The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-01-17

Iexecutiye capacity, | am inclined to
throw the veil of Oblivion over the
errors and outrages ofthe period ante
!cedent to my arrival, except so far as
reference to them may be necessary 70,
substantial justice and to explain and
Idevelope the policy which has shed the
benign Influences of peace upon Kan
sas, and which, if responded to by the
Legislature In spirit of kindness and
sconciliation, viii contribute much to
soothe those feelings of bitterness and
contention, which in the past brought
upon US such untold evils.
/ arrived at Fort Leavenworth on
/ the ninth day of September last, and
Immediately assumed the executive
functions. On the eleventh, / issued
lmy Inaugural Address, declaring the
general principles upon which in.
i tended to administer the government
In this address 1 solemnly pledged
myself to support the Constitution OF
the United States, and to discharge
my duties as Governor of Kansas
with fidelity; to sustain all the provi.
sions of the Organic Act, which | pro
nounced to be- 'eminently just and bene
ficial;;"to stand by the doctrine ofpopu,
lar sovereignty, or the will of the major
ity of the actual, bona ,Jfde inhabitants
when legitimately expressed, which
characterized ''the imperative rule O.
civil action for every aw-abiding citi-
zen. +" The gigantic evils under which
tiisTerritorywas groaning, were attrib-
uted to outside influences, and the
people of Kansas were earnestly in
lvoked to suspend unnatural strife, to
Danish all extraneous and improper
influences from their deliberations,
and in the spirit of reason and mutual
eonciliation to adjust their own differ
ences. Such suggestions in relation
to notifications of the present statutes
as | deemed for the public interest,
were promised at the proper time. 1t
was declared that this Territory is the
common property of the people of the
several States and that no obstacle
should be intcrposed to its free set
tlement, while in Territorial condi-
ton, by the citizens of every State OF
the Union. a just Territorial pride
was sought to be infused; a pledge
was solemnly given to know no par
ty, no section, nothing but Kansas
and the Union-and the people were
earnestly invoked TO bury the past in
oblivion; to suspend hostilities and
refrain from the indulgence of bitter
feeling; to begin anew; to devote
themselves to the true and substantial
interests of Kansas; develope her rich
agricultural and mineral resources;
build up manufactures; make public
roads and other works Of internal i'm
provement; prepare amply for the
education of their children; devote
themselves to all the arts of peace,
and make this Territory the sanctuary
of those cherished principles which
protect the inalienablc rights of the
individual and elevate States in their
sovereign capacities.
The foregoing is brief summary
of the principles upon which my ad-
ministration was commenced. ] have
steadily adhered to them, and time
and trial have but served to strengthen
my convictions of their justice.
Coincident with my Inaugural were
issued two Proclamations, the one,
disbanding the Territorial militia,
composed of mixed force of citizens
and others, and commanding "all bod
les of men, combined, armed and
equipped with munitions of war,
without authority of the government,
instantly to disband or quit the Terri
tory, as they would answer the con-
trary at their peril" the other, order
ing ''all free male citizens qualified to
bear arms, between the ages ofeighteen
and forty-five years, to enrol them
selves, that they might be completely
organized by companies, regiments,
brigades and divisions, and hold them
selves in readiness to be mustered, by
my order, into the service of the Uni
ted States, upon requisition of the
commander of the military depart
ment in which Kansas is embraced,
for the suppression of all unlawful
combinations, and for the maintenance
of public order and civil government" !"
The policy of these proclamations
is SO evident, and their beneficial re-
suits have been SO apparent, as to re-
quire no vindication.
The Territory was declared, by the
acting Governer, to be in a state of
insurrection; the civil authority was
powerless-entirely without capacity
to vindicate the majesty of the law
and restore the broken peace; the ex-
isting difficulties were of far more
complicated character than I had antic-
! ipated; predatory bands, whose sole
aim, unrelieved by the mitigation of
political causes, was assassination,
arson, plunder and rapine, had undis-
turbed possession of some portions of
the Territory, while every part of it
was kept in constant alarm and terror
by the advocates of political senti-
ments, uniting according to their re-
respective sympathies, In formidable
bodies of armed men, completely
equipped with munitions Of war, and
resolved upon mutual determination
as the only hope of peace; unofending
and peaceable citizens were driven
from their homes; others murdered In
their own dwellings, which were given
to the flames; that sacred respect for
woman, which has characterized all
civilized nations, seemed in the hour
of mad excitement to be forgotten;
partizan feeling, on all sides, intense
" excited by question which inflam-
ed the entire nation, almost closed the
minds of the people against me; idle
and mendacious rumors. we'll caieu-