The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-09-25
KANsAs-PEACE NOT YET RESTORED.

AAN0A6-GEAJ6
The release of the Free State prisoners, the !
retreat of the "army of Law and Order" upon |
Missouri, and the arrival of Governor Geary, i
were heralded as indications of speedy resto- /
ration of peace in Kansas. But, the end is not /!
vet The Law and Order men retreated only !.
to obtain recruits. On the 18th inst, Governor
Geary delivered his Inaugural at Lecompton. !
he upheld in its length and breadth the doctrine |
of Squatter Sovereignty, and implored the bona !.
tide settlers in the Territory to bury their ami
mosities, and rally to the support of the Laws
The radical evil of the address is the recogni' ;
ton of the unconstitutional and atrocious acts :
of a Legislature elected through fraud and NO
lence. 1t is useless to hope for peace, so long
as the Administration and its agents persist in
attempting to enforce them.
81 cheerfully admit that the people of this
Territory, under the organic act, have the alb.
solute right of making their municipal laws,
and from citizens who deem themselves sggriev- .
ed by recent legislation, would invoke the ut"
most forbearance, and point out to them sure
and peaceable remedy. You have the right to.
ask the next Legislature to revise any and all
laws and in the mean time, as you value thea
peace of the Territory and the maintenance Of
future laws, would earnestly ask you to refrain i
from all violation of the present statutes.
az am sure there is patriotism sufficient n. !
the people of Kansas to lend willing OBEDIENCE
to the law All the provisions of the Constitp;
ton of the United States must be sacredly o.
served, all the acts of Congress having reference
to this Territory must be unhesitatingly obey
cd, and the decision of our courts respected, 1t
will be my imperative duty to see that thao
suggestions are carried into effect. In my Off
cial action here 1 will do justice at all hazards
Influenced BY no other considerations than the
welfare of the whole people of this Territory, L
desire to know no party, no section, no North,
no South, no East, no West-nothiDg but Kan
sas and my country"
Governor Geary, in the opening of his mes
sage, acknowledges the paramount authority OF
the Constitution of the United States and of the
organic act establishing the Territory, and an
nounces, +" They sciU be the lights by ,chich
piU be guided in my Erccutice career" Now,
he concurs with Senator Weller and other
Democratic Senators in regarding the Code of
Kansas, printed in another column, as gene
rally violative of the Constitution and of the
organic act. With what consistency, then, can
he pledge himself to enforce it indiscriminate
ly? How can he enforce it, without violating
his oath of office?
The same day he issued his proclamation,
disbanding the volunteer militia called into
service by Secretary Woodson-a militia which
was nothing more nor less than the Border
Rufians, the Army of Law and Order and
then followed the following proclamation:
"Whereas it is the true policy of every State
or Territory to be prepared for any emergency
that may arise from internal dssension or for
eign invasion:
Therefore 1, John W. Geary, Governor of
the Territory of Kansas, do issue this, my proc
lamation, ordering all free male citizens quail
| fed to bear arms, between the ages of eighteen
and forty-Gve years, to enroll themselves in &C
| cordance with the act to organize the militia
of the Territory, that they may be completely
| organized, by companies, regiments, brigades,
or divisions, and hold themselves in readiness
to be mustered, by my order, into the service
of the United States, upon requisition of the
commander of the military department in
| which Kansas is embraced, for the suppression
of all combinations to resist the laws, and for
the maintenance of public order and civil gov
| eminent.
In testimony Whereof have hereunto set
| my hand and the seal of the Territory of Kan
| sas Done at Lecompton, this eleventh day of
| September, in the year Of our Lord one thou
sand eight hundred and ffty-six.
"JonS W. GEARY Governor.
"By the Governor
"DANIEI WooDsoN, Secretary.
ain accordance with the foregoing procla-
nation, the commanding officers will take no.
tcs and il s SSRRssnHfa to me at my Office
at Tecumseh, on or before the LIST day of Oc-
tober next.
"By order of the Governor:
al. j. STRICKLER, Adj. Gen.
"Lecompton, Sept. l, 1856"
Meantime, General Reid and his army, not
| aware, we presume, of what had taken place,
were mastering, for the purpose of making
final attack on Lawrence, as will be seen by
the following extracts from two Pro-Slavery pa
pers
From the ST. Louis Pilot (Pro-Savery) September IS
"PARKvILLH, Mo-, Sept. 8, 1856.
Although the rain came down in torrents
during the forenoon of Saturday, the stalwart
sons of Missouri (alias "Border Rufians ~ con-
tinued to pour into Lexington. bound for the
seat of war, resolved to drive Lane and his
myrmidons from the soil of Kansas, or die in
the attempt. They came on muleback, on
nOEbeUhck, anu III WAGONS, armeu Win dii Sous
of weapons, and dressed in all manner of cos
tune; 80 that a more motley cavalcade of
"citizen soldiers" no mortal ever beheld, than
moved from Lexington, Missouri, against the
mercenary invaders of Kansas, on the 9th day
of September, 1856. 1t consisted of all sizes
of men, from the smallest to the largest, and all
ages, from fifty down to the youth of fourteen
but all appeared to be animated with the same
feelings, and urged on by the same impulses,
TO aid their friends and relatives in the Terri
tory. They would reach camp about noon on
Sunday, and not an hour sooner, though their
services would be wanted, if there ia any rel-
ance whatever to be placed in the various
rumors which have come to hand"
From ST Louis Republican, (Pro-Ssvery) Sept "a
"CAnP AT Town FORK, NEAR WBsTpoRT,
September s, 1856.
"DgAR SIR: We reached this point 1.-THE head.
quarters of the army of law and ORDER last even
ing, at shutdown, after a tedious march through
the rain of Saturday.
ing camp duty, and waiting reinforcements.
General Clark arrived in camp this morning,
with forty men.
General Richardson, from the north side of
Kansas river, was here yesterday, and reports
Lane entrenched at Lawrence with 300 men.
We will not move from here before the 10Th
instant, by which time we hope to have 500 men.
Atchison and other members Of the Kansas
Executive Committee are with US also Gen.
eral Reid, commander-in-chief.
"Say to all our friends in Lafayette to hurry
up, and be with US, ready to move on Saturday
next. Yours, in haste, DAN. A. VKIroH.
"P. S.-Oaptain Shelby's company is here,
doing effective duty his man hahe v;no all