The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-06-07
THE LYNcH1Ne OF MIR. PHILLIPS.


We published last week brief account of
the outrage inflicted upon Mr.. Phillips, of
Leavenworth. He is represented to be young
married man, lately from Massachusetts, and a
lawyer of considerable wealth. He is Free
State man, and contested the election in his
District, (l6th,) which was set aside This
was his real offence. 1t was further alleged
against him that he was the partner of McCrea,
and handed him the weapon with which Clark
was killed
correspondent of the Tribune says fourteen
Missouri brigands crossed the river from Mis-
souri,, seized Phillips, and, before he could be
rescued, bore him off to Weston, where they
lynched him.
The Weston (Mo.) Argus, the organ of the
Nulli6ers, confirms this account substantially,
but adds other items not quite so credible:
According to the best information we can
get, the excitement and prejudice against Phil
lips in Leavenworth, has been produced by two
causes viz: it is alleged that he handed Nc
Crea the pistol with which he (McCrea) killed
Malcolm Clark and the other is that he is an
active and enthusiastic agent of the Abolition
lists, and the same who swore to the protest
against the validity of the election in the Leav-
enworth district. Some time ago, the citizens
of Leavenworth City held public meeting, and
requested Phillips to leave Kansas Territory as
he had rendered himself odious and inimcal to
the people. This he has studiously avoided to
do; while his conduct was defiant and contu-
macious towards the people ofLeavenworth; and
instead of leaving on the day designated, he col
lected in about forty armed Free-Soilers and
A L L. Il Il. L L
enemies with the most malicious contempt,
compelling them at thar time to let him 20
about his business-which was heaping ridicule
and SANDER upon the Pro-Slavery party of Leav-
enworth City particularly and the Pro-Slavery
party elsewhere generally. Thus matters stood
until last Thursday. We suppose the motive
that induced the people of Leavenworth City
Pro-Slavery men-to bring Phillips on this side,
to execute their sentence on him, was because
their soundness in the cause had begun to be
doubted by some of the Pro-Slavery party here,
and they determined to lay under the unjust
suspicion no longer"
The offence of Phillips, according to the Ar
gus, was, that he had contested an illegal elec
ton, and he then still further offended by refu-
sing to leave Kansas, at the mandate of bru-
tai mob His conduct was as noble as that of
his rufiianly assailants was mean and devilish
AS to the story that he had mustered an armed
band " to back him" we presume it is from the
same mint which has coined so many false
hoods. Such man, with forty well-armed
Free-Soilers, "would not have been taken"
The Tribune correspondent says that Phillips
was advised to arm himself, but neglected to
do so.
He still persisted in maintaining that no
number Of persons could be found to attack him
for the mere exercise of the rights of every
American citizen and thus he was taken yes
terday without the means of selfdefence, and
perhaps murdered"
If Phillips be the man we take him for, the
Nullifers have not heard the last of him.