The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-09-15
Gov. Shnnnan in Kansas.


Coy. Shnnnan in Kansas.
Gov. Shannan, Rccdcr's successor, arrived
at Kansas City on the 3lSt ut, and was met
there by Strinicllow and number of the
kate Kansas legislators They had dinner,
ard then crossed over TO Wcstport, in Ms
souri,, where in the evening, the Governor
was sercnadcd and called out TO address the
crowd that had gathered. His speech is re-
ported in the ST. Louis Democrat, and con-
.tains some remarkable passages. The Gov
crnor regretted that disposition existed in
certain portions fthc territory to nullify the
laws Of the late Kansas legislature, which he
regarded as an entirely legal assembly, and
expressed his determination to use all his
executive power to carry them into effect, at
least until the courts should decide them
null and void and in reference to the sub
jcct Of slavery, he thought that as Missouri
and Kansas would be adjoining states and
much intercourse must exist between them,
it would be well il their institutions should
harlnonze--in short he was for slavery in
Kansas.
Interference to the Kansas legislature and
its laws, the view Of Gov. Shannan is proba.
tly correct. Gov. Rccder having regularly
acknowledged the election of and commits
stoned majority of its members, it would
be a considerable stretch Of authority in the
%, 4 ,;, ID Al.
have decided on their legality but the an
nOunccmcnt of uoy. :. that he is "lor slave
ry in Kansas will takr the country by sur.
prise, and in the north excite only disgust
In common docency, whatever his scnti-
ments may be, he might have kept them to
himself 1t would have been sufficient, and
more appropriate to the OCCASION and worthy
of his place. if he had contcnted himself with
a simple declaration that he would endcayor
to enforce strict ohrhicuc" not only to the
laws of the late legislature, but also to the
organic law of the territory.
The avowal Of Gov. 5. is unfortunate, as
it bears the appearance Of his taking sides
with the border ruilians and Stringfcllows
in the local quarrcls Of Kansas position
into which neither the democratic party nor
the administration at Washington are will.
ing to be forced rs proof Of this, so far as
the democratic party is concerned, we can
point to the resolutions Of their state con.
vcntons in Maine, New York, Pennsylvania
and Indiana; and as to the administration
at Washington, single extract from the
Washington tnjoD, its acknowledged organ,
is sufficient. The Iai0n of the 81 inst, af-
ter noticing an article in the Kansas register |
which protested against the acts of the !
'bordcr ruilianS," and aSkcl that Kansas
should be allowed to govern itself, makes
these remarks:
''rhcrc is great sound ser sc in these sug-
gcstons, and they may be proitab!y con
traStcd with the extraordinary course which
is now being pursued by reckless and eX-
trayagant men in the Legislature and by
portion of the press Of the Territory equally
reckless and cxtravagant. For
tunatcly for the true interests Of the Terri
tory, however, and for the pcrpctuity Of the
rights Of the States so far AS the latter are
involved in the struggle, the Democratic par
" is neither extinct in Kansas nor powcrcss
in the Union.
The democratic party maintain but one
ground in reference to Kansas, and that is
shc faithful observance of the Kansas law.
If her people, by a fair and free expression,
desire slavery, il is their right to have it, but
the democratic party will neither inter
fcrc itself nor justify outside interference to
influence that decision one way or the other;
and anything like mob violence and outrage
on the part Of either party in Kansas it as
readily condemns as it condemns such yio-
lcncc in Louisville or Cincinnati As the
executive of Kansas Gov. Shannan has Spc-
ciiic duties to perform, and these consist in
shc rigid and impartial execution ofthe laws;
and beyond these, any interference Of his to
influence one way or the other the decision
of the slavery or any other local question is
rs much outside Interference rs if it came
from Massachusetts, or Missouri.