The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-04-26


that man before this whole community,
and let him take the consequences of this
ill-adyised and self advised act upon his
own head.
What you will do in relation to this
matter, is not for me to dictate. This
meeting must decide for themselves. |.
thank you for the distinetion yoa have
conferred upon me in calling upon me
to preside over this meeting. l am
pleased that SO large and respectable an
assemblage have taken this matter into
consideration, and feel that there can be
no risk in committing this subject lato
your hands.
The Hon. gentleman was frequently
interrupted by bursts of applause. and
resumed his seat amid long-continued
cheering and applause. Mr.. G. P.
LowREr stated that he agreed fully with
the opinions offered blythe President of
the meeting, in regard to the outrage
perpetrated here. Before he took his
seat, he would offer some resolutions
which he thought would embody the SEN
timent of the meeting. All present
were aware that there were certain acts,
offensive and defensive, allowed, under q
code peculiar to the border States. which,
in other communities and in other state
of things, would not be tolerated. But
murder was no more justified by that
code than any other. The act perpetra-
ted last night he characterized as cow
ardly assassination, to shoot in the back,
in the dead of night, an unsuspecting
man, against whom the feelings of the
community were aroused, who. was al
most unprotected, and who, therefore,
should have been treated with more OF
humanity and manliness. He offered a
series of resolutions, which were read.
as follows: I8
ResolSed. That the attempt made in our town
last evening upon the life of S. j. Jones, Esq,
whilst claiming to act as the Sheriff of the coun-
ty, was the isolated act of some malicious and
evil-disposed individual, unexpected and un-
looked for by our community, and unsustained
by any portion of them.
AesoIred, That in the opinion Of this commu-
nifty, it was cowurdly and atrocious outrage
upon Mr.. Jones-an insult and injury 10 the
public sentiment and fcputa ton of our town,
and q crime deserving condign punishment.
Rssotred. hat Notwithstanding the unpleas-
! u, -,,E.. 4
onr citizens If che attack could have been fore
seen considered at all probable, we would have
neglected no lneans to prevent er defeat it; we
deeply sympatllise with the wounded man, and
will afford him all the aid and comfort in our
! power.
RssOlrta, That We deeply regret that tho per-
petrGtor of this deed Is unknown; and II
| known to us, we wosld unhesltatingy expose
| and denounce him Us the criminal.
Resotced, That it is due to the reputation Of
our town, and loudly demanded by the deep and
universal Indignation which peryades our COM
| munity, that the guilty author should. if posi-
be, be- sought out and surrendered TO justice.
Resulted, That committe. of five be ap-
pointed W hose duty it shall be TO toinyeStgate the
circumstances connected with this depiorabie
occurrence. and, if possible, to ferret out the
guilty agent and we pledge ourselves that; al-
though not responsible as community for this
act OF depraved individual. We viii use our best
sympathy for crime in any shape, and are pre-
pared to treat the perpetrators with that stern
justice which shall not stop TO inquire whether
they are trieiids or foes.
Gov. ROBINSON. upon being loudly
called for, arose and addressed the meet
ing as follows:
do not know that l have any thing
particular to say on this occasion, except
to endorse what has already been so ably
said by your presiding officer. We are
engaged in a sort OF warfare, in this State
of Kansas, but it is an honorable warfare
on our part, and we will never, as indi-
viduals, as community, or as party,
let ourselves down from an honorable Do
sition; We will never change ourselves
| from honorable enemies, to cowardly as
sassins. No honorable man can Justify
any such course. Ii will be insisted that
this outrage was perpetraLed by one of the
citizens of Lawrence, by Free State
man. and for political purposes. hav.
good reason To believe that it was all ar
ranged and got up to have this impression
80 oat; but, at the same time, / be-
lIeve that no Free State man is party
TO this arrangement Since have heard
of this unexpected outrage, have taken
every means in my power to a.certain
the facts and circumstances of the case
as far as l could, and have come TO the
conclusion have just stated. This way
of doing things is nothing new. Late
last fall there was an arrangement to get
up an invasion. We all understand this.
and therefore, / need not go into the par
ticulars. 1t was well understood here
in Kansas, that it was thought best that
there should be an invasion, and the
destruction of some of the citizens of
this Territory, and of the people of Law
renee. A murder was committed out
here some five or ten miles distant. The
victim was Free State man then, though
they pretended at first, that he was a
pro- Slavery man, until the desired effect
was produced. The first reports that
went into the State below Us. were that
Isha 4z.susal,s-<zi ss..... ksszsvs
man, and murdered by q Free State man:
and that the women and children of pro-
Slavery men IN this vicinity were being
murdered and robbed. L had its effect,
created its excitement, and brought on
an invasion. But when theaffair became
too serious to be contemplated with inn
punity, when it appeared that the whole
affair would end in civil war. then the
party having it In charge. thought il best