Squatter sovereign., 1857-03-03

uNiuaal responsibility. every one can see
that no possible conflict could have arisen
between them and the laws, or the friend :
of the laws. If they had been content 20
submit to bad laws, with the right within
themselves to modify or repeal them, thro'
the power of the ballot-box, which every
democrat or States Rights man comedies
to be the true dootrine,. there could have
been no difficulty in the territory. But
dissatisfied with the laws, hich a MAORI
ty of the people enacted for their govern
ment. they attempted to do here what
they and their friends had before attempt
ed ts do in Boston and Chicago, to decide
independent cf the courts that the laws
were unconstitutional OF wrong, and put
themselves in position to resist them by
force of arms. Hence they brought upo
Kansas all the difficulties which have dis
singuished her history for the last twelve
months. It will not do for these men TO
say that they could not expect no redress
through the ballot-box, because of The in-
reference of Missourians in elections, for
| their has been no interference of Missouri
ians in elections, since the first election of
members of the Legislature. The I" law
and order" Convention, which met at
Leavenwor!h City in November, 1855.
expressly repudiated all such interference,
and there has been none of it SINCE
And we have already shown that Cover
nor Reeder collected from his census re-
turns that no Legislature of different
character than the one chosen could have
been elected at the first election, if no
Missourian had voted and consequently
the voice of that Legislature was the will
of the people of the territory at tina, time.
There is no man belonging 10 the demo-
cratic or States Rights party, the party we
represent in this Convention, but desires
earnestly that all questions in the territory,
should be settled under the psiaeipies ct
the organic act, by the legal voters of the
lterritory. These Aid Society men, there-
fore. had nothing to fear from the expres.
sion Of the ballot-box, but that the deci-
sion Of the real citizens Of the territory
would be against abolotionism and Black
Republicanism. Upon these questions
they did not dare trust the ballot-box; and
being but portion Of the people of
four counties in the territory, they
chose to swear that they were the
people" of the territory, and to take up
arms to resist the execution of laws which
they well know they had not the power or
numbers to overthrow in peaceful and
legal manner. This well known inability
and the struggle to ind sufficient pre-
tence t. resist by traitorous force, the exc
cution Of the laws. led the Aid Society
emigrants, and Reeder and Lane. to
charge there failure TO control things here
to the interference of Missourians. Their
failure is to be found in their own weak
ness and wickedness; and there is not
even remote probability that they will
ever be able to accomplish the object
which brought them hereto make, oi
Kansas, Black Republican or abolition
State.
j Within two weeks after the time when
the sslaw and order" convention met il
J Leavenworth and resolved to sustain the
laws of the territory, and expressly rePu
dated all foreign interference in the affairs
. of the territory, the followers Of Reedel
} and Robinson rescued prisoner from the
U
. custody of the Sheriff of Douglas County
! by force of arms and with superior number
, and Immediately went to work to put
; themselves in position to resi- whate g
, might be the consequences of their illega
. proceeding. The town Of Lawrenc,
; where the party rescuipg the prisoner re.
sided, was Immediately fortified; all tn
5 forces Of the Aid Societies. emigrants il
. the counties of Douglas. Shawnee. Ly
kens and Franklin were called to Law
5 renee and the resolution was announces
: that the laws of the territory should no
: be executed in that town. This was n
1 affair, merely, of the men implicated il
q the rescue of the prisoner, but the united
: organized, premeditatsd effort of whole
commudity, determined that the laws G
It the territory alsuld not be executed apo
n any of their friends. The preparation 4
: resist was made before tho call Of tn
Governor upon the people TO aid the Shel
if In the execution of the laws. The res
: cue of the prisoner, therefore, was dc
: signed to bring about collision betweel
the legal authorities of the territory an
! those who had come here with Sharpe
I rifles and en,rencbed themselves at Law
e renee 10 resist their execution. There ca
n be no doubt. IN the mind Of any maj
that this collision was preEsediiated an
5 prorokcd by Reeder and bis associate sb'