The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-04-11
-bs Bstaia Of FREEDOM.
,arepee. Saturday, April. II, 1857
Gov. Geary.

, s;end for whom we entertain the hign-
.<t respect, writes us that we ought to blow
y Gov. Geary for having signed the rebel
=. hill; that unless we do so he is aPpre-
',r.;ve our friends will think we have lost
=, native independence for which we
TO always been characterized.
Iobn W. Geary is no longer Governor of
mas. We have no motive to secure but
:. highest interest of the cause we came |
=. 10 advance. We would as soon say |
s,,l things of John w. Geary. whether in |
.ses or out of il, if merited. as any other
+. person. AS we have said repeatedly,
!, owes allegiance TO partf we believe to
|. ,orupt, and one for which we never had
10 Ieas, particle of respect; but, as Man,
:. have found him all we could desire:
,.Derous, frank, Independent, fearless of
s,0.eouences, and iaboring, as he honestly
L.fsves. to subserye the best interests of the
.ouo,ry. He has done more to awaken the
,,,on to the true state of things in Kansas
,h,n any other single man, because he had
.hs ear and the confidence of powerful
,,-y which none Of US, other than him,
could reach.
Gov. Geary had his faults, and committed
rave bIunders in office. He caused the
Hickory Point prisoners to be arrested, but
We arc apprehensive he regretted the act.
lie probably had no expectation OF their
fbeins detained only for few days, until the
.,orm should blow over; whereas it was the
Misfortune of the prisoners to be arrested
b, warrant from Judge Lecompte, and he
hid them with the tenacity Of tyrant
After they passed into the hands of the iu-
dietary, the Governor had no legal power
oyerthem until after conviction, when it was
oDtional with him, for good cause shown, to
s,ercise the Executive elemency. He did
his in his own good time. The act was
.Iow. and he was censured for not granting
pardon at an earlier day. lie had his
reasons, undoubtedly, for NOT granting it
sooner, and these reasons may have been of
character which he did not care to com.
uunicate to the public.
We eoncede the Governor erred in taking
he course he did in the Hays affair. He
vas inspired by good motives and acted
rom impulse; but he was not sustained by
hw. Ills true policy was to have submitted
The facts at once to the President, and asked
or Lecompt's removal. AS it was, be
Dlaced himself in an unfavorable position a
Washington.
Another unfortunate position in which ht
became involved, was in refusing commis
son TO Sherrard He had reluctantly con
\ .ented to enforce the bogus laws. II,
n adopting them he was bound to obey th'
whole, and in refusing to do so he brOugh
complication of matters upon him, whicl
we're very embarrassing, to say the least.
We were 10th to believe that he signe'
the rebellion bill, and the only evidence w
now have is the statement of letter writers
for whom, we must acknowledge, we hav
no very great respect. Ii he signed til
bill he did an act we deem very impropel
unless he felt confident Of the removal {
the whole herd of judges, marshals, distrit
attorneys, &c, which had disgraced ofiici'
| positions in Kansas. If he had good re;
sons to suppose they would be removed,
the law could be- enforced property, he dl
I, right in signing il; for we are fully col
scious that the act is like two edged swol
which cuts both ways and would crush o.
the pro-slavery party, and destroy ali the
weapons which they have welded with .
much apparent success thus far against ii
free State party.
But the Governor has left US 1t is Il
worst blow ever inflicted upon our caus
and has east gloom over the whole couI
try. But we do not despair The rig
will ,,rigrnPh Kansas will be free, al
Justice will ultimately be meted out to q
men, Let emisration hasten forward, al
let 10 free State man either in Kansas
out of it be guilty of any act or thing
hasten 4 crisis! We want peace, and ma
hare It, e1ea if ace are compelled TO fight ]
il!