Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1856-02-20
By the President Of the United State Of america.
A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas, indications exist that public tranquility
and the supremacy of law in the Territory of Kan
sas are endangered by the reprehensbe acts or pur
poses of persons both within and without the same
who propose to direct and control its political organ
ization by force: 1t appearing that combinations
have been formed therein to resist the execution of
the territorial laws, and thus in effect su5vert by
violence all present constitutional and legal author
y: 1t also appearing that persons residing with
out the Territory, but its borders, contemplate
armed intervention in the affairs thereof: 1t also
appearing that other persons inhabitants of remote
States are collecting money, engaging men, and pro-
vldng arms for the same purpose And it further
appearing that combinations within the Territory
otherwise, to induce individual! States of the Union
to intervene in the affairs thereof in violation of the
constitution of the United States:
And whereas, all such plans for the determination
Of the future institutions Of the Territory, If carried
into action from within the same, will constitute
the fact of insurrection and, il from without that
Of invasive aggression, and will, in either case, justify
and require the forcible nterposition of the whole
power OF the general government, as well to man-
tain the laws of the Territory those Of the Union
Now, therefore, l, Franklin Pierce, President of
the United States, do issue this my proclamation to
command all persons engaged in unlawful combina-
tons against the constituted authority of the Terri
tory of Kansas of the Uuited States to disperse
and retire peaceably to their respective abodes and
to warn all such persons that any attempted insur-
recton in said Territory aggressive intrusion into
the will be resisted not only by the employment
of the local militia, but also by that of any available
forces of the United States; to the end Of assuring
immunity from violence and full protection to the
persons, property and civil rights of all peaceful
and law-abiding inhabitants Of the Territory.
If, in any part of the Union, the fury of faction
fanatcism, inflamed into disregard Of the great
principles of popular sovereignty which, under the
constitution are fundamental in the whole structure
of institutions, is to bring on the country the
dire calamity of an arbtrament of arms in that Ter
rtory it shall be between lawless violence on the
side and conservative force the other welded
by legal authority of the general government.
call on the citizens, both of adjoining and of
distant States, to abstain from unauthorized inter-
meddling in the local concerns of the Territory,
admonst;ng them that its organic law is to be exc
cuted with impartial justice; that all individual acts
of illegal interference will incur condign punishment
and that any endcavor to intervene by organized
force will be firmly withstood.
invoke all good citizens to promote order by rem
dering obedience to the law !; to seek remedy for
temporary evils by peaceful means; to dscoun-
| tenance and repuse the counses and the instiga-
tons of agtaors and of dsorganizers and to testi
fy their attachment to their country, their pride in
its greatness their appreciation of the blessings they
enjoy, and their determination that republican in.
stituons shall not fail in their hands, by co-operat-
ing to uphold the majesty of the laws and to vndi-
cate the sanctty of the constitution.
| In testimony Whereof have hereunto set my
hand and caused the seal of the United States to be
! affixed to these presents.
Done at the city of " ashington the eleventh day o.
| February, in the year of our Lord one thou
[sfAL.1 sand eight hundred and fftysix, and ofths
independence of the United States the eigh
| FRANKLIN PIERCE
w. L. MARCY. Secretary of State.