finrd Of the
| most bitter sarcasm, an instrument whicn no man
/ in the Convention knows better how to use. lie
said that amendment would not prohibit negro
children from attending the schools in Common
For his part he wanted no protection from this
people. If the hundred thousand white persons
require protect against the two hundred
Africans who might be in midst, no constitu-
t1ual guarantees would prevent such gravitation.
+ their children will play with the colOred, the
constitution will not prevent it. though It be
-meared all over with cla>s legislation. He, for
rs part entertained peculiar views this subject
Of education, and would not allow his children to
20 b. school, either with the children Of the gen.
tleman from Leavenworth or those Of the gtntle-
men from A rca.
Mr. Slough (Dem.) Of Leavenworth deprecated
this ridculing Of the minority, and declared their
determination to procure vote upon the subject.
The Democracy withdrew the amendment, finding
that it would of al Indian citizens who gener-
lllv vote with them. The motion was then made
TO amend by adding to the end Of the line "ex-
cept negro and mulattO children and youth"
small pettifoger from Leaveuworth (I don't men,
tiou his name these like the motor ETY. their
meanness brings them into,) was on his legs in
stanter and for half an hour poured forth all the
bite and filth which it is customary for politicians
Of this elk to spew out this question of the
ri ghts Of the colored people. The usual stock
phrases of this Maw-worism were freely handled.
The Republican party were denounced as ''negro-
equalist," 'amaI gamation," fanatics" '-fanati-
cism' etc. l shall not particulsrze, for most per-
sons are familiar with the usual phraseology Of
Of these occasions.
This harangue brought to his feet s o. Thatch-
er one of the editors of the Lawrence Republican.
lie was evidently wrought up to white heat, and
advancing toward the side Of the hall where the
Democrats sit together, he in a low. calm, con-
centrated tone of earnestness ana contempt kept
the convention enchained for half an hour with
one Of the most eloquent impromptu speeches to
which il has been my fortune TO listen.
Mr. Thatcher said-A mother scene in the ming
led tragedy and melO-drams which in Kansas has
been enacted is now passing We hope it may be
the last. Not many years ago, Kansas, As yet un-
touched by the hands of men, aud thrice dedicated
by sacred compact TO freedom, was for partisan pur
p,ses thrown open to the slaveho ding degradation.
For Jour wears they have made every effort 20
tihlish that titution in midst. but have been
fuiled by the freemen Of kansas Now true 10 the
instincts of tyranny, they still pursue the hapless
victim Of their oppression. Democracy is still in
spirit the same when, with red handed
force they swept over our prairies though their
garments may have been changed, the same black
heart still beats beneath. Gentlemen talk of
fanatics, and apply the terms to the Republican
party on this floor. We hurl back the insult.
Oh, God what fanlticism is 90 vile oppres-
SION W no So vile ana degraded as the fanatics
Of tyranny and cruelty? These gentlemen have
exempliaei its darkness and degradation. With
the in tincts of the bloodhound of their Southern
masters, they Continually striving 20 their
finEs in the quivering flesh Of their victim. These
sueers aoout anal lgamation come with ad grace
from those, many Of whom drew their infant sns-
tenance from the breast Of black women; who have
these people mingling with them at all times;
whose special pet-slavery-is fast bleaching out
from the brow Of the African that line Of demark-
alton which the Almighty placed thereon Shall
we. the Republicans OF Kansas ] in in this hunt
and degrade ourselves in the filth where Democracy
loves to revel2 Shall Kansas, which has passed
through such an alembic of cruelty and blood;
whose garments as she enters the Union, are dyed
red with the blood of her freedom loving citizens;
shall she come with a constitution reeking and
redolent with the blackest marks Of darkness and
degraGation2 We will not do it, and gentlemen
may place US on the record wherever they please.
Pending the vote. the convention adjourned
The Democracy was completely routed, and l do
not think that they will attempt the same tactics
gain. They may make motions on the Niger,
but Will make more speeches.
When the Convention met this morning they
very quiet and made objections when the
last portion of the above section stricken out,
leaving the sentence to close at the word depart
nents.p The reminder Of the article rapid
ly passed upon until the section relative to pub
lie Institutions" was under consideration. In the
following section the same little pettifogger who
50 strove in the previous debate to degrade him
self, his feet, and lugged in the negro IN
such a manner to excite the disgust Of his own
friends. The section reads:
''The respective counties Of the State shall pro-
vide in some suitable manner for those inhaoIt-
ants who by reason Of age. infrmity or other mis-
fortune. may have claims upon the sympathy ana
aid Of societv. under provision to be made oy 'ne
Legislature" r. a.
The Africans motion was to insert aiseI n
habtants" the words except negroes anu Inuiae-
toes II was vot d down on caIl Oh the rom
,i+b o,Iy the disseptiBg voice Of the mover
Mr.. T1ateber then in order to turn the tactics
81, tbo dernocracy against themselves offered ad-
5;.io,,aI section providing that the provisions Of
This article shall not apply to negroes and mulat
toes.
Mr.. Stimson (Dem.) Of Leavenworth, declared
it "an infamous proposition" On vote, only
two votes were cast afhrmatively, one of which
was the same pettifogger who had voted b~fore.
gu may be sure he Northern man for none
out doughface would sink down so deep. He Is
from Ohio. The vote showed that even the De-
nocracy cannot swallow all the logical results Of
their own meanness. They would all vo'e % pre-
vent the unfortunate cclored children from OBJ
tainng an education, but would not vote that
they should be excluded from the benevolence Of
the community.