Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-06-12
The Responsibility.

There is no difficulty in rightly placing
the responsibility Of the state of things in
Kansas. The v. y, Observer, the princi-
pal organ of tie PRESBYTERIAN denomina-
ton In the United States rightly places it:
Professor SILLrMAN and Mr.. DUTToN may
disayow having given any advice that can
be construed into encouraging men to vi
olence, { Mr.. BEEcHER cannot, but the in
fluence of the rifle meeting at New Haven,
and of the inccndiary speeches elsewhere on
the same subject has been to infamc the
minds of the colonists and to prepare them
for deeds of bIo3d The counsels of these
advocates ofthe rifle have not been peaceful
and such as become the gospel. And if
uneducated and impulsive men in Kansas,
whore the restraint of law is weak, are temp
ted to so beyond the advice Of the New
Haven meeting, even to the murder of n
sheriff, who will not say, that in the eye of
Heaven a terrible responsibility rests on
those who advised the Kansas emigrant to
go with arms in his hand, to take possess
ion of the soil of his own country?
In the New Haven meeting, when one
of the donors of rifle was announced By
the name of 'kuLLAM, one Of the clergy
men cried out: 'hWam., That's a sirnif-
cant name; and the walls of the house of
God rang with applause of the infamous,
murderous comment. That single factwa
enough, rs it was spread over the villages
of newly settled Kansas, tC tell the people
that Christian ministers in New England,
and Christian people crowding the church
es, were willing TO applaud the sentiment Of
murdcri
On the authors of such atrocious Sent-
mcnts rests the responsibility of the blood
that follows their PRONUNCIATION. The best
authorities assured us that Kansas was be-
coming quiet, and now the incendiary ap
peals of these fanatics in the East are reach
ing the West and stirring up The people
again to deeds of violence
The people of TIE town of Lawrence
made an engagement with Gov. Shannon
that they would obey the laws. on the oc
casion of his appearance, in the month of
January last before the town, with a sufli-
cient force to compel obedience. He re- (
ceived their assurances, and disbanded his .
force. Doubtless the engagement was
made in good faith, and doubtless it would !
have been kept in good faith but for the oc
currences ut New Haven and elscw here, to .
which the Observer adverts 1t was the
purpose of the New Haven meeting, and
of all similar meetings throughout the
North. TO send reinforcements to Lawrence.
armed with weapons of death, and infused
with spirit of resistance to the consti IL
ted authorities of the Territory; and they
were sent. These rcinforccmcnts, in large
including the New Haven colo
ny, have arrived in Lawrence. and they
have impaired the spirit of the New Haven
meeting to all other coloniss. and To the
people who had promised Cox. Sharon
that they would yield submission to the
laws. What has followed? The telegraph
advises us. The town obstructed the ex-
ecution of legal process ill the hands of the
Marshal of the United States and of the
Sheriff of Douglas county-forcibly Oh
it. One account says that the
Sheriff S party was fired upon. If. at this
juncturc, the Marshal and Sheriff could
not restrain their men--if the latter rushed
upon their assailants and committed some
excuses, are we to hold up our hands in
wonder? We apprehend not. But where
rests the responsibility? The y. Y. o.
serrer answer. Itrests upon YOU Silimans
and You buttons and you Bcechers, and
such like in New England, and upon YOU
Chambers and You Pennimans, and such
like in this State. 1t rests upon the men
all through the North who have placed ri
flies in the hands Of emigration parties to
Kansas, and charged them, when arrived
there, to keep their arms and give their
contents to their enemies"