Squatter sovereign., 1855-11-13

| IN Leavenworth City.
All which said places, except the town
of Kansas. are in the Territory of Kansas,
and the time Of commencing at each place,
will be 10 o'clock, A. NJ; and if it is found
impracticable to take said deposition al the
houses named, they will be adjourned,
with notice at the time, to a more conve.
nient place. s ai5sa1
Any other. notices which you may re-
ceive for the same purposes, signed by
G. P. Lowry, Esq, r. Coates, ESQ.,. Nj i.
J. Parrot, ESQ.,. or G. w. Brown, ESQ.,,
OH my behalf, will be authorized bv me.
A. H. REEDER.
KANSAS TER, Oct. 16, 1856. zs
To A. Fl. REEDER, ESQ: ....-.
SIR: I am in receipt of 4 paper bearing
your signature, dated 18th inst, in which
am requested to take notice that YOU will
contest my right to seat in the next Con-
gress of the United States, as Congress
slonal Delegate Of the Territory of Kan
sas, and that the depositions OF witnesses
to prove the lnvaIidi,y Of the law under
which my election took place, and the iIle-
gaiity OF votes cast for Inc on the frs, day
of October, instant, vail be taken at GER
tain times and places, and before certain
legal (unctionaries. III the said paper par
ticuiarly specified. | am also invited to
be present at these times and places to
cross-examine the witnesses and am fur
ther Notified that other notices which may
receive for the same purposes, signed by
q. p. Lowry, ESQ.,. r. Coates, Esq. NJ.
j. Parrott, ESQ.,, or e. w. Brown, Esq,
on your behalf, will be acknowledged BY
you. o. aa..1 <e.
The first remark that shall make in
reference to this most singular notification
is, that inasmuch as you have left the Ter
ritory, and have designated no place at
which you can be addressed and mas
much as the subject matter is of public
rather than of private ateconcernluen,.I deem
it proper to reply through the medium of
the public press.
| observe that, whilst you declare an
intentio,rof contestins my right to seat
in the Congress OF tie United States, YOU
specify 10 ground upon which TO entitle
yourself to enter into such controversy.
BY the PLANES, principles of common sense
and common law, the man who seeks TO
drag another before the tribunals OF the
country, is bound to show that he has a
right to be asserted or wrong TO be re-
dressed. In the absence of such showing
he has no right to put any man upon the
defensive, nor to invoke the instrumental
ty Of the law. You have not alleged that
any rights OF yours have been infrilge,d
by my election, and consequently, by your
own showing. you are precluded from ma
king yourself party To such contest as
that in which you seek to engage.
The idea ot running all over the Terri
tory for the purpose OF collecting testino-
ny to prove 1.-The invalitlity OF the law un-
der which | was elected, IS absurd, and
betrays a shameful ignorance of The ins,i-
tutloIls under which wei live. In this coun-
try, the validity or inyalidity of law is de-
terinincd by courts of competent jurisdic-
ton, created lor the purpose, and not by
the oatils ci witnesses, however numerous
intelligent or truthful. The same remarks
are applicable to the project oil proving, by
oral testimony, the illegaiity OF votes cast
for me OIL the Is. day OF October. instant.
Tne legality or ;ilegality OF vote is mat
ter OF legal deductlon, to be drawn from
the facts of the particular case, and not
itself fact susceptible OF being established
by any kind OF testimony. For these aud
other reasons which might be assigned.
yoa will readily perceive that refuse 10
recognize You as having any rights in the
premises, and decline giving attention TO
the subject matter OF your notification.
III an inconsistency, coming from such
a quarter, We're worthy of remark, would
advert TO your proposition to take deposit
tions "betore some Judge Justice or some
other competent person" merely Observing
that IN this Territory. snch officers are the
creatures of that law whose validity you
deny.
But though you have forborne to assign
any valid reason for ilnpugning my eiec-
ton, am not therefore ignorant OF the
hopes and purposes by which yon and
Your confederatrs are actuated. When
You iasne into this Territory, instead Of
deyoting your energies. in good faith. to
the discharge Of your official drIties. and
10 preparing the way for the INTRODUCTION
oil laws adapted to the condition of socicty
your whole time was occupied IN frau'iu-
lent devices for enrichins yourself. ssafsd
'or 50 shaping the etrrnaI iegssiatIon of
the so'Intry 50 q ss-easEs. :, prcPotss .sIancr
10 Your. ..wll Aaoliiionists, .a,rl Fr.rso.i
rar.y. Som. O; your nscsfations were
20 grossly iil:nloral .ii.I Illegal, si.at it+.s-
= =