Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1856-08-15
SACK or LAWRENCE.


SACK or LAWRENCE.
These proceed ngs were followed by
an offense OF still greater magnitude
Under color Of legal process a comnany
Of seven hundred armed men, the great
body OF whom your Committee are sat-
isfied were not citizens Of the Territory.
marched into Lawrence under Marshal
Donaldson and g. j. Jones, officers clai.
ming to act under the law, and bombar-
ded and then bnrncd to the ground val
liable hotel, and one private honse; de-
stroyed two Of the printing Offices and
the material; and then, being released BY
the officers, whose posse they claimed to
be. proceeded to sack. pilIage and rob
houses, stores, trunks, &c. even to tho
clothing Of women and children. Some
Of the letters thus unlawfuIly taken
were private ones, written by the con-
testing delegate. and they were offered
In evidence. Your Committee did not
deem that the persons holding them
had any right thus to use them, and re-
fused to be made the instruments TO re-.
port private letters thus Obtained.
This force was not resisted, because IL
was collected and marshaled under the
forms of law. But this act Of barbarity
unexampled in the history OF our govern
ment, was followed BY ji,s natural con.
sequences. All the restraints which Am.
erican citizens are accustomed to pay
even to the appearance Of law were
thrown off; one act Of violence led TO
another; homicide became frequent. A
party under A. c. Pate. composed
chiefly Of citizens Of Missouri. were TIA
ken prisoners by party Of settlers: an
while your Committee was at Westport,
company, chiefly OF Missourisns. ac-
companied by the acting delegate. went
10 relieve Pate and his party, spd COL
lision prevented by the United States
troops. Civil war has seemed tmpend-
Ing In the Territory. Nothing can pre-
vent so great calamity but the presence
Of large force Of United States troops,
under q commander who will with pru :
dence and discretion, quiet the excited
passions Of both parties, and expel with
force the armed bands Of lawless men,
coming from Missouri and elsewhere,
who, with criminal pertinacity. infest
the Territory.
In some csses. add as to one entire
election district, the condition OF the
country prevented the attendance OF
Witnesses, who were either arrested or
detained while obeying our process or
deferred from 90 doing. The Sergeant
ALARMS who served the process on them
was himself arrested and detained for a
short time. BY an armed force claiming
I, be q part Of the Marshal, but was al
lowed to proceed on an examination OF
his papers. and was furnished with
passport. signed by sWarren d. Wilkes,
Of South Csrolina." John Upton. an
other officer Of the G ommittee, was sub
sequently stopped by lawless force.
on the borders Of the Territory and az
ter being detained and treated with great
indignity, was released. He was also
furnished with pass, signed Ly two cit
ixens Of Missouri, and addressed TO "pro-
Slavery men," By reason Of these
disturbances, we were delayed In West
port, 90 that while In session there our
time was but partially occupihd.
But the abstraction which created the
most serious embarrassment to us
was the attempted arrest Of Governor
Reeder, the coniesting Delega'e. upon
writ Of attachment issued against him
by Judge Lccomptc, to compel his at
tendance as witness before the Grand
Jury Of Douglass county. William
Fame recently from the State Of Geor-
gia, and claiming to be the Deputy Mar.
shall, came into the room OF the Commit
tee while Gov. Reeder was examining a
witness, before US. and producing the
writ, required Gov. Reeder TO attend him.
Subsequent events have only siren 9Th
ened the conviction Of your Committee
that this was wsnton and unlawful In
reference by the Judge who issued the
writ. tending greatly to obstrucs . full
and fair investigation. Cover nor
Reeder and Gen. Whitfield alone were
fully possessed OF that local information
which would enable US to elicit the
whole truth, and il was obvious to every
one. that any event which world sepa-
rate either OF them from the COMMITTEES
would necessarily hinder. delay and en-.
barrass II.
Governor Reeder claimed that under
the circumstances In which he was plac'
ed, he was privileged from arrest. except
for treason, felony or breach Of peace
As this was q question OF privilege
proper for the Courts. or for the priyiIe.
| Red person alone to determine on BIZ