The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-10-10
Mi,i,arr psspofzn.

Missouri and the southern States were
overrunning Kansas, committing all sorts
of crimes, and protesting to act as passes
for bogus officers, the people of Kansas
and their friends all over the States were
clamorous for a change of policy on the
part of the Government. "If," said they,
''the United States troops had been en-
ployed as police force, as they should
have been, the Free State Hotel would
never have been demolished, the printing
offices in Lawrence would not have been
destroyed, our dwellings would not have
been sacked, Osawotamie would still have
been standing, and the houses of Judge
Wakefield, Capt. Walker, Mr.. Heath, Mr.
Lewis, Mr.. Snyder, and nunberless 9TH
ers would have been saved from destruc-
ton. The brave HoYT, and the lamented
SHoMBRE, PHILLIPS and the many other
true men who were murdered, basely
murdered by semi-oficial posses, would
still have been living"
We remember with what delight the
people of Kansas heard that the Govern
ment had turned US over from border ruf-
fan rule to that of the United States dra
goons. True, we looked upon it as wrong,
all wrong, to be in a condition to require
the military force of the nation to protect
us from the outrages of our own people;
but they had come here to work our sub
iugation, and the officers of the Govern
ment connived at it and it was only when
Gov. Geary came here, fully empowered.
to employ the United States forces for ouI
protection, that we began to hope for
peace.
1t is not surprising, that our friends in
the States, and those who have not seen
the barbarities inflicted here, professedly
! in the name of law, by licentious mob,
should feel irritated to see Federal troops
marching over Kansas, as they say, very
truthfully. "to dragon the people into
submission to laws they never made" but
we in Kansas feel very differently. When
the troops marched against Lawrence, a
few months ago, under the direction Of
Gov. WALKER, there was great excitement
in the States because of that transaction.
While all ofus deprecated the movement
and thought it bad stroke of policy on
the part of the Governor, none of us felt
the least trepidation on account of it; we
knew the Governor dare not move step
against Lawrence in violation of law
And we knew, too, that the soldiery were
restrained by discipline. Had body of
desperadoes, such as had formerly been
employed against us, been marched against
Lawrence in the manner these troops were,
we would have banded together as man,
and exhausted every dollar of resources
among us, if necessary, to have driven
the scoundrelS back into Missouri. But,
as it was, the anvil rang as loudly as ever
to the sound of the hammer, and not a
mechanic or laborer in all the town sus-
pended for a moment his accustomed toll.
They were but United States troops, whom
we had learned in the past to respect, and
whom the officers dare not allow to be
employed in other than preventing vio-
lence and in repressing crime.
We regret that the condition of the
country is such that even Mr.. Buchanan
or Gov. Walker feels justified in employ
ing the troops here; but we feel confident
that were it not for Federal bayonets one
month would not elapse until the whole
country would be plunged into civil strife,
and the war-dogs would be running riot
on the plains of Kansas. We are one of
those who believe it possible to work our
emancipation without resort to bloodshed,
hence we do not feel aggrieved because of
Federal bayonets in Kansas. If the time
shall come again when the people can
rule, when this boasted "Squatter Sover-
eignity" shall triumph in Kansas. then
adieu to Federal interference, and FEEDER
al legislation, and Federal bayonets in
Kansas; but until then, we feel as thous-
ands of Others did, but little over year
ago, that if the President wished to save
the country from general desolation, and
he had the power, he ought to have es-
tabiished martial law in Kansas and gov
erned, for time, with an iron rod.
! These reflections have been induced by
reading the numberless complaints in
eastern journals, because the military are
employed in Kansas for the preservation
of the public peace. However harshly
our view may appear to outsiders they but
express the general feeling in Kansas, as
we know by the daily remarks of large
number of persons with whom we come
in contact
The President may increase his Kansas
army to twenty thousand or fifty thous-
and men if he chooses, so long as they
continue to be restrained by law-as they
always must when acting under the direc-
tions of proper officers, who are guided by
law-we shall not complain. We depre-
cate military despotism, but do not con-
ceive that large number Of soldiers en-
ployed for the preservation of the public
peace, and operating under the restraints
lof. law, can become such in Republican
government.
| F The entire vote in Douglas coun-
ty, at the late election, was 1878. Ad-
mitting six inhabitants, the usual calcu-
lation, to voter, and we have popula-
ton of 1o.s08 in Douglas county. Of