Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-07-24

own Ioru9 pfe8crlDcQ Dy the govern
mont of your country, social fnstitu-
tons, wonld be acknowledged and
protected. M
If the laws have been enacted by
the Territorial Legislature which are
disproved of by . majority Of the
people of tho Territory, the mode in
which they would elect new Terri
torial Legislature 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 ofyour country, was also
pointed out. a
You have, however, chosen TO dis
regard the laws Of Congress and Of
tho Territorial government created
by it, and whilst protesting to &C
knowledge State Government re-
jected by Congress, and which can
therefore exist only by successful
rebellion. and exacting from all your
officers the perilous and sacrilcgious
oaths to support the so-callrd State
Constitution; yet you have even In
defiance of the so-called State Leg
islature, which refused TO grant you
charter, proceeded TO create local
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 viola.
ted in the very act Of putting in OPP
GRAFTON charter rejected even by
them.
A rebellion 30 Ubiquitous and noces-
sarily involving such awful conse-
quenoes, has never before disgraced
any age or country.
Permit me to call your attention as
still claiming to be citizens Of shc u.
s., to the results Of yonr revolution
airy proceedings. You are inaugura-
ting rebellion and revolution; you are
disregarding the laws Of Congress and
of the Territorial Government, and
defying their authority; you are con-
spring to overthrow the Government
of the United States in this Terrific.
ry.
Your purpose, if carried into effect
in the mode designated by you, by
putting your laws forcibly into exc
cution, would involve you in the guilt
and crime Of treason. You stand now,
fellow citizens, upon the brink of an
awful precipice, and it becames my
duty to warn you ere you take the
fatal leap into the gulf below. Ifyour
proceedings are not arrested you will
necessarily destroy the peace of this
| Territory and involve il in all the
horrors ofcivil war. warn you then,
before it is too late, to recede from
the perilous position in which you
now stand.
| appeal once more to your reason
and patriotism. / ask in the name
Of our common community, in the
name Of the Constitution and Of the
Union, to desist from this REBEL
ion. ! appeal once more to your
love of country, to your regard for
its peace, prosperity and reputation,
to your affection for your wives and
children, and to all those patriotic
motives which ought to influence
American citizens, to abandon this
contemplated revolution. Ifyou have
wrongs redress them through the
peaceful instrumentality ofthe ballot
box, in the mode prescribed by the
laws of your country.
! As all arguments heretofore so Of
ten addressed by me to you, have fail
cd as yet to produce any effect upon
you, / have deemed it necessary for
your safety, and that ofthe Territory
and to save you from the periloui
consequences of your own acts, under
the authority vested in me by the
President Of the United States, to or.
der an adequate force Of the troops
of the Unsted States into your imme.
date vicinage, to perform the pain.
full duty of arresting your revolution.
airy proceedings. Let me implore
you not to COMPEL me to appeal tc
that military power which is requir.
ed in the last resort, to protect the
government Of your country. You
cannotcarry your rebellious purposes
into effect without comming into un.
) avoidable and open conflict with the
troops and government Of the United
States.
Let me adjure you, then, once more
to abandon these proceedings before
you involve yourselves in the crime
of treason, and subject the people Of
the city of Lawrence to all the hor'
rors and calamities Of insurrectior
and civil war. If youwili now desisi
from the projected revolution, the
past will be forgotten as far as prac-
ticable, butyou persist in passing these
laws and carrying them into execu'
!, ton, thus defying and superceedine
the government of your country, the
deplorable consequences must be up.
on your heads and those Of your as
sociates. 1t will be my purpose, il
you still persist, to spare all blood
shed as far as practicable, and subject
the leaders and projectors of this rev.
dictionary movement to the punish.
ment prescribed by the law. ] will
accompany the troops to Lawrence
with a view to prevent, if possible,
any cofict, and in the sincere hope
that the revolutionary movement
contemplated by you and now &C
nearly accomplished, will, ere it is
too late, be abandoned ly you.
L a \ L
er motives, the evident fact that the
power of the governments is adequate
to prevent the accomplishment of
your purpose, should induce you to
desist from these proceedings.
That the same overturning Provi-
dence who holds in his hands tho des-
tiny of our beloved country, may
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