The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-11-01

Since the return of Mr.. BRowN from
his four months Imprisonment, num-
Der of the Ladies of Lawrence have
been preparing a testimonial to present
him, in appreciation of his conduct as
an editor, and as fitting memento of
the times in which we live. Several
meetings were held in furthcrence of
their purpose, and Saturday, the 18th
uit., was selected as the time for the
presentation.
On the afternoon of that day, the COM
mittee of ladies, consisting of Misses
s.. l.. SPENCER. LOUISA BIGELow and
LYDIA s. HALL, accompanied by several
ladies and large number of citizens,
assembled in front of the HERALD OF
FREEDoM office, and with the ruins of
broken presses lying at their feet, speak
ing in silent yet impressive eloquence
of the outrages of the past, the interest
ing ceremony took place. Miss HALL,
in behalf Of the ladies, spoke as fol-
lows -
Mr.. BEowN A few ladies of Law
renee, in very quiet manner, prepar-
ed to make an informal call at your
Office, on the present occasion. 1t was
with this expectation that | consented,
as one of the number, to accept the
honor of standing where / do. The
fates, it seems, have changed the pro-
gramme, without either consulting or
excusing me; and it is too late to re-
treat. So here stand, speaking before a
larger audience than | bargained for ;
but unable to be heard. We'll. it is
not nv fault, and know you, and all
are indugent.
We come as your friends, the friends
of Freedom and the friends of Kansas,
to sympathize with you for the past,
and to congratulate you for the present
and the future. We look backward a
little more than two years, and such years
as they have been, each hour chron-
icling some event stranger than the
last-we look back through these un-
paralleled scenes, to the day when here
and there cabin, now and then tent.
and one or two pablo buildings in the
shane of sod walls and straw roofs,
made up the entire city of Lawrence.
Prominent among the institutions oil
that day stood the intrepid Herald ot
Freedom whole-hearted pioneer
And itwas a treat to us who were then
at the East, with our hearts more than
half here, to find in its columns the
advertisements of business and protes-
e;onal men, notices of schools, meet
ings, lectures before the Lawrence
Athenaum, with other news of the day.
We felt assured that somebody scas here
here, in the centre Of our great Re
pubIic-here, where we, too, gladly
would have been.
The history of these two intervening
years is written with burning intensity
everywhere, and there is no need that
/ allude to it. In the magnanimeus
spirits that tower around and above
MS. we have proof incontestible that
great conflicts produce great men-that
patient and unyielding struggles for the
right make heroes fer all coming time.
1t has been your privilege to live and
labor and suffer in such an era in your
country's history. We have been IN
terested spectators, and, in some small
sense. participants in these unwonted
events-always sympathizing, always
suffering with the heroes and martyrs
OF Liberty. And are we not now, all
of us, what we should never have been,
but for the ordeal through which We
have passed
While you. and the brave little band
led captive with you to yonder PRAIRIE
were shut up from the duties and events
of life-necded more than ever at your
posts, held, MOI in humiliation, but,In-
glorious surveillance, we did not forget
the scripture injunction. W.. relaeni-
bered those in bondsa bound scith them
and many a heart, in the wide circle Of
vour friends, would gladly have shared
tour burdens, and released you all.
In memory Of these and kindred as