Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1856-07-29

force OF United Stdles HodI'b, under q. .eeih-l
mander wholEil with prudsnce and dlscre-l
ion quioi The excited passions Of both psr,I
ties. andisxpeRwi,h force HE armed binds
of lawless men, coming from Missouri and
elsewhere, who~wi.h criminal perIinaci,y'
infest the TeuitOrysR - 4
Insome cRses, and Us ID bns entire cleo
ton district, the condition Of the country
prevented-ihe auendunc5-uf Witnesses, who
were either arrested or detained while obey.
ing our process, or deferred from SO doing.
The Seargeant.at-Arms who served the
processes upon them was himself arrested
and detained for short time BY an armed
force. claiming ,o.be.a q par, of The. posse Of
The Marshal, but was allowed TO proceed
upon an examination Of his papers, and was
furnished with pass signed by Warren
d. Wilkes Of South Carolina.'F John Up.
ton, another officer Of The Commil.ee, was
subsequently, stopped by lawless force on
the borders Of The Territory. and after being
detained and treated with grea, indignily
was released. lie, also, was furnished whh
q pass signed by two citizens Of Missouri,
and addressed 10 "ProSlayery men," BY
reason Of these disturbances we were delay
cd 10 WeslpOrt, so that while in session
there our time was but partially occupied. 81
But the obstruction which created the
most serious embarrassment to your Com
mi,tee was The attempted arres, oY Gov.
Reeder, the conlesiing Delegate, upon q
Wi. OF attachment issued against him by
Judge Lecompte 10 compel his abundance
as witness before the Grand Jury o. Doug.
las County. William Fame, recently from
The State Of Georgia, and claiming TO be the
Deputy. Marshal, came into the room of the
Commiltee while Gov Resder was examin.
ing witness before US, and producing The
writ required Gov. Reeder 10 attend him.
Subsequent evenls have only strengthened
the conviction of your Commiuee that this
was wun,on and unlaw ful Interference by
the Judge who issued the writ, tending great.
ly 10 obsiruct full and fair investigation.
Gov. Reeder and Gen. Whitfield alone were
fully possessed of ina, local information
which would enabIe us 10 elicit the whole
truth, and il was obvious 10 every one that
any event which would separate either OF
Them from The Comm,tee would necessarily
hinder, delay and embarrassit Governor
Reeder claimed tina, under the circumstan.
ces in which he was placed he was privil.
eyed from arrest except Tor treason, felony,
or breach of the peace. Az this was ques'
lion Of privilege, proper for the Courts, OF
for The privileged person alone TO determine
on his peril, we declined 10 give him any
protection or take any action in the matter.
He refused TO obey the writ, believing ii 70
be mere prelense 10 get The custody OF his
person, and fearing, as he alleged, ,ha. ne
would be assassina,ed by lawless bands Of
men then gathering in and near Lecompton
He then left The Territory. ny u
Subsequently II. Miles Moore On attorney
in Lesvenwonh City, but for several years
citizen Of Weston, Mo-, kindly furnished
the Committee information as TO the resi-
dence Of persons voting at The elections
and in some cases examined Witnesses be-
fore US. He was arrested on The streets o
that town by an armed band Of abOu. thirty
men headed by W.D, Wilkes, without any
color of authority, confined, with ,oiher civ
izens, under military guard ,le.. "a hours
Hp nd then notified 70 leoves the Territory. -
His testimony was regarded as important
and upon his sworn slaiemen. that II would
endanger his PEI son 10 give it openly, the
majority Of your Committee deemed il
proper 10 examine him expaue, and did so
By reason Of these occurrences, the con-
tesiani, and the party with and for whom he
acted, were unrepresanled before us during
a greater portion Of the time, and you
Committee were required 10 ascertain The
truth in the best manner they could r
Your Commhlee report the following
facts and conclusions as established by the
testimony: '.i9FlA' iN+
First: Thai each election in The Terri.
tory held under the organic or alleged Ter
rilorial law has been carried by organized
invasions from the Stale Of Missouri, by
which The people Of the Territory have beer
prevented from exercising the rights secured
to them by the organic law. h.
Second: That the alleged Territorial
Legislature was an illegally constituted
body, and had no power TO pass valid laws,
and their enaclmenIs are, therefore, nul; and
void. -. .a.. .,...s..
Third: Tha. these alleged laws have
MOI, as general thing, been used 10 pro'ec'
persons and properly and TO punish wrong,
but for unlawful purposes. gat ,s
Fourth; Tha, lhe election under which
the si,ling Delegates, John W.soWh hltfeld,
holds his seat, was mol held in uIsuance ol
any valid law, and that II should be regarded
only as the expression Of ,he choice of those
resident citizens who, voted for him.
Fifth: That the election under which
the con,es,ing Delegate, Andrew H Reeder,
claims his seat, was no, held In pursuance
Of law, and ,ha. it should be regarded only
as the expression Of the choice OF The resi-,
den. ci,izens who voted lor him. ooe li 81.
Sirsh: That Andrew II. Reeder received
a greater number OF voles Of resident CHI.
gems Than John w. Whitfield for Delegate.
Seucnth: That in The present condition
of The territory, a jair election cannot be held
without new census, a suingent and we'll
guarded election law, the selection Of i'm.
partial judges andihe presence Of the U. s.
troops a. every place Of holding elections
Eighth: That ihe various elections held
by The people Of the, territory preliminary
10 The formation Of The Slaie Government
have been as regular as The disturbed condi'
lion Of the territory would allow;--and thai
the constitution passed by the Convention
held in pursuance Of said elecIiShs, embod,