Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/702

 in the experiment, regardless of their character, political or religious views, or place of nativity.

Now, what is the right and the duty of the people of this country in relation to this matter? Is it not the right of all who believe in the blessings of shareholding, and regard it as the best condition of society, either to go to Kansas as inhabitants, and by their votes to help settle this good condition of that territory; or if they cannot so go and settle, is it not their duty, by all lawful means in their power, to promote this object by inducing others like-minded to go? This right becomes a duty to all who follow their convictions. All who regard an establishment of slavery in Kansas as best for that territory, or as necessary to their own safety by the political weight it gives in the national government, should use all lawful means to secure that result; and clearly, the inducing men to go there to become permanent inhabitants and voters, and to vote as often as the elections occur in favor of the establishment of slavery, and thus control the elections, and preserve it a slave state forever, is neither unlawful nor censurable. It is, and would be highly praiseworthy and commendable, because it is using lawful means to carry forward honest convictions of public good. All lawfully-associated effort to that end is equally commendable. Nor will the application of opprobrious epithets, and calling it propagandism, change its moral or legal character, from whatever quarter or source, official or otherwise, such epithets may come. Neither should they deter any man from peaceably performing his duty by following his honest convictions.

On the other hand, all those who have seen and realized the blessings of universal liberty, and believe that it can only be secured and promoted by the prohibition of domestic slavery, and that the elevation of honest industry can never succeed where servitude makes labor degrading, should, as in duty bound put forth all reasonable exertions to advance this great object, by lawful means, whenever permitted by the laws of their country. When, therefore, Kansas was presented, by law, as an open field for this experiment, and all were invited to enter, it became the right and duty of all such as desired, to go there as inhabitants for the purpose, by their numbers and by their votes lawfully cast, from time to time, to carry or control, in a legal way, the elections there for this object. This could only be lawfully effected by permanent residence, and continued and repeated effort, during the continuance of the territorial government, and permanently remaining there to form and preserve a free state constitution. All those who entertained the same sentiments, but were not disposed themselves to go, had the right and duty to use all lawful means to encourage and promote the object. If the purpose could be best effected by united efforts, by voluntary associations or corporations, or by state assistance, as proposed in some southern states, it was all equally lawful and laudable. This was not the officious intermeddling with the internal affairs of another nation, or state, or the territory of another people. The territory is the property of the nation, and is, professedly, open to the settlement and the institutions of every part of the United States. If lawful means, so extensive as to