The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-02-16
Kansas--omcial 1nsermeddling.

Kansas--OHcial Intermeddling.
We observe by the news we receive
from Kansas. says the Illinois State Jour
nal, that Mr.. John Calhoun, formerly Of
this city, and who was C, mmissioned by
President Pierce at a salary of $4,000
per annum to 60 to that Territory for the
purpose of making a survey ofthe Gov
ernment lands, instead of attending to
hislegitimate business, is following the
lead of Gov. Shannon, and taking very
prominent and active part in the process
of driving out the Free State men, and in
giving aid and comfort to those who are
for slavery. Instead of standing aloof
entirely from the contest, or of express
ing sympathy for the cause of freedom,
he seems to be making himself a mere
tool, in the hands of the Border Ruffians,
and is now the loudest in their support
and praises.1
In the first place we find Mr.. Calhoun
figuring, along with Gov. Shannon and
other dougfaee officials of the present
Administration, in a Convention, osten-
sibly called for the purpose of promoting
''law and order" in the Territory; but
the proceedings of which prove most
conclu>ively that it was entirely pro-sla-
very in It's end and aim. Common dis
cretion should have taught these Govern
ment officials what delicate task was
before them, to exact obedience to the
laws of fraudulent Legislature, whose
legality was to be submitted to Congress
and how delicately the task ought to
have been performed, even if it was pru-
dent to attempt it ALL
Instead of prudence and discretion
however, the most immoderate counsels
were listened to- The men, including
StringfelIow himself, who had been most
violent in promoting the invasions of the
border Missourians on election days,
were the managers; and what is more
than all, Gov. Shannon and Mr.. Calhoun
were the most radical men in the meet
ing, and denounced the Free State set
tiers in the most unmeasured terms. By
the correspondence of the st. Louis In
telligencer, we see that they even went
to the extreme of carrying some election
eering into the meeting, and identified
the President, Douglas and the party
with the movement to plant slavery in
Kansas. The Kansas Territorial Regis
ter, moderate and conservative Demo
cratic paper, has since denounced Mr..
Calhoun most violently, as rabid and
uncompromising slavite, for his course
in the SO called claw and order constitu
tional convention"
But Mr.. Calhoun's devotion to the
pro-slavery cause, it seems, dces not stop
here. In the St. Louis Republican we
find couple of letters written by him,
which give additional proof that he has
transferred himself entirely to the unholy
cause of Atchison and Stringfellow. His
letters are an apology throughout for the
recent murder by the Missourians of
young Dow, and give astudied exagger-
alton OF the movements of the Free State
party, incident thereupon. In one of
them he boldly says: Though the abo-
li.ionists of Kansas may howl in desper-
alton, they cannot make Kansas an A6o
taion State, and will be forced into ac-
quiescence. In Mr.. Calhoun's dialect,
'sAbolition" and ''Free State" are synony-
nous terms, and it is candid avowal
that if he and the other dough-faee Off
cials of the Territory can help it, Kansas
shall never be free State !
Now, it may be, there have been many
imudicious acts committed on the part
of the Free State men, as certainly the
outrages of the .Missourians have been
enough to drive them TO desperation
but we think GOV. Shannon and Mr.. Cal
houn have exhibited a very singular ap-
probation of their duty In thus taking
upon themselves the championship of the
slavery party. and in making themselves
the mere mouth-pieces of its leaders,
These officials do not seem to know that
the party divisions of the people ought
not to be recognized by them in the ad-
of their duties, and that
the msintainance of a quiet and nom
course would have best enabled
them to secure permanent peace in the
Territory. They both need rebukes for
their conduct. and the President, if in
deed he is the President of the people
and not of mere party, should not hes
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