Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-12-31
sY Tomorrow being New Years day no
paper will be issued from this Office.
The Kansas Troubles. squatter sovcr-

The Cycle, published at Saint Joseph, Mis-
soeii, in its issue Of December Ia, contains the
terms and conditions upon which that paper
says peace was made at Lawrence KANSAS
Territory a few days ago, between the author
tiles Of the Territory and the people Of Law
renee, viz:
First, the citizens of Lawrence acknowledge
the Legislature which assembled at the Shawnee
Mission to be lawful law-making body. Second
~, that they will submit TO the laws enacted by
that body, or resist them only through the courts
Of the land. Thirdly, that when summoned by the
proper officer, they will act as posse conitGtps In
aiding the execution Of the laws. Fourthly, that
the prisoner arrested by violence from the custody
of the sheriff of Douglas county shall be delivered
up for trial. Filthy, that all the men against
whom warrants were issued for assisting in the
rescue Of Coleman, (sone forty in number,) shall
BIO surrendered according to faw."
We have taken no part in the discussions
growing out Of the recent outbreaks in Kansas
and have formed no opinion as to,which party
is in the wrong.
We take it for granted that the question,
whether or not the Legislature which assem-
bled at Shawnee Mission was a "lawful law
making body" Tin the words Of the Cycle,)
will be decided by competent authority, and
that the acknowledgment" Of the citizens Of
Lawrence, that it was such, will have but little
and especially when made by reason Of the
presence ola superior armed force The val
idity Of all laws must be tested by an appeal
to tho legal tribunals of the country, and not
by the brute force Of contending parties. We
have no sympathy with those who resist the
laws Of Congress, or Of State or Territorial
Legislatures by force Of arms, nor do we, on
the other hand, concur in the following senti-
ments expressed by the st. Joseph Cycle, from
which the terms and conditions Of the peace
are extracted as above.
The Cycle says:
1--WE cannot say too much In praise of the for
bearance of the troops who rallied at the call of
molished ten such towns as Lawrence, provoked and
goaded too as they were by repeated grievances
and injuries, taay dispersed without doing single
act which The most censorious might condemn.
Scarcely parallel instance be found on record
wbere a body of men, with arms in their hands,
and intiamed by the contemplation of wrongs, have
quietly laid them down again at the bidding Of
duty, and returned quietly to their homes"
We understand that the troops referred to,
were rallied simply to enforce the laws Of
the Territory, and their duty ended when the
laws were enforced. "Forbearance therefore
was the plain duty Of the troops, and even
though they had numbers sufficient to have
demolished ten such towns as Lawrence, y or even
enough to have demolished ten cities like New
York, they would be entitled to no credit for
dispensing without doing a single act which
the most ccnsorious might condemn" il there
were no necessity for the demolition OF towns
and cities in enforcing the laws.
We would be much obliged if tho Cycle
would give US an explanation Of its statement
that the troops who rallied at the call Of Gov
ernor Shannon were provoked and goadcd,
too, By repeated grievances and injuries, and
that they were "inhamed by the contempla-
ton Of wrongs" That there are two parties
in Kansas, between whom a fierce political
struggle has been waged, and animosities en-.
gendercd, and that in this struggle each party
has complained Of grievances, injuries, and
wrongs" against the other we have been well
advised, but We were not advised before that
the troops who rallied to aid in executing the
laws were composed Of one of the parties COM
planning of the grievances, injuries, and
wrongs"
Has not the Cycle done the troops injustice
by more than intimating that they were influ-
enced by proDocations in turning out to exc
cute the laws Of the Territory Or have the
troops done themselves the injustice, being
parties, to rally under arms TO decide politi-
cal quarrel with their opponentsf We are
most decidedly in favor Of submission to the
laws while they,reman such, but we are Just
as decidedly opposed to a military dcspotism
under the guise Of Democratic institutions
i The condition Of things in Kansas is deeply
to be dsplored, and we think a remedy cannot
be too soon applied. II seems TO us there Is
no difficulty in finding and applying that rem
edy. 5s s.t
That remedy, however, must not consist in
decision Of the dispute by the forced ack-
nowledgment on the part Of the weaker In "a
vor Of the positions assumed by the stronger
party A majority Of the people Of Territory
or State may be in the wrong, and a minority
may be IN the right, on questions involving
the constitutionality or the supremacy OF laws
and the result Of conflict Of arms between
the parties may not always be in conformity
with right and justice. wedo not mean to in
innate any opinion on the merits Of the recent
conflict IN, or the present quarrel about Kan
sas, for we have not the proper data on which
to form ajudgment thereon, but we do mean
10 say, that some adequate means should be
applied to settle all these disputes Justly.