New-York daily tribune., 1856-05-20

= A9W quo OrVef press throughout the country, -
proved to have held pistol to tie head of an ion.
pro icable Judge, giving him five minutes wherein
to cetermine whether he would resign and leave q
clesr field to the Invading Ruffisns or take the
consequences Of bis obstinacy. 1t il already clear
as noon that every sirgle Assembly District was
carried BY concerted fraud and violence at that
Legislative Eiec!ion-that every return was infa.
mOusly corrupt and false-and that, but for tho
army of invaders who were launched against Kan
sas from Missouri on purpose to subjusate and stide
the voice Of the Territory, the Free-State party
must have been gloliously triumphant.
The naked question now pressing upon Congress
and the People is this: "Shall the gigantic fraud
thus proved to have been perpetrated work q
permanent subjugation of the people Of Kansas
Becaure they were overwhelmed and their ballot
boxes utterly corrupted at the election Of March
"'55, must they be crushed under the yoke of
Slavery without hope and forever1" These ques
tions will be answered as well by our indif-
ference and inactiOn as by our positive assent.
Judge Lecompte has charged his Grand Jury
at Lec0mpton that the acts of the bogus Legislature
thus manufactured by Missouri invaders are vir-
tually acts Of Congress, wherefore to resist or
disregard them is to commit treason against
the United States 1t is not Missouri then-it is
the Federal Union-which is legally held to have
established Slavery in Kansas, and made resistance
to it felony, punishable in some cases with death.
It is the Federal Union which is now furnishing
soldiers to execute the mandates of the Border
Rufisn authorities against unofending Free-State
men. 1t is the Federal Union which threatens
Lawrence with destruction, and the People Of
Kansas with fire and sword, il they do not quietly
succumb to their usurping oppressors, and, by
acknowledging the acts of the bogus Legislature as
binding laws and its nominees as veritable Sherhs
and County officers of their Territory, surrender
that beautiful land to hopeless and perpetual
Slavery.
From first to last, the Free-State men have borne
and forborne in earnest prayer for peace. They
have refrained to put their State government in
force, choosing to suffer oppression and incur the
reproach of tmidity rather than be chargeabe with
provoking bloodshed. They have constantly said:
"Let Congress investigate the whole matter, and
"iudge whether the edicts of that pretended
Legislature at Shawnee Mission are really valid
"and binding laws; if they are, we shall be com
"pelled to obey them" But this will not serve
the Border Rufians who infest the Territory and
the Territorial officers who are completely sub
ject to their sway. They are determined to
break up the investigation and precipitate
the country into a civil war; To this end
they have indicted Gov. Robinson, Ex-Governor
Reeder, and two other Free-State men for high
treason, after vainly striving to stop the investga-
tion by arresting Gov Reeder on a charge Of con-
tempt. Lastly, we hear that the Militia of the Ter
rtory have been called out to act against the Free
State men-this being the easiest way to provide
pay and subsistence out of the Federal Treasury
for Maj. Buford's regiment from Georgia, Alabama
and South Carolina, who are perfectly willing to
fight for Slavery, but most averse to working for
livelihood. And henceforth this force is to be SUBJ
sisted and paid at the expense of the People of tho
United States
We ask that People not to permit the earlier
stages Of the impending catastrophe to pass IN
heeded-we ask them to be prepared for the fear
full collision of steel with steel which it is the man.
fest determination of the Border Rufians and their
seryitors to render inevitable. When that result
shall have been achieved, we ask them to be fully
conyersant with the facts, and ready to take
Gcd to wine IS that in every step from first to last
the Free. State party has been guided and mpelled
by an anxious desire to preserve Peace to the ut
most limit consistent with q sacred regard for JUS
tice and Freedom.