Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-10-09

4
dent Pierce, in the face of these precedents
and the Constitution of the United States, de-
nounced this assemblage, convened for re-
dress OF grievances, as reasonable. His JEFF
freysian Judge now caught the sonnd, charged
his Grand Jury accordingly, and had number
of the respectable inhabitants of Kansas in
dicted for treason, most Of whom were arrested
and have been imprisoned under military
guard for mouths, but now released on bail
thus acknowledging the falSty Of the charge,
as treason is not baiIabie offense
Are more facts wanting to prove the con-
certed action between the President and bis
coconspirator Look at the official proclama-
ton from Washington their thinly disguised
but palpabIe design to deter the people Of
Kansas from the assertion Of their right the
authority given to Gov Shannon to direct the
military force Of the United States at his dis
cretlon their employment to make arbitrary
arrests after the manner Of those which once
filled the Bastile Of Paris the employment of
foreign brigands under the mask title of the
enrolled militia, to blockade the great highway
Of the West against the transit of emigrants
seeking home on United States lands in
addition to these things, the Indictment of q
printing Office and hotel by Grand Jury, and
summary punishment of both by burning with
ont trial. Would you not like to see copy
of these indictments This act must also have
been done in imitation of Draco, who senten-
ced q statue to be banished for having fallen
upon a man.
At the same time that these indictments
were eXecuted, the town of Lawrence was
sacked, and the people robbed by these famous
police eNecutlOnerS. Not content with these
outrageS, prowling brigands from the Blue
Lodges and from distant states were indulgcnt-
Iy encouraged to range through the territory
robbing. banishing and numbering in cold blood
Its peaceable lnhabltaDtS agOWed.v to eXtcrmi-
nate them from the land, under the hue and
cry of obedience Of claw and order" that is
the law and order Of Missouri invaders admin
istered 10y Judge Lecompte and executed by
Atchison. Appeals to the President were an
sWered by reference to the protection Of these
sacred laws, as cooliy aud graycy referred to
as if they were the Justnian code When I'M
der thGsmenace Of the last invasion from Mis-
souri,, the people of Kansas sent a special de-
putation to the President Of the United States,
he not only peremptoriiy refused them any re-
lief, but insulted them by repr0ach, for having
meddled too much with their institutions. in-
stead Of mndng their own business ; meaning
evidently, that be had provided for their in
stitutions, through his confidential friend Gen
AtchisoA, and it was grave offence for them
to Interfere with him, and grossly presumptu-
Gus for men "WhO do their own drudgerv," to
attempt to form Institutions for regulating So
cicty according to its natural and normal
condition.
When the President made this reply to the
Kansas deputies he must have been so absorb
ed III the doings OF the conspiracy as to have
lost all compunctlous "reminiscences. He was
so determined upon the execution OF their laws,
that he preferred to jenpardize the whole mill
tary appropriation for the year, rather than
forego the employment of the army to establish
this Atchison code. s aa IL. ...
The facts | have thus adYerted to constitute
but small part of the ind,spltable evidence
that might he adduccd to establish the charge
OF the conspiracy among certain high functiona-
rleS OF our national government, to interpOlate
new and false construction of the federal CON
sttntlou. upou a point Of fearful and vital iu-
tercst to accomplish which solemn pledges
have been violated, and means employed in
which the great principles of democratic go
ve-nment have been wholly contcmned and dis
regarded, and an actual coup d etGt attempted,
more abhowcnt TO trccmcn than anything VIC
have been from infancy taught to condemn in
the achievements OF the old world
To those who have been trained, as | have
been from youth, in devotion to dcmocrat tic
principles, the measures / have thus cursorily
presented to view must cause additional pain,
as well as alarm, from being the exclusive de-
vices of high public functionar'es placed in
power by, and reputed to represent, the de
mocracy of the United States. We have
cherished with ardent devotion the benevolent
sentiment embodied in the term that dcsignatcs
q government made by the people for their own
good but how revolving to every sincere, ar
dent, patriotic democrat, to be compelled to
see his time -honored patronymic prostituted,
not only to the destruction Of sacred chartered
rights, but to the establishment Of doctrines
supyersiye of democratic charter itself.
There are many examples of corrupt men,
who, relying on the prestige of an imposing
popular name, have used it as mantle to pro-
tect them in the perpetration Of diaboIical
crimes but who could have imagined that the
name OF Democracy could be thus effectively
abused, before it's model republic, abounding
with everything necessary to human happiness,
was eighty years old
But all is not yet lost. IT high officials have
prostituted our name, and by vile Vaccinations
betrayed us, we have our principles to stand
upon, from which we can make battle at the
ballot box, and rebuke back the conspirators
to harmless retirement OF the candidates
before the people. have little to say. The
great question to be decided is one Of principle
only 'H7# t+
Mr. En,hanan stands upon the same plat
form with Franklin Pierce, and is SO pledged
by his supporters to carry out his measures,
and especially the pot of the consprators to
use the Constitution of the United States to
carry slavery into and drive settlers out of all
their territories that unless he possess the he