The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-03-29
Original Correspondence.
Dirsctsd to Eaaoret' Herald # Freedom.
Attempt at Law and Order--Robbery.
KANSAS Cry. Mo. Mar. 22 1R.


Dirsctsd to Eaaoret' Herald # Freedom.
Attempt at Law and order--Robbery.
KANSAS Cry, Mo-, Mar. &c, Sc.
At noon to-day. the steamer Genoa,
Captain Thockmorton, arrived at this
place from st. Louis. She had on board
as freight a box marked G. G. Brown,
Osowotomie, Kansas Territory, care of
Riddlesbarger and Co, Kansas City.
This box had been pronounced suspi-
cious by the treason-smelling committee
of~Lexington. Mo. they proposed to-
open and examine the box at Lexington,
but Captain Thockmorton would net
permit commercial law TO be violated on
his boat while he commanded her. To
get at the box was deemed of vital inn
portance to the self-constituted union
saviors of Mo. To attain this result, g.
committee of NoQts took passage on the
Genoa to Kansas City, eighty-fi miles
distant. At Independence. they invited
the cooperation of healthy committee
of the Blue Lodge-Atchison-of Jack
! son county. Mo. These came with alac-
rity to Kansas City.
The REASONABLE box was landed and
placed in the care of Riddlesbarger. &
Co., upon the ievee, when the commit
tee, with Solomon gravity, proceeded to
open the box, asserting that it contained
quantity of Shsrp's rifles. The screws
were removed, the lid was raised, and the
fair and ample proportions of splendid
.pia.,e-fsrts met the astouisiicd gaze or
the Missouri fanatics and river pirates.
Thus ended this foray upon constitution
al order and individual right.
This search was made by men.sent-
from Lexington and independence, but
with the smiling and tacit assent of all
the traders and citizens of Kansas City,
with the exception of two. The Mayor
Of Kansas City was cognizant of the
acts of the committee of surveillance.
He, by his silence and cordial smiles,
endorsed the outrage The City Mar
shall was called upon by Mr.. Leadbea.er,
Of the firm Of Simmons j. Leadbeater,
and asked him to preventthi unwarraut-
able search. He smiled, bowed, and
silently permitted the brigands'to proceed
with their work.
Now the work is completed, all the
forwarding men and citizens of Kansas
City are loud in theirexpressions of con-
l-demnatiou of the violation of law. This
| is hypocritical. All the forwarding
houses and traders in this place, with the
exception of Messrs. Simmons Il Lead
beater, will permit, without exertion
to prevent it, the examination of any box
of merchandise spotted by the whisky
bloated regulators.
A few days SINCE. quantity of guns
were received at Kansas City. These
we're for the Missouri borderers at West
port. No search was demanded OF
made, and the arms went forward like
other merchandise. This is all right, as
these guns go into the hands of the as
sociates of the murderers of Dow, BAR
BER and BRows; but it is reasonable to
carry like arms into Kansas. So say the
river men, business merchants. and city
officials at Kansas City, Independence,
Westport, DC. There is no point on the
Missouri river where goods are safe from
illegal search and piraiieal oYerhanliag.
do believe there is but one firm in
Kansas City that would not assent to
these violations of law, and that is the
firm above-named. The question is,
what is to be done? I answer, patronize
those boats whose officers, like Captain
Thockmorton, of the Genoa. who vii:
not permit goods to be searched. Ship
only to those forwarding merchants who
are known to use all their legal, business
and moral power to prevent ille-
gal search and seizure. / do notssee
any other temporary relief. The ulti-'
mate remedy is to build up shipping
port in Kansas, so as not to trouble the
good, smiling citizens of Kansas City
with the handling of goods. The reme-
dy lies with the Free State men of Kan
sas and the North. Let the medicine be
administered without any delay.
AN EYE WITNESS.