Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-07-23

If the law have been enacteu Dy INC
Territorial Legislature which are dis
proved of by a majority of the people of
the Territory, the mode in which they
could elect a new Territorial Lee
gislature and repeal those laws, was also
designated. If there are any grievances
of which you have a just right to
complain, the lawful, peaceful manner
in which you could remove them, in
subordination to the government OF
your country, was also pointed u
You have, however, chosen to disre-
gard the laws of Congress and of the
Territorial government created by it,
and while protesting to acknowledge a
State Government rejected by Congress,
and which can therefore exist only by
successful rebellion, and exacting from
all your officers the p~erilous and sacri-
lcgious oaths to support the so-called
State Legislature, which refused to grant
you a charter, proceeded to create a To-
cal government of your own, based only
on instruction and revolution. The
very oath which you require from all
your officers to support your so-called
Topeka State Constitution, is violated
in the very act of putting in operation
a charter rejected by them.
4 rebellion so iniquitous and neccs-
sarily involving such awful consequent
ces, has never before disgraced any age
or country.
Permit me to call YOU attention as
claiming to be citizens, of the United
States. to the results of your revolution
airy; you are disregarding the laws of
Congress and of the Territorial Govern
ment, and defying there authority; you
are c~onspiring to overthrow the Govern
ment of the United States in this Terri
tory.
Your purpose, if carried into effect in
the mode designated by you, by put
ting your laws fofcibly into execution,
would ~invole you in the guilt and crime
of treason. You stand now, fellow cit
liens, Upon the brink Of an awful pre-
YOU ere you take the fatal leap into the
gulf below. If your proceedings are
not arrested you will necessarily destroy
the peace of this Territory and involve
it in all the horrors of civil war. L
warn you then; before it is too late, to
recede from the pcrilous position in
which you now stand.
l appeal oncc more to pour reason
and patriotism. I ask you in the name
of your common country, in the name
Of the Constitution and of once more to-
your love of country, to your regard for
its peace, prosperity and reputation, to
your affection for your wives and chill
dren, and to all those patriotic motives
which ought to influence American cit
liens, to abandon this contemplated re-
volution. If you have wrongs redress
them through the peaceful instrument
tally Of the ballot box, in the mode
prescribed by the laws Of your country
AS all arguments heretofore so often
address by me 10 you, have failed as
yet to produce any effect upon you.-
[ have deemed it necessary for your SAT
ETY., and that of the Territory, and to-
save you from the perilous consequent
ces OF your own acts, un Ter the author
ity vested in me by the President of the
United States, to order an adequate
force of the troops of the United States
into your immediate vicimage, to per-
form the painful duty Of arresting your
revolutionary proceedings. Let me i'm
plore you not to compel me TO appeal to
that military power which is required
in the last resort, to protect the govern
mcnt Of your country. You cannot car
ry your rebellious purpose into effect
without c5ming into unavoidable and
/ open conflict with the troops and govern
ment of the United States. @
Let me adjure you, then, onceIporc, to
abandon these proceedings before you
involve yourselves in the crime OF trca-
son, and subject the people Of the city
of Lawrence to all the horrors and cal
.,-l Ill -
Ifyou will now dcsiat from the projected
revolution, the past Will be forgotten as
far as practicable; but if you persist in
passing these laws and carry them into
execution, thus defying and supercedinG
the government of your country, the de-
plorable consequences must be upon
your heads and those of your associates.
1t will be my purpose. if you still persist
to spare all bloodshed as far as practi-
cable, and subject the leaders and pro-
~ieetors of this revolutionary movement
to the punishment prescribed by the
law. l will accompany the troops to
Lawrence with 4 view to prevent, if poS-
siblc, any conflict, and in the sincere
hope that the revolutionary momcment
contemplated by you and o so nearly
accomplished, will, ere it is too late, be
abandoned by you.
If you can be Influenced by no other
motives, the evident fact that the power
of the government is adequate to pre-
vent the accomplishment of your pur-
pose, should induce you to dcsist from
these proceedings.
That the same overruling Providence
who holds in his hands the destiny of
/ our baloved country. may now incline
your hearts to peace, a~ndinhuence you
to abandon this fatal enterprise, Is he
sincere wish of your fellow citizen.
II. j. WALKER.
Governor of Kansas Territory,
Eas~Hon. Edward Everett, of Mas