The Kanzas news., 1857-07-25
Proclamation to the Citizens of Law
LEAvENHo RrH. July Is, 1857.

LEAVENHo RTH. July Is, 1857.
have learned that considerable num-
Der of the citizens of Lawrence, In this
Territory, have adoIFed, as they claim, by
a popular vote, CD arter for their local gov
ernment. a copy 6f that charter has been
placed In my hands: upon comparing which
with that granted 10y the Territorial Legis-
lature, last winter, find that they differ inten-
tionally in many essential particulars. The
new charter, then, Is set up, in direct and
open defiance of an act of the Territorial
Legislature on the same subject
On this point your Committee, whose
views have been adopted by you. make the
following staten ent:
Under ordinary circumstances the more
regular method of proceedings would be to
obtain charter from the Territorial au-
thorities AS the Territorial Government,
however, in no sense represents the people.
| of Kanzas, yeas not elected by them, and
can have no right to legislate for them, We
cannot accept of charter at Its hands.
And, as the State Government has not, as
yet, deemed. it advisable to proceed to the
organization Of local and municipal govern
ments, we cannot obtain a charter from it.
There is, therefore, left US only the alter
native of a charter springing directly from
the people, or a continuance IN OUT present
disorgan;lzed condition.
Under these circumstances, you have
seen fit to instruct us TO present a charter,
having discussed its provisions in a pre-
liminar y assemblage, and now propose to
submit it to full vote of the people for ap-
proval or rejection
1t viii be perceived that the authority of
the TIE rritorial Government is here distinct
| ly denied, and whilst that of the so-called
State Government is acknowledged, it is
conceded that no charter has been granted
by it. Indeed, it is fact that, although
this so-called State Government has, In it
self, 10 legal existence or authority, yet
you asked and failed to receive a charter
froi N it.
Under these circumstances you have pro-
ce' eded to establish a government for the
eli ty of Lawrence, in direct defiance of the
L erritorial Government, and denying its
e xistence or authority. You have granted
to this city government the authority to
elect Mayor and Board of Aldermen,
! City Assessors, Treasurer, Justices of the
Peace, City Marshal, DC. You have grant
ed to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen
most extensive powers, including the right
. to levy and collect taxes upon real and per-
sonal property within the limits of the city,
2 whether helonging't to residents or non-resi-
{ dents, and all the other powers usually in
cident to a city government. You have
: imposed upon all these officers the duty OF
taking an oath to support thise so-called
State Constitution, thus distinctly super
seding, so far as in your power, the Terrific
, rial Government created by the Congress OF
the United States. You have caused these
4 proceedings to be printed in hand-bill form,
7 and have distributed them as / am informed,
throughout the territory, with the view to
/; incite the other cities, towns and counties
t of Kanzas to establish insurrectionary gov
g ernments, thereby placing the people of this
a territory, SO far as In your power, in open
n collision with the Government of the United
States.
j The more conservative portion of your
n own party having induced your Topeka
e Legislature to reject the laws urged by you,
t creating municipal governments, you have
t even in defiance of their authority, which
t you profess to acknowledge, proceeded to
create such government for Lawrence,
: and are now urging other localities to pur-
sue a similar course. Your evident pur-
: pose is thus to involve the whole Terrific
: Try in insurrection, and to renew the scenes
of bloodshed and civil war. Upon you,
then, must rest all the guilt and responsible
4 ity of this contemplated revolution. You
viii be Justly chargeable in law and in con-
science, with all the blood that may be shed
3 in this contest, and upon you must fall the
punishment. You have elected your officers
under this charter, and instructed them to
enter upon the immediate discharge of their
duties, including the adoption of ordinances
and the execution thereof, under an author
ity having In itself no legal existence, and
established in direct defiance of the Govern
ment of the United States.
From all these facts, it is obvious if you
are permitted to proceed, and especially if
your example should be followed as urged
e by you IN other places, that for all practi-
{ cal purposes In many important particulars,
the Territorial Government viii be over
: thrown. The charters granted by that gov
ernment for similar purposes, will be disre-
garded, and the justices of the peace and
I other officers acting under their authority,
will be brought necessarily IN conflict and
collision with the so-ealled officers claiming
to act under a different authority. The Ter
r1tory viii thus be involved In inextricable
confusion and litigation; the value of your
property be greatly deprecated, your titles,
: transfers, transactions viii be subjected to
disputes and and all VIII suffer from this
! insurreetion, except the lawyers who have
stimulated this movement "A government
founded on insurrection and usurpation viii
be substituted for that established by the
authority of Congress, and civil war will
be renewed throughout our limits IF your
authority to act in this manner for the city
E of Lawrence IS permitted, similar author
ity must be acknowledged in every other
town, city or county, resulting in inevitable
and most disastrous conflict; and if sue