St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-11-06
FROM GOVERNOR GRIMES.

EAECUI1N offlCr., loNi, [
-.-, BURLINGTON, Aug. 20, 1856. J
TO HIS Ercellency, FRANKLIN PIERCE,
President of the United States:
SIR: During elast twelve months,
l have been constantly receiving let
tiers. memorials and affidavits, from
former citizens of Iowa, now residents
of the Territory of Kansas, alleging
that they are not protected by the Uni
ted States officers in that territory in
the enjoyment of their liberty and
property. They charge, and the evil
dence fully supports the charge, that
at the first, and at each subsequent
territorial election, armed bodies of
men from an adjacent State invaded
the Territory, took possession Of the
polls, deprived the actual settlers of
the right of free suffrage, and perpe-
trated gross outrages upon such citi-
zens as professed political sentiments
disa grceablc to the invaders. By
threats and lawless violence, they Sc
cured the election of a ma. jority of the
members of the Legislative assembly
many of whom were then and are
now citizens of another State. By
this assembly code of laws was en-
acted unparalleled in the history of
Legislation laws palpably unconsti-
tutional, and which no man with the
spirit of free man could obey with
out personal dishonor and violation
Of his conscience.
In this condition of things, without
any attempt to repel violence by VIC
lence, the people of Kansas sought a
peaceful remedy for the wrongs that
had been perpetrated by forming a
State Constitution, erecting State Of
ficers, and asking admission into the
Union as q sovereign State.
Although the Constitution of the
United States declares that treason
. " shall consist only in levying war, y
yet man holding commission I'm.
der the seal of the United States, and
exercising the Office of Chief Justice
in that territory, has. decided that the
persons who accepted office under the
State Constitution, are guilty of trea.
son. Under this instruction the State
officers have been indicted, arrested
and bail denied them, under the pre-
tence of Judicial proceedings, but
without a trial or hearing of any kind
An armed posse has invaded the town
of Lawrence and destroyed printing
presses, private dwellings, and no,
tel. Human lives have been sacrificed,
property to large amount has been
destroyed, citizens have been driven
from the territory by violence, and an
archy and disorder everywhere pre-
vail
Among the sufferers have been for
mer citizens of Iowa, who went t.
Kansas, in the spirit of propagandism
and with the intention of becoming
permanent residents Of that territory
Three of them have been slain by arms
said to have been placed by fedora
officer i'm the hands of band of out
laws from remote state. Some have
been compelled to flee from the terri
tory for no offence save that OF having
cmigrated from free State /; whilst
others remain there stripped of their
property, and appeal to their fellow
citizens of Iowa for protection and
sympathy.
In my conviction their appeal shsuld
not be in vain. They went to Kansas
relying upon and had right to ex.
pect the protection of the General
government. In this expectation the,
have been disappointed. Citizenship
has been virtually denied them. Thei
right to defend themselves, and t
"keep and bear arms" has been in
fringed by the act of the territorial of
ficers, who have wrested from then
the means of defence while putin!
weapons of offence into the hands O
their enemies. They have been or
pressed by code of laws unequalle'
in atrocity in modern times. Thi
character and conduct of the tcrritor
al Judges has shown that an appeal t.
the judicial tribunal is worse than use
less.
The General Government havin,
failed to perform it's duty by protect
ing the people of Kansas in the enjoy
ment of their rights, it is manifest
the right of each of the States I
adopt measures to protect it's forme
citizens. If the people Of Iowa al
not permitted to enjoy the rights I
citizenship in that territory, they r
tain their former citizenship in thi
State, and are as much entitled to pr
lection from the State while upon til
public domain, as they would be
the general government failed to pr
tcct them in foreign country.
Whilst I write, an army raised
the State of Missouri, is marching il
to Kansas with the avowed purpos
of driving out all those citizens {
the territory who emigrated from tn
free States and who express prefe
encefor free State Constitution. Al
other armed body of men have place
themselves on the emigrant route frol
the State of Iowa, to prevent at til
point of the bayonet any further EN-
grafton from this State.
The State of Iowa cannot be an i
different spectator of these acts OF LAY
less violence. She demands that ht
citizens shall be protected in kansa