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

emies in the country. He has driven
men from claims, burned houses, assault
ed individuals, and rendered himself OBJ
noxious to individuals in thousand
ways. and in this country, where there
is no law, it is not very strange or very
horrible that some one or more OF his
enemies should take revenge in secret
manner And no better opportunity
could possibly have presented Itself than
was afforded on the evening of the Esd
inst, when he was surrednded by COM
munity who despised him; when he was
courting the ill-will, and seeking to draw
out the violent feeling of that community
and when the deed could be accom-
plished, and the blame of it and conse-
quences of it fall upon that community.
That it was Free State man who shot
Jones, we do not for moment entertain
the remotest suspicion.
The public sentiment of this city con-
demns, in unmeasured terms, the assassi-
nation. No sympathy exists for the man
who thus violently undertook to deprive
Jones of his life. Not that there is any
particular love for him-for he is hated
as cordially as it is possible for men to
hate seoundrel-but there is love OF
Order. of Law, of Justice and Peace in
our people-and murder and outrage,
assassination and brutality meet with
a prompt and unqualified condemnation,
by whoever perpetrated.
Have the Border Ruffian party accom-.
plished anything by this last stroke of vii
lainy? Will it not recoil upon them, as
all their previous outrageous proceedings
lave, and result to their own injury, in
stead of ours? Have they not failed to
- = e
fasten upon US a reputation for outlawry
and resistance to legally constituted au-
thority? and will they not fail also to
fasten upon us the reputation of assassi-
nation and blood-thirstiness? A COM
munity cannot be made responsible for
crime committed in its midst, by one oi
its own members, when it readily and
heartily disavows the act-how infinitely
less. then, can it be held responsible
when the deed was performed by an un-
known individual This community, by
condemning in the strongest terms, and
disavowing Immediately and unanimous,
ly the dastardly actin the judgement
of reasonable and honorable men, has
exonerated itself from all guiltiness, and
maintained its reputation untarnished.
The excitement attendant upon the
progress of the foregoing transactions
was considerable. It seemed to be evi.
dent that an effort was being made to fur
nish a pretext for another invasion; bul
when the Q. S. troops came into the
city, and arrested men so easily, affairs
began to assume a ludicrous aspect; and
the entire performance seemed to be GO
ing off more in the style ofa farce, than
otherwise. The attempted assassination
of Jones, however, so unexpected, SC
entirely unthought of, SO outrageous; and
so decidedly opposite to the sentiments
of the people. aroused such a feeling Of
] indignation against the man who thus
sought to strike death blow to the pros
perity of our city, and revulsion at the
deed, that they gathered, simultaneous
ly, to express their condemnation.
Jones was shot about 10 O'Clock Al
night. The wound, at first, was thought
10 be mortal, but afterwards it was ascer.
tanned not to be so serious. He was re-
moved, Immediately, from the tent tc
the Free State Hotel, where every posi-
BILE medical attention was at once procur
ed. His Deputy Sheriff took the pris
oners TO Lecompton. where they were
held to bail in the sum of FIVE hundred
dollars each, without undergoing the
slightest semblance of a prelimary trial
| We hear rumors of an exciting natur,
from below, but nothing detinite reache.
US. Col. SUMNER came int the eft,
labout 2 O'Clock yesterday morning
bringing large body of troops with hin
las far as Sicoxie's, a Delaware> Indian
four miles from Lawrence, which force
will be promptly on hand to suppress any
difficulty. We give it as our opinion
that we shall have no invasion this time
notwithstanding that was the ulterior OBJ
jeet. apparently, of the whole movement
The Alton Courier.
We wish to direct the attention of oul
readers to the Alton Courier. published
at Alton, ILL.,. by G. T. BRowN, ESQ.,