New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-05-19
LECOMPTEs CHARGE TO THE GRANDEUR,
INDICTMENTS FOR HIGH TREASON
GLOOMY PROSPECTS. .a- ...
lndence Of The N. Y. Tibune

Correspondence Of The N. Y Tribune.
LAWRENCE, Kansas, Friday, May 9, 1856.
Affairs are becoming exciting in this section
every day. II seems as if the tools of the Adminisra
tion determined to leave means untried of an
noying and persecuting the FreeState people. An
important movement to this end has just taken place.
in the meeting Of the Grand-Jury Of this District,
which took place ON Monday of this week. The pre-
portion of Free State to those of Save-Sate citizens
of this District is nine of the former to of the
latter. as copied from the pobook and Of eighteen
Jurors summoned fourteen were Pro Slavery aud four
Free State men. The Jury was selected and sun
moned by Jones' who, in addition to being Sheriff OF
Douelss County holds the office of Deputy United
States Marshal for the Territory. The Jury having
assembled, Judge Lecompte charged them nearly as
follows Il give only such portions as have bearing
on the Free-State movement and can sustain this and
all that follows in reference to the proceedings of that
Jury, by the most positive proof:
"GESTLgMIN: You are assembled to consider
whatever infringements of law may come under yolr
potice and bring in bills your Judgment dictates
against those whom you may find to have oeen guiIy
Of such Infringement Your attention VIII naturally DE
turned toward an unlawful and beforeunheard Of Or
that has been formed in our midst for the
purpose Of resisting the laws of the Uated States.
The exciting state Of Affairs makes 1t important that
YOU should deliberate calmly, and above all have re-
spec TO the oaths that you have taken and without
fear or favor of any party of men, whether high or
low 10 mete to all the justice which Is their DUE You
will take into consideration the cases OF men VINO are
dubbed Governors men who are dubbed Lieut. Gov
ernors men who are dubbed Secretaries and Treasu'
fers. and men who are dubbed all the various other
du66s with which this Territory Is tling and mere
are such men, and win find bills in accordance with the
following instructions II give below his exact words
THIS Territory organized by an act OF Congres
and so far It's authority Is from the United States II
has Legislature elected in pursuance OF that Organic
act This Legislature being an instrument of Con;
gress by which il governs the Territory has passed
iaws-these laws, therefore, are OF United states
authority and making, T. e. the United states makes
laws by prory employing the borerers Of Missouri TO
make the laws, inasmuch as being away out West it
il announcement for her TO come herself This lie the
meaning that deduce from the Judges opioion and
All thai resis these laws ret the power and authority
OF the United States, and are, therefore, guilty of
high tres son Now, Gentlemen, If you find that any
reons bpe resisted these laws, then must you, under
fo.y o.tbs find bills against such persons for high
Treason III you find that no such resistance has been
made but that combinations have been forme for the
purpose Of resisting them and mayoSa .;o o. Gnuencs
comh;nstjons then must you still End bills for con
stTo,iye treason, the courts have decided that to
treason the blow need not be struck, but
onlv the ,akafion be made evident"
The learned Judge then alluded to the shooting
Jones and minated that by taking little pains the
iurv might find come treason there. He
also Gave other and entertaining explanations o!
the nature of treason to ali Of which his little audi
erce oaye due attention and no doubt were highly
pleased with his lecture These points, are, however,
upimportant. His main argument was upon the
nature of high treason, and gentle hints as TO who
were undoubtedly g~ilty of it. Incredible as the
above may seem it is, nevertheless as exsct as can
from memory make it, and assure you it made 3
deep impresson my memory. But "the half has
mot been told The jury retired TO their room aud
then commenced running political discussion, prom
nent in which were vile denunciaions of Robinson,
Reeder & Co." and the generally.
Aaer indulgng in this harmless amusement for time
the question was finally asked, Shall we find bills
for high treason agains, Charles Robinson, A. II.
keeder, ". Y. Roberts and G. w. Deitzlerf tSec.
I" Safe pro tenn -.-.o.f.. ga
Atsr dkeassng the matter for time, IL was finally
ssnded that snbpenas should be issued for the above
I*d ndividuals-that they should be brought I,
@sg'on as witpesses, and then they would spin