The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-07-29
AFfAuRs OF KANSAS.

(Concludsd.)

Repsrt - the investigating Cen.
mittoc.
(Concludsd.)
Your Committee did not deem it within
their power or duty to take testimony as to
events which have transpired since the date
of their appointment but as some OF the
events tended seriously to embarrass, hin
der and delay their Investigations, they deem
il proper here to refer to them. On their
arrival in the Territory the people were ar
rayed in two hostile parties. The hostility
Of them was continually increased during
our stay in the Territory by the arrival Of
armed bodies Of men who, from their equip
,nen,s came not to follow the peaceful pur-
suits Of life, but armed and organized into
companies apparently for war--by the I'M
/ lawful detention Of persons and property
/ and by frequent forcible seizures Of persons
/ and property in the Territory without legal
warrant. Your committee regret that they
were compelled to witness instances of each
Of these classes OF outrages. While hold
| ing their session at Westport, Mo-, at the re-
quest of the sitting Delegate, they saw sew
eral bodies of armed men, confesscdly cti-
gems Of Missouri, march into the Territory on
forays against its citizens, but under the
pretense of enforcing the enactments befure
referred to. The wagons OF emigrants were
stopped on the highways and searched with
out claim of legal powers, and in some in
stances oil their property taken from them.
In Leavenworth City, leading citizens were
| arrested at MONDAY in our presence, by an
armed force, without any claim Of authority,
except that derived from self constituted
Committee Of Vigilance, many Of whom
were Legislative and Executive officers
| Some were released on promising to leave
the Territory, and others after being detained
| for a time we're formally notified to leave,
under the severest penalties. The only Of
fcnse charged against them was their politi-
| cal opinions, and no one was thus arrested,
for alleged crime Of any grade. There was
no resistance to these lawless acts by the set
tiers, because, in their opinion, the persons
engaged in them would be sustained and re-
inforeed by the citizens OF the populous bor-
der counties Of Missouri, from whence they
/ were only separated by the river. In one
! case witnessed by your Committee, Nh appli-
| cation for the writ Of habeas corpus was pre-.
/ Slavery men, who insisted that it would en-
danger the life of the prisoner to be discharg-
ed under legal process.
While we remained in the Territory, re-
| peated acts of outrage were committed upon
the quiet, unoffending citizens, Of which we
received authentic intelligence. Men were
attacked on the highway, robbed and subse
quently imprisoned. Men were seized and
searched, and their weapons OF defence ia
ken from them without compensation.
Horses were frequently taken and appropri-
ated. Oxen were taken from the yoke while
blowing, and butchcrcd in the presence Of
their owners. One young man was seized
in the streets of the town Of Atchison, and
under circumstances of gross barbari,y was
! tarred and co,toned, and in that condition
was sent to his family. All the provisions
Of the Constitution Of the United States Sc
curing person and property are utterly dis
regarded. The officers of the Law, instead
of protecting the people, were in some In
stances engaged in these outrages, and in no
instance did we learn that any man was
arrested, indicted or punished for any Of
these crimes. While such offenscs were
committed with impnnity, the laws ware nsed
rs means Of indcting men for holding
| elections, preliminary to framing Consti-
tuition and applying for admission into the
Union as the State Of Kansas. Charges Of
| high treason were made against prominent
citizens upon grounds which seem to your
/
these charges they are now held in custody
and are refused the privilege Of bail. In
several cases men were arrested in the State
OF Missouri while passing on their lawful
business through that State, and detained
until indictnents could be found in the Ter
ritory.
These proceedings were followed by an
ofrense Of still greater magnitude: Under
color Of legal process, company OF about
700 armed men, the great body OF whom
your Committee are satisfied were not citi-
Gems Of the Territory, marched into the town
OF Lawrence under Donaldson and s. j.
Jones, officers claiming to act under the law,
and bombardcd and then burned to the
ground . valuable hotel and one private
house; destroyed two printing presses and
material and then, being released by the
officers, whose posse they claimed TO be,
proceeded to sack, pillage and rob houses,
stores, trunks, &C., even to the clothing OF
/ women and children. Some OF the letters
thus unlawfully taken were private ones,
written by the contcsting 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 refused
20 be made the instruments to report private
letters thus obtained.
collected aud marshaled under the formes Of
law. But this act Of barbarity, unsxampled
in the history OF our Government, was fol-
lowed by it's natural consequences. All re-
straints which American citizens are accus-
toned to pay even to the appearance Of law
were thrown on; ono act OF violence led to
another; homicides became frequent. A
party under IL. G. Pate, composed chiefly Of
citizens OF Missouri, were taken prisoners by
a party Of settlers; and while your Commit
tee We're at Westport, company, chiefly Of
M;ssouriaas, accompanied by tho acting
!. Delegate, went TO relieve Pate and his party
and collision was prevented by tho Unitet
States troops. Civil war has seemed i'm.
pending in the Territory. Nothing can pre-
7 vent so great calamity but the presence Of
large force Of United States troops, unde
commander who will with prudence An,
discretion quiet the excited passions Of boil
parties, aud expel with force the armed band
Of lawless men, coming from Missouri nm,
elsewhere, who with criminal pertinscity in
! fest the Territory.
!. :. In some cases, and n to one entire election
: district, the condition Of the country pre-
/, vented the attendance Of witnesses, who wer
,. either arrested or detained while obeyin
" our process or deferred from so doing. TIL
q "a