Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-10-08
kHsi,s IN Hansas.

GinCe tHt appointment Vi MI OSdi
as Governor Of Kansas, even the parti
zans of the administration give up a
defence of Shannon, and David Tod in
speech at Pittsburgh a few days ago
admits in plain terms hat Shannon wa
a drunkard. and his appointment unfit t
be made.
Every step the Democratic party ha
taken has been defended for a time h,
its parlizans, but condemned when III
people have shown that they could no
be cajoled into its support. The slave
ocrats have dictated the course to b,
pursued, the leaders of the party havI
obeyed. the press. from the Washington
Union down 10 the Trumbull Democrat
have summoned the rank and file of the
Democracy TO the support Of the leaders
but the people would not be gulled. The
general intelligence upon the subject o
the Kansas invasion has become so grear
that it is impossible to bring the free
North to the support of Border Rufian.
ism, and Pierce, Douglas, Buchanan, &
Co., have only plunged blindlY on from
bad &c wors, in their mad attempts &c
do it, and have involved themselves in
hopeless ruin.
The last move of these political gam
blers was to recall and repuiiate Shan,
non. send ont some trusty Buchaniel
who had before borne a halfway decent
character, and try whether a crafty
"good Lord and good Devil" policy.
would not provide a lull in the Kansas
excitement, and retire re in some meas
ure their desperate condition in the presi
Dental campaign.
Gov. Geary was sent out to the Terri
tory as the person ! friend and particular
choice of Buchanan himself, and his ar
duous task it is, to quiet the border ruff.
fans without doing anything for the
free State men. He has commenced in
his inaugural by tacilly admitting the
facts of tie Missouri invasion with all
the dreadful catalogue of murd r.. rapes,
arsons and robberies committed in the
name of CLAW and order" Alth ough
he dare not say so in plain language, he
shows that he is fully aware that The so
called territorial legislature was a sham,
and its laws a most admirable imposition.
Yet he exhorts the suffering settlers to
''let bygones be byegones," and TO take
a fresh start. And what kind of a fresh
start ? VIII he treat the bogus legisla.
lure and its laws as a nulli;y, and al
low the people 10 make an entire new
election forth with ? Not a bit of it. He
declares that the r%ufians shall no. lose
any CT the advantages they have obtain
ed, but that the people shall obey the
bogus laws, vo:e under the test oaths, if
at all, and recognize the Missouri inYa-
deIs, "Sherif Jones" and all, as their
legal rulers!
A beautiful new start, truly al
The difficulties in Kansas hav: grown out
of the attempt of the r%ufians to saddle
their bogus laws and hated Institutions
upon the territory, and now Coz. Geary
tells them they may disband, for he will
save them any further trouble in the
matter by using all the United States
forces to do that job for them The
Free State men realize the bitter mock
cry of such a course, and see that they
have no more to hope from Geary than
from Shannon.
A day or two must bring Us the news
of the late election in the Territory
Under the bogus laws the freemen have
no chance. They cannot submit to take
the execrable test oaths. and those laws
make it legal in form for any number of
fresh invaders to vote by paying a dol
lar. The real settlers regard their To
peka constitution as their legal organi-
cation, and for this further reason will
not be likely 10 recognize the ruAian
rule, by taking part in the election. We
anticipate therefore that they will stay
away from the polls, letting things take
their own course, and the r~ufians have
it their own way, till the people of the
Free States shall decide the question for
them by e@lecting Fremont.
This is the only hope for Kansas that
remains. Let the matter be fairly IN
dersiood, and let every freeman vote
knowing that the presidential ballot is
the last remaining chance for freedom.
The brave settlers have done all Aey
could. They are now overpowered by
the strong arm of the federal govern
meni, and the time for our part in the
work has ome If Oy any lack of en-
ergy we suffer the cause OF freedom and
Fremont 10 be beaten at The polls, lie
crime, the burning shame, and the fear
lul consequences W Il be ours
Republican Meetings.