The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-12-15

the trouble to copy at length or TO compare
or analyze the half dozen of different Eau
thentic versions" before us, we give the fol-
lowing by correspondent Of the St. Louis
/ Republican as the most rational, probable,
and consistent account that we have met
with:
Mr. Coleman resides upon the north side
and near the border Of a heavy piece of
timber-ncarly, if not quite, n full section
of timber. \ Mr.. Buckley lives upon the
east side Of the same timber \ Mr.. Glca.
son and a Mr.. Branson live upon the west
side Of the same timber Some time past
dispute and some difficulty was had among
/ these neighbors about holding claims in the
/ timber. The dispute was between Buckley
and Coleman, Of the one part, and Gleason,
Branson and their friends of the other part.
Months, however, having passed without
further trouble concerning the timber. and
both parties cutting and using it as they had
need, further difficulty was not anticipated
by the party of the first part, until on the
morning Of Wednesday last, Mr.. Buckley,
with two men in his employ, went down TO
the timber to cut firc.wood, when they were
met by Dow and others, armed with Sharp's
rifles and ordered out Of the timber On
same morning, Mr.. Coleman went to the
timber for the same purpose, TO cut fire.
wood; he, also was ordered away by Dow
and party. Coleman, however, knew not
that Mr.. b. had been ordered out in the
same manner
Mr.. Buckley, on leaving the timber, goes
to a b|acksmiths shop, a short distance from
the place, to procure his double.barrclcd
shot gun while there, Dow calls in. A
few words were heard, when Buckley pro
sents his gun at Dow and Snapped ;' Inc
gun missed fire, and D""-'"n'
Coleman ?" rcaving the timber, goes to
~, mouse, takes his gun, aud starts TO see
Esquire llargus, to counsel him on the sub
ject. On going a short distance he meets
the Squire, and, in a few minutes, Dow is
seen coming over the hill directly towards
them-within speaking distance. Dow tells
Coleman not to advance another step. Cole
man continued to advance with his gun by
his side, when Dow ruShes forward with his
rifle and says ON you, Coleman, | am go
ing to kill you" Coleman then raised his
gun and fired, when Dow fell dead, aud thus
another "horriblc murder was added to
the dreadful calender Of crime, and the muir.
dercr immediately gave himself up to the
authorities.
What followed may be briefly stated The
friends Of Dow held a meeting; resolved
that his murder was unproyoked and "cold
blooded," and talked largely Of taking Cole.
man by force from the hands of the officers
to whom he had given himself up and exc.
cute summary vengeance on him. The news
is carried to Sheriff Jones, who thereupon
appears on the ground and arrests Branson
as one Of the ringlcaders of this "treasona.
bic" meeting; and while in the act Of car.
rying lin to Jail Branson is rescued by his
friends and carried to Lawrence. The rest
is known.
We throw aside as unworthy Of credit all
the other stories about the free state men
burning the houses Of the slave state men,
of their turning out dcfenceless women and
children, &C., &c. This is all Josh Nor
do, after all, these matters, or the precise
fact whether Dow was to blame for his own
murder or not, or whether Branson was
Justly arrested or not, cut much figure in
themattcr. These have served to prccipi.
tate the crisis, but the great yoiAt in con-
troversy between the parties vastly over.
towers these. 1t is the simple question
whether the laws of the legislature shall he
ohcyed or not. At the meeting at Lawrence,
"to devise means for Defence" no complaint
is made that Coleman will receive no trial
or that Branson was arrested in violation of
the laws of the territory, But ground like
the following is insisted on. Mr.. Conway
said:
They had ignored the action and the a,i.
thority Of the illegal Legislature which had
met and passed obnoxious laws at Shawnee
Mission; and while they repudatcd the laws,
they also repudiatcd the county officers, SO
monstrously thrust upon them by that lie.
GiSlaturc, He knew that they would not
yield obedience to those authorities. They
would yield obedience to the United States
authorities, to the Organic Act, to the Courts
created under it, and the Judges and Mar.
shals appointed by the President. These
might Cypress then, being opposed in pc.
! '''"' SVH't"'h', put tNcy WOulu-no Knew
all would-submit to such authorities, and
only appeal from them to the United States
Supreme Court, where they would get a fair
hearing
Now this, in our humble opinion, is tax.
ing q ound little too high. Whatever NAV
be said about the manner in which the late
Kansas legislature was elected, that body
was convened, and transacted its business
too closely within at least the forms of rcgu-
larity and law, to have its actions thus fiat.
ly ignored and rapudiated. The members
( had regular certificates Of election from Gov.
Reedcr, and when they had met and organ.
lied were regularly acknowledged by him.
If the laws they passed were harsh or un.
wise, they arc none the less laws, at least
until the courts shall have otherwise dc.
cided, Whatever their character, no evil
can result from obedience to them uut by
popular will they can be changed at all com
/ parable to armed resistance Such resist.
ancc to law in u republic where the people
are sovereign is not only unpa,rio,c but "a.
tai to the very existence Of freedom and free
government.