The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-11-08
GOVERNOR SHANNON.

Governor Shannon, of Kansas, has written a
letter to the Herald Of Freedom, in vindication
of his course as Governor of the Territory.
from which we make the following extract:
1t follows, from what have said. that was
bound to consider and treat the Leeislatura az
a legal body; and that, if right in this tbeir
acts, passed within the scope of their mower
were binding alike on the officers and citizens
OF the Territory. If these premises are correct
1t loilows, also, that all public meetings or
movements, on the part Of the citizens of the
erritory, which do not look to a change of these
laws III a legal or regular way, but TO nulliiica.
ton and resistance to the enforcement and 90,
ecution of them, are unauthorized and oaI..,
lated to excite riots, breaches of the nnoco
disorders OF the most alarming and faarGI
character, and to lead to measures subversiya
OF the very framework of civil government
III was IN view of movements of this kind
that remarked, IN my WeStport speech. that |
regretted to see disposition. on the mart nc
some OF the citizens of the Territory. to null;f,
the Legislature, and all the laws paSsed nv tLat
pody. AS an executive officer, have potbin,,
10 DO with the expediency or inexpediencv If
laws that have actually been passed bo com.
petent authority; that belongs to the Lepisla.
lure, not TO either the judicial or executive de-
partments OF the Government If laws have
Deen passed by the Legislature not within the
scope OF tneir legal authority, the judicial de.
partment furnishes a plain and adeGuata ra,,,o
dy; if they have passed laws within tho sooo,,
OF their legal power, but which are onnrassiva
the remedy Is to be found at the balIot.hov
Nothing viii justify revolutionary movement
unless IL is great and extraordinary oppression.
ana then only after all peaceful remedies have
Deen tired, and failed. | have now said all
desire to-say in relation to my remarks at West.
port, and in vindication of their CORRECTNESS
My sole object is to set myself right before the
public"
The inexpressible meanness and hypocrisy
OF this letter is palpable TO every one wb,
knows anything of the circumstances "Ir
laws have been passed by the Legislature. nm
within the scope of their legal authority" he
says, "the judicial department furnishes =
PLAIN and adequate remedy" What mockery!
The associates and accomplices of Atcbison
and Stringfellow furnish remedy for their opt.
RACES! Shannon knows that JUDGES for Kan.
sas were selected for their known reckless al.
vocacy of Slavery, as he was for his equally
wellknown sycophancy to the slave-breeders.
lie knew that these very judges had already
sanctioned the outrageous usurpation of the
Missouri borderers, who boldly marched into
Kansas, and elected the Legislature. in violation
OF all law; and that the same Judges stood
ready to sanction every measure of their legis.
laton. "lf,' he continues, "they have passed
laws within the scope of their legal power. but
which are oppressive, the remedy is to be found
in the ballotbox." This is, if possible, moro
insulting than the reference to the Judicial
department" Shannon well knows that the
great majority of the people of Kansas could
not take an oath to support and obey the laws
passed by the sham Legislature, without self
stuitlhcation. He knows that those laws pun
ish the utterance of Anti-Slavery sentiments
with death, in violation of the constitutional
rights of every citizen; and if he possessed Z.
spark of honor himself, he must know that no
man OF honor would take an oath to support
such system. He is, therefore, himself dead
to all sense of honor, or else he meant DELHI
erately to insult the Anti-Savery people of
Kansas. In fact, it requires a great stretch of
charity to believe that a man of honor wouM
have accepted the post of Governor of Kansas.
after the dismissal of Reeder None but a
cringing sycophant would have consented to
become the vile tool of Atchison and String.
fellow
The people Of Kansas have no remedy for
the foul tyranny to which they have been sub
Jected, but revolution-open resistance, at any
hazard, to the reign of rowdy scoundrelsm.
The Federal Government, through its organ,
the Union, has avowed its ignorance of any ir-
regularity or injustice in the administration Of
affairs in Kansas; and if irregularities have oc-
CURED, it cOnfesses its impotency and inability
to remedy them. The Kansas people, there
fore, have acted as it becomes brave and law
abiding citizens, in resisting a tyranny compar-
ed with which the Government of England over
these Colonies, prior to the Revolution, was mild
and equitable.