Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1856-02-14
nIRSsAGE 0F GOV. CHAsE

The urgency OF the appeal made Oy the /
herewith transmitted. induces
ne to lag il before the General Assembly with.
out delay.
Il is authenticated BY the signatures Of James
II. Lare, Chairman Of the Executive commit.
lee OF Kanzas Territory, Of Charles Robinson,
he Governor elected by the people under the
recently adopted State Consultation, and George
w. DeilEler, Secretary.
Il represents tha, an overwhelming force Of
citizens Of Missouri Is organized upon the bor-
ders Of Kanzas, with the avoWed purpose Of iE
vading the Territory. demolishing its towns,
and bu cheering lis Free State citizens.
Il appeals for prompt assistance in terms as
cannot fail to command your most earnest at
tention.
The object Of the contemplated invasion Of
Kauzas is to compel its Inhabitants 10 submit
to the establishment of Slavery.
The progress Of Slaveholding aggression is
very remarkable.
In 1890 the slave power insisted on the ad-
mission Of Missouri as Slave State. and ef
fected its purpose by engrahing on the bill for
its admission a perpetual prohibition Of slavery
in all the remainder Of the territory acquired
from France, north Of the south line OF Mis-
souri,, extending westward too our frontier.
In 1854, the slave power demanded the re.
peal Of the prohibition Of 1920. and effected
its object oy engrafling on the Nebraska Kan
Eas bill which provided for the repeal, an ex'
press declaration that the people of the territory
should be lef perfectly free TO form and regulate
their own domestic Institutions, subject only
to the provisions, of the Constitution OF the Uni'
ted States
In 1856, the slave power insists tina! under
this declaration the people Of the territory
have no power at all to exclude slavery until,
under an enabling act of Congress, they pro-
ceed 10 form State constitution, preparatory
20 admission into the :. Union.
That this pretenton would be advanced W as
ioreseen and predicted. when the Nebraska
Kanzas bill was under discuss on, and il was,
indeed, indirectly sanctioned by the refusal oi
its supporters 10 adopt an amendment nn the
bill, expressly recognizing the right OF the
people TO exclude slavery.
! Whatever construction, however. may have
been intended by the Slaveholding supporters
of the bill, and whatever countenance 10 that
construction may he afforded by the phraseol'
ogy Of the act itself it is certain that through
out the Free States. the conviction is nearl y
universal, that the people of Kanzas, deprived
of the protection of the. prohibition Of 1899.
have, and ought to have, complete right and
full power to protect themselves against tue
evil Of Slavery
To prevent the people from exercising this
right and power, armed bands from the neigh
boring State Of Missouri, invaded the Terrific
ry at the time appointed for the first election o.
members Of the Territorial Legislature, March
30 1867 and having taken possession OF th'
polls, and excluded the legal voters, selected
themselves. the persons who were to constitute
the Legislature, without regard to their place
Of residence, whether in Missouri or in Kan
gas.
The acts Of this spurious Legislature wer'
worthy ofits origin. Having excluded the few
Free States members who held certificates o
election, they proceeded to promuIgate, in tn
form OF a law, a series OF pretended Statutes
which have no parallels IN the annals OF legis
lative'usurpation. The Governor Of the lerllto
ry who attempted, Intellectually, 10 restrain
their accesses by his Executive veto, was re-
moved from office by the President Of the Uni
ted States, and thus full scope was given tC
their utmost extravaganza.
AS if dsposing of a conquered province, they
proceeded 10 decree the establishment of Sla
very, and 10 secure it against popular oppos
ton, by providing for the appointment OF Sher'
ifs and other officers by commissions OF theil
own creation, without allowing to the people
any voice whatever in their selection and by
imposing on the exercise of the right TO vote
at future elections OF members of the Lsgisla'
a: -. III hut
porters Of Slavery could comply.
II was impossible for men, not themselves
prepared to be slaves. to admit the validity,
Of this spurious legislation. The peo
pie of Xanzas refusedto submit to disfranchise
ment by the usurpers. Left without valid laws
and remmitted TO the original right, inherent il
every community, to provide for its own safety
and good order, they proceeded, in regular
convention to appoint day and prescribe th'
manner Of electng a delegate to congress, anC
to provide for holding convention to frame {
constitution, preparatory to application for ad
mission into the Union as State.
On the 9th Of October last, the day designa
ted for election Of delegate TO Congress, An
drew II. Reeder was chosen to that office; anC
on the 23l Of the same month a State consti-
tuition was promulgated by the convention e
elected for that purpose, On the 18th Decsm-
Der this State constitution was ratified by tht
people, and on the 18th of January. Just past
an election was held for State officers ant
members Of the State Legislature. The Gov
ernor and Secretary, whose signatures are al
Fixed to the appeal herewith transmitted, wer
chosen at this election.
While these things were in progress the Tel
ritory was again invaded, early IN December
by armed bands from Missouri now called int
d action by an extraordinary proclamation fror
Wilson Shannon, who had been appointe
a Governor Of the Territory, in place of his re
moved predecessor. The town Of LawrenC
: was actually beesgured and its destructio
d 6ercely threatened. The people Of the TerritOr
Q rallied to lis defence, and for many days, civ
/. war was imminent. At length, however, u
. Governor became sensible of the error he ha
committed, and succeeded in inducing the inv,