Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-03-27
Governor GeaTy,s VcsignntIop


hear no more of free state perry rsions' and
abolition lies The correspondence that
has appeared in the columns of the Demo
Graf from time to time has only been untrue
in its failure to fully represent the atroc-
ties of the pro.slavery outlaws who have
gained fJothold in Kansas
Gov j 1hn W. Geary at Lecompton on
the 4th inst forwarded his resignation of
the Governorship of Kansas to the depart
mcnt at Washington Having notified Mr.
" oodson, Secretary OF the Territory. Of
this fact, and having surrendered to that
officer the official control, he in II few days
after quit the country and started for the
East lie arrived in this city on Sunday
evening, accompanied by his private Secre-
tary. DR.. Gihon. Yesterday afternoon he
called at this Office, and in the course Of a
long conversation gave us a complete his.
tory Of his administration in Kansas, and
more than confirmed all the reports which
reached the public through the Democrat Of
the outrages Of the pro-slavery bandits and
rebels in that unhappy Territory.
The Governor states the cause Of his re-
signation to be the failure Of ex President
Pierce to fulfil the pledges made at the time
Of his acceptance of the appointment. The
promises Of Mr. Pierce, he says, were to sup
port him (Gearv) with the United States
army. the militia and the treasury. if ne
ccssarv; but instead Of receiving this aid,
either in men or money, from the President
he has paid Sl2 600 out Of his own pocket
for the support of his administration, and
with regard to military support he has even
been refused a detachment Of two companies
Of cavalry, for which he applied under the
most urgent circumstances, and received
the naughty answer from the officer in COM
Fl, IF bn Tod TOT
was not employed to protect him. In adj
dition, the Judiciary of the Territory, as
well as the military Of the government, re
fused him its support. Judge Lecompte
thwarted HIM on all occasions, and having
the means to execute his judicial DEGREES was
enable to overule him in every important
| measure.
Again. throughout his whole official ca
reer, he has been an object of hatred to an
organized and sworn band of conspirators in
the Territory He states that fifty men
were under oath from the day he entered
the country until he lett It, 0 a 8 lssinate him
provided his official career should devlate
from that course which they had marked out
for him. His life thus in constant jeopardy;
the judiciary bitterly opposed to him; the
military inactive and stubborn. and the gov
eminent without money or means of any
cline. The Governor says he regrets the
step he was obliged to take most sincerely,
and feels confident that had he received the
assistance promised him he could have ad-
ministered the affirs of the Territory in
manner acceptable to the honest settlers Of
both sides.
In relation to the robberies arsons and
murders at the hands of the pro-slavery ruff
fans, which have taken place in
Kansas. the Governor says the hall has not
yet been told. He says the murder of Buff
fun by Hayes vas one of the most cold
blooded and atrocious affairs ever witnessed
The Governor reached the spot few mo
ments after the affair occurred. As the poor
fellow was lying upon the earth in his agor-
les, the blood streaming from his wounds
and the cold sweat of death upon his brow,
he seized the Governors hand, and declared
that,as he looked for mercy hereafter he was
innocent Of all cause of offence-that it
was most foul and unprovoked murder
He asked his assassin why he sought his
life or desired to take his property-tha
} upon his efforts depended the subsistence
OF an aged father Ond mother, a deaf anC
, dumb brother, and sister-that he him
self was u cripple. and therefore harmless
= To this appeal he was told that he was q
id abolitionist, and that they intended
to destroy the whole of them. Upon
: which Hayes, one of the gang seized him by
) the collar and placing the pistol against
his stomach, shot him.
The Governor pledged him, while he held
his cold hand in his own. that he would use
- all his power to bring his murderer to JUS
, tic, j spent, said the Governor, five
hundred dollars to have his assassin arrest.
ed and | would have spent FIVE thousand
dollars to have done So if it had been ne
cessary.' 1t is well known that the
Governor had Hayes arrested. but scarcely
was he put in prison when Lecompto issued
a writ Of haheIs corpus, had him released
and SIT at liberty upon straw bail. Hayo.
is now in Missouri, and is playing the gen
tleman. The Governor further states thai
after the release of Hayes, Surveyor Gen
cral Calhoun took occasion, in public
J speech upon the matter, to declare that the
. discharge Of Hayes was perfectly legal, and
5 that it was mistake to suppose that ter
f ritorlal laws were enacted for benefit of any
, other persons than the rro-savery men
Speaking of the insult offered him, which
led to the death Of Sherrard. the Governo!
gave a detailed account Of the transaction
81 and the manner in which his assas snator
had been previously planned. His owr
, frmncss, however, prevented its execution
Sherrard, the Governor states, with three
others, waylaid him in the hall of the
, Legislature lie discovered them. and
knew their purpose and when Sherrard
spoke to HIM, be made no reply, but passed
on, when Sherrard spat upon his back
several times As soon as these facts became
known public meeting was held, composed
principally of pro-savery men, for the pur-
pose Of denouncing the act. 1t was at thi:
meeting that Sherrard was shot When the
, resolutions were read, Sherrard said that
| any person who endorsed them was a liar, a
cowardand scoundrel.'
, Mr.. Shepperd then arose, and stated that
he endorsed them, and was neither q liar
, scoundrel nor coward. Sherrard then drew
his revolver and commenced shooting at
, Shepperd, who received three balls in hi:
body. Mr.. S. then snapped a pistol at Sher-
rard but it failing fire, he rushed upon him
ard struck him with his weapon, They
were separated, aud Sherrard then drew
another pistol and advanced towards Jones
whom he had previously insulted because
he was n member OF the Governors house
| hold. Jones perceiving his danger, drew a
( pistol in self defence number of shots
were then fred at the same time, and Sher-
rard fell. The Governor says that the ac-
count of the affair published in the Repub-
lican, as furnished by some Mr.. Jones, it il
tissue Of falsehools from beginning to
end.
Among other things, the Governor com
plains most bitterly of the annOyances which
he suffered in the obstruction and mutila-
ton of his correspondence. The mail bags
he says, were constantly opened and all
communications to and from him systematic
cally overhauled, and, il Objectionable
distracted, Mr. McLain, chief clerk in the
Surveyor Generals Office, boasted of
the fact, and stated that he himself had
destroyed and suppressed two bushels of
mail matter
In view of these things, and under the
operation of the act of the rufhan Legisa
ture, which provides for the election of del
egates to the Constitutional Convention,
administered as it will be by the dominant
L -. L u