New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-06-17
Corrsspondence of The N. Y. Tribune.


party of twenty, mostly composed Of Bufords men,
armed with United States muskets, and headed by
| one Major Wilkes Of South Carolins, arrested or
rather seized without shadow Of process of law FIVE
Of our leading Free. State men. These were II. NJ.
Moore ATTIC ney General under the Free-State organi
zation; NJ. +. Conway, Supreme Judge; Mark Par
rott member Of the Constitutional Conventions Mr..
| Webbing, charged with having been spy; and
| Mr. Riddle charged with having made threats Of re
taliaton, &c. AL these were liberated within few
hours, some Of them having promised TO leave the
| Territory. Messrs. Parrot. and Riddle have gone
East Messrs. Moore and Webbing are still in town,
and Judge Conway is in the Territory. Mr.. Moore
has since been arrested and held to bail charge
of misdemeanor, under the Territorial laws.
On Friday, the 3lst Of May, Law and Order meet;
| ing called was held here, at which leading Pro-
Slavery citizens-some of them heretofore moderate
men-were the officers and speech -makers Violent
| speeches made and resolutions of the same
character were passed, condemDing all Free-state
men, without distinction, and appointing Vigilance
| Committee of fifty to watch their movements, and to
warn offenders from the Territory. An attempt was
made by Mr.. johnson, lawyer and Kentucky
STAKEHOLDER, seconded by two Others to modify
the resolutions to except from their anathems
FreeState men who had taken no prominent part with
| the party. johnson and his friends gagged
down. The Committee was appointed composed of
men of all stripes in the Pro Slavery ranks Some Of
these appointed without their knowledge, as they
! declare, and act with the Committee for the arored
purpose only of restraining members of the baser sort
from acts of violence. How far they succeed in this
will be seen. Their meetings are all secret.
On Thursday the 9Th inst, a deputaton of five of
the Vigilance Committee called upon Mr.. Henry j.
Adams, q lawyer and United States Surveyor, and
commanded him to leave the Territory by the first
boat Their assigned was, that he was regarded
by the Committee as a dangerous person in the
mupty. He asked them for a written order TO leave,
with their signatures attached This they declined to
give him. He told them he should consult his own
judgment to the proprety Of his leaving or remain
ing He had committed no act contrary to good citi-
zenship and he denied the right Of self constituted
pipilasee committees to drive him from Kansas. He
has not gone away. Yesterday he was notified that
the Committee having discovered that there is suit at
pc ndpg sganst him here they have determined to
rescnd their order for him to leave They refer
Indictment, doubt, Mr.. Adams is Of the
bers of the Free-Stae Senate, all of whom sup.
posed to have been indicted. lie was also with
Brown, who was murdered at Easton and was nsru.
mental in saving some Of his companions from the
same fste.
This sub committee also gave the notice. to
leave, to the Rev. Mr. McAfee Of the Lutheran
Church here. Mr.. McAfee is quiet and most useful
citizen. In addition to his pastoral duties he has
charge of HourshDg school, and has the patronage Of
all classes, even of the very individuals who waited
upon bin to command him to abandon the field Of hi,
labors, and TO become fugitive from his home.
The sole charge against Mr. McAfee, was that of
having been the author some weeks since of letter
which the scoundrels who destroyed Lawrence pill
LACED from the trunk Of Gov. Reeder.
Mr.. McAfee, in support Of his right to remain in
Leavenwortb, referred the committee to his past con-
duct as citizen and his occupations Of usefulness
as clergyman and teacher, and plainly told the gen.
tlem,n that, rather than be driven from Kansas for
having simply expressed his sympathes with those
who advocate the extension of the Of human free
dom rather than that of human bondage, his bones
shoud bleach upon the soil of Kansas with those OF
her martyrs already fallen for opinions sake. He is
still here. 1t remains to be whether they will
ecute their decree of force upon him. They make
no shadow of legal charge against him.
Two days ago Wethsrell and Marvin were arrested
snd held to bail under a charge of misdemeanor for
having acted as judges or clerks at Free-State
electors. The "Rufans' not content with
having set the scoundrel Dunn to beat; aud nearly
KILL WeheIell for the same act-they are determined
TO bring him for trial before the Infamous Judge
Lecompte, the Jeffres of Kansas, the author of all
these il dctments-the same cid Judicial I" Ruiiian"
who, in the late crusade against Lawreroe
in wagon with a cannon aud barrel Of whisky,
heading party of the Marshals posse against that
devoted town. May the righteous Indignation of the
American people deliver the victims out Of his power
The question arises why is il that the Free State
men OF LeayenwOrtb without resistance, have suf-
fered all the acts of ms oent violence that have been
visited upon theM-acts many Of them, unsanctioned
by and in violation Of the infamous Territorial
laws The answer is in their want of organic aton,
their lack Of arms and their desire for peace aud
quiet rather than strife and civil conmotion. II is to
be seen whether they will continue THE fatal policy.
If ever resistance to tyranny ustfsble is so
row On the part of the Free.Sta;e men Of Leaven-
worth.
erclose you a copy Of the proceedings of the
m, etipg which appointed the Vigilance Committee.
The following are lanes of the leading members of
the Committee l.. y. Rees, Deputy Postmaster;
John a. Haldermsp, Probate Judge Of Leaveuworth
County +. Emory, United States mail contractor;
Greene u. Todd, Sheriff Of Leavenworth County and
United States Deputy Marshal VIM. j. Matthias,
Member of the Territorial Legislature; A. Payne and
l. J. Easp, also Members Of the Territorial Legisla-
ture; A. J. lsaacs Attorney General OF ksnsas Terri
tory; J. J. Carkson Captain Of Kansas Militia;
Bennett Burnham, County Surveyor Of Leavenworth
County X. r. Rees, Member OF the Territorial Legis-
la,ure and Justice Of the Peace; James NJ Lyle,
Deputy Clerk Of the United States District Court;
h. d. McMeakp, Deputy United States Marshal and
Deputy Sheriff
thus will be seen that these men who sted
in framing orwho appointed, 10 execute the bloody
ooSe OF kAnsas but not content th the povey given