The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-04-26


willingness of the e. S. to employ its
power for this purpose. tha: had weight
with US. To legal authority We submit.
no matter how oppressive; to an author
ity which xas created by fraud, and vio7
Ience and usurpation. if peaeeable and
lawful means of resistance fail. we viii
die in our tracks before yielding an inch.
We have been branded as set of out
laws and traitors. A greater calumny
was never attempted to be fastened on
community; and in the events of the
past week we have hurled back this
charge, and given to the world another
proof, if another were needed, of our
loyalty and law-abidingness.
1t was this manifestation of disposi-
ton, on cur part. to yield submissively
to Law, that disappointed and exaspe-
rated our oppressors. They thought
upon what grounds we cannot possibly
Iconceiye-that we would resist the au-
thori.y of the General Government
The whole affair was premeditatsd and
pre- arranged. The Congressional Inves-
tigatiug Committee was in Kansas-had
already commenced its labors. They
feared to trust the investigation of their
course to an unbiased and honorable
COMMITTEES. They knew too well what
the result of those investigations would
be, hence the necessity of stroke of
policy, to change the course of things
A muss must be kicked up to hinder the
committee from proceeding with its
work. If possible, by any means, the
Committee must be prevented from re-
porting until after the adjournment of
Congress, and of course until after the
Presidential election; or if that could not
be done, they must forestall its action.
by placing us in an unfayorable attitude;
forcing US, if possible, to abandon our
strong and honorable position, for one Of
dishonor and aggression. First, they
sent a tool, in the shape of a sheriff. to
harrass us with contemplate writs, ema-
mating from no body knows where, and
charging us with offences, which, if null
ttiplied into each other ten thousand times,
would not make crime in enormity the
hundreth part as vicious as the stealing
of pin-knowing well there would be
individual resistance to the arresting OF
persons on such fimsey pretexts. In
this they were not disappointed. Their
tool failed to make arrests. There was
no resistance by US rs community what
ever. individuals simply stood upon
their rights on their own responsibility,
asking and receiving no help from their
friends, but defending themselves alone.
Next, uninterested spectators were sum-
marily called upon to lend their aid in
capturing person who was nowhere to
De seen. This was an impossibility, and
none but the veriest fool would have made
the requirement. AS grand stroke, the
D. S. troops were brought into requisition
to aid in arresting these men who were
so summarily and foolishly called upon
to assist in doing that which it was i'm
possible to do, and which the pretended
official himself had not even attempted
| Up to this point, everything had worked
to suit them. SO they vainly imagined
and the bringing of the troops into the
field was expected TO cap the climax
| We were to have resisted them, accor.
ding to the programme which had beer
marked out. and thus place ourselves il
direct and open opposition and hostility
to the Government OF the United States
The investigating Committee would have
lproof positive and unmistakeabIe that The
Free State men were the real aggressors
and that the pro-Slavery men were {
law-abiding, law enforcing. peaeeable
quiet, lamb-like set of fellows! Blu
the
-"bcst laid schemes Of mice and men
Gang aft awry."
i The Free State men acknowledged the
supremacy of this Higher Law. and
yielded ready and voluntary submis.
sion. And lastly. foiled at point where
they expected to manufacture the most
capital, they resorted to desperate means.
The "sheriff'' became insufferably In
sulting; got drunk, in order the better TO
render himself odious; drew his revolver
Frequently on unofending cit;zens;eourts
ed personal assault; exposed himself
with -impunity. TO the attacks of those
whom he knew to be his deadly enemies.
from other than political causes: was
aware. we'll aware, that there were per
| sons of his own political faith, but cher
ishing deadly personal enmity to him
who had bean dogging his footsteps al
day. never loosing sight of him. de
teln'n med to take revenge for some rea