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1 Subduing Freedom in Kansas: Report of the Congressional Committee, Presented in the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, July 1, 1856 1 (1836)

handle is hein.slavery/sdfksrcc0001 and id is 1 raw text is: $ubbning Ireebom in anma. REPORT OF THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE, .PRESENTED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, On Tuesday. July 1, 1856. pr. A OURNAL of proeedings, including sundry communications made to and by the Committee, was kept, a copy of which is herewith submitted. The testimony also is herewith submitted; a copy of it has been made and arranged, not according to the order in which it was taken, but so as to present, as clearly as possible, a consecutive his- tory of events in the Tewritory, from its organiza- tion to the 19th day of March, A. D. 1856. Your Committee deem it their duty to state, as briefly as possible, the principal facts proven be- fore them. When the act to organize the Terri- tory of Kansas was passed ,n - day of May, 1854, the greater portion of its eastern border was included in Indian reservations not open for set- tlement, and there were but few white settlers in any portion of the Territory. Its Indian popula- tion was rapidly decreasing, while many emi- grants from different parts of our country were anxiously waiting the extinction of the Indian title, and the establishment of a Territorial Gov. ernment, to seek new homes in its fertile prairies. It cannot be doubted that if its condition as a freTertoy has been left undisturbed by Con- gress, its settlement would have been rapid, peaceful and prosperous, Its climate, soil, and its easy access to the older settlements would have made it the favored course for the tide of emigration constantly flowing to the West, and, by this time, it would have been ad itted into the Union as a Free State, without the least see- -tiorrflexuitement . If so-organized, none but the kindest feeling could have existed between it and the adjoining State. Their mutual interests and intercourse, instead of, as now, endangering theharmony of the Union, would have strength- ened the ties of national brotherhood. The tes- timony clearly shows, that before the proposition to repeal the Missouri Compromise was intro- dueed into Congress. the people of Western Mis- souri appeared indifferent to the- prohibition of Slavery in the Territory, and neither asked nor desired its repeal. When, however, the prohibition was removed by the action of Congress, the aspect of affairs entirely changed. The whole country was agita- ted by the reopening of a controversy whic;h con- servative men in different sections hoped had been settled in every State and Territory by some law beyond the danger ofrepeal. The excite- ment which has always accompanied the discus- sion of ,the Slavery question was greatly in- creased by the hope on the one hand of extending Slavery into a region from which it had been excluded by law; and on the other by a sense of wrong done by what was rezarded as a dishonor of a national compact. This excitement was naturally transferred into the border counties of Missouri and the Territory is settlers favoring free or slave institutions moved into it. A new difficulty soon occurred. Different constructions were put upon the organic law. It was cutend- ed by the one party that the right to hold slaves in the Terrirory existed,' and that neither the people nor the Tprritorial Legislature could pro. hibit Slavery-thnt that power was alone pos- sessed by the people when they were authorized to form a State Government. It was contended that the removal of the restriction virtually established Slavery in the Territory. This claim Reproduced with permission from the University of Illinois at Chicago

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