The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-01-24

LEAvENwoRTH CITY, Dec. %, 1865.
To the Editor Of the National Era:
l propose to give you some account, of the
practical workings of "Squatter Sovereignty"
as recently exhibited in this vicinity.
You are, of course, in possession of she es-
sential facts of the late war-Governo, Shan
mons war. / witnessed the mastering out of
service" of General Eastins brigade, it this
place, on the 18th of the present montn-the
day fixed upon for the vote upon the adoption
of the Constitution. These "troops" ha6 been
discharged some days before by Governor Shan
non, and had returned home, most of them to
Missouri; and the reason for again calling them
together, to be mustered out of SERVICES" was
not obvious at first, but became so during the
day. About noon, when most of the Free
State men were absent from the pollx one
Captain Dunn, at the head of his coiapany,
made an attack upon the building, sarged
through the window, seized upon the ballot
box, and carried it off in triumph, aminst the
cheers of the Law and Order party. sane of
the clerks was dragged into the stree, and
shamefully beaten and abused, till rescyed by
some of his friends. After this dist Jay of
valor, law, and order, &c, these 1" Bord Ruf.
fans" for they were nothing else, were ollect-
ed on Cherokee street, and brought as nearly
into order as a halfdrunken set of vagi bonds
could be, by officers only little less trunk,
and were there addressed by Brigadier General
Eastin, followed by several subordinate Ulcers.
down to the valiant Captain Dunn, wi O was
highly complimented by several of the speak
erS.
just as General Eastin had commentse ed his
remarks, there was dog fight started on the
right flank OF the army, and there was gen.
eral rush to that quarter, and the General was
obliged to suspend his remarks till the fight
was over.
The captains were instructed to give each
man written discharge, for fifteen daye' SER
vice, lending on December l5-the GoveLnor's
proclamation called them out on the ls, a so
that they might get their land acarrants. SO
it appears Uncle Sam is to be called upon to
give l60 acres of land to each of these saga
bonds, for his share in this farce of Governor
Shannon's, which, but for the moderation and
forbearance of the Free State men of Lawrence
would have ended in a tragedy; in which case,
all the land these border ruffians would have
needed, would have been about six feet by two.
Last Saturday night, the I'D of December,
this same Captain Dunn, at the head o. some
thirty or forty Law and Order men, mtlky it
was said, from Kickapoo, made descers upon
the Register office, 1.-THE Free State paper and
entirely demolished the press, and threw por-
tons of it in the river, and destroyed every
thing in the office. There was no sti smpt
made at resistance. How long the Free State
men will endure these outrages is yet, 20 be
seen. They are undoubtedly three or fo,ir to
one in number but they have no arms Ard no
organization, and these ruffians can draw re-
cruits to almost any extent from Missouri. In
Decd most of them come from there. IL was
said that there were but two residents af this
place engaged in the destruction of the press
But there is another and more important
reason why the Free State men have not re-
sisted these outrages. 1t is this They know
that if blood is once shed, there is no telling
where it will end and they are willing to wait
a little longer, till they see what Congress will
do for US. But if we get no protection from
that quarter, we shall protect ourselves. We
are preparing to do it now. There is to tbe a
public meeting, tomorrow, Of all citizens OPP
posed to mob law, to see what can be done to
protect life and property here for all begin to
feel that neither is safe.
The lives Of several persons have been threat
ened, and some are preparing to leave the
place. There is no protection to be expected
from the Federal authorities, except for Pro-
Slavery persons.
hope the Senate will not act upon the nomi-
nation OF Governor Shannon till they get the
particulars Of this war; and with all the facts
before them. l trust they will have the gooi
sense to allow his Excellency to retire to pri-
vate life.
Our election for State officers is to come off
on the 18th of next month, and we are now
considering what we shall do, as our masters
in Missouri have proclaimed that no election is
to be held on that day, or, in fact, any other,
than such aa thov shall anno;nf We sho ooo
As matters now stand, it looks as though there
was but one of two ways-either to sbandon
the election altogether, or 60 to the polls with
the ballot in one hand and the revolver in the
other.
The weather has been intensely cold for the
last few days, the mercury falling as low as ~
degrees below zero. There are four or five
inches of snow on the ground, and symptoms
of more. The river is frozen over, so that
teams are crossing on the ice. -
ONE OF THE SoUA'fBRs.