The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-07-29

in detail, as is your present purpose
You were distinctly informed in my in
augural address of May last, that the val
idity of the Territorial laws was acknowl-
edged by the Government of the United
States, and that they must and would be
carried into execution under my oath of
Office and the instructions Of the President
of the United States The same informa.
tion was repeated in various addresses
made by me throughout the Territory
At the same time, every assurance was
given you that the rights of the people of
this Territory, under the law to establish |
their own State government and frame
their own forms prescribed by the Govern
ment of your country, would be acknow- |
edged and protected.
IF laws have been enacted by the Terri |
torial legislature which are disapproYed of
by majority of the people of the Terri
tory, the mode in which they could elect
new Territorial Legislature and repeal
those laws was also designated If there
are any grievances of which you have any
|! just right to complain, the lawful peace
! full manner in which you could remove
them, IN subordination to the government
of your country, was also pointed out.
You have, however, chosen to disregard
the laws of Congress and of the Territorial
government created by it, and while pro-
Tossing to acknowledge State govern
ment rejected by Congress- and which can
therefore not exist only by successful
rebellion, and exacting from all your Off
GERS the perilous and sacrilegious oath
to support the so-called State Constitu-
ton; yet you have even in defiance of the
so-called State Legislature, which refuses
to grant you charter, proceeded to ere-
ate local government of your own, based
only upon insurrectien and revolution
The very oath which you require from all
your officers to support your so-called To
peka constitution, is violated in the very
act of putting in operation charter re-
Ijected even by them.
| A rebellion so iniquitous, and necessa-
rily involving such awful consequences,
has never before disgraced any age or
country.
Permit me to call your attention, as
still claiming to be citizens Of the United
States to the results of your revolutionary
proceedings. You are inaugurating reoel-
lion and revolution: you are disregarding
the laws of Congress and of the Territori-
al government, and defying their authori-
ty; you are .conspiring to overthrow the
Government of the United States in this
: Territory.
Your purpose if carried into effect in
the mode designated by you, by putting
. your laws forcibly into execution, would
involve you in the guilt and crime of trea-
son. You stand now, fellow-citizens, up
on. the brink of an awful precipice, and it
, becomes my duty to warn you ere you
take the fatal leap into the gulf below
If your proceedings are not arrested, you
! will necessarily destroy the peace this Ter
q ritory and involve it in all the horrors Of
: civil war. / warn you, then, before it is
> too late, to recede to the perilous position
in which you now stand.
Iappeal once more to your reason and
+ patriotism. I ask you in the name of oul
common country, in the name of the Con
stitution and of the Union, to desist from
y this rebellion. l appeal once more te
!, your love ofcountry to your regard fo
!. its peace prosperity and reputation, tt
! your affection for your r-wives and children
q an6 to all these patriotic motives which
ought to influence American citizens, tt
abandon this contemplated resolution. l
you hare wrongs redress them through tht
: peaceful iustrumentality of the ballot-box
! in the mode prescribed by the laws o
4 your country.
As all arguments heretofore so Otter
addressed by me to you have failed as ye
: to produce any effect upon you, | have
deemed it necessary for your safety, ane
:, q that of the Territory, and to save yot
h from the perilous consequences of your owl
. acts, under the authority vested i'll me by
, the President of the United States, to or
:, . der an adequate force of the troops ofthe
: United States into your Immediate vicin'
;. age, to perform the painful duty of arrest.
o ing your revolutionary proceedings. Let
n me implore you not to COMPEL me to ap-
). peal to that military power which is re-
/. quired in the last resort, to protect, the
" Government of your country. You can
+ not carry your rebellious purposes into
II effect without coming into unavoidable
and open conflict with the troops ano
p government of the United States.
r Let me adjure you, then, once more, te
/ abandon these proceedings before you in
$ yolve yourselves in the crime OF treason
/ and subject she people of the city OF Law
, renee to all the horrors and calamities 0
e 1insurrection and civil war. If you viii
now deslst from, the projected revolution
n the past will be forgotten as far as prac
y ticable; but if you persist in passing thes'
;. laws and carrying them into execution
il thus defying and superceding the govern
1t ment of your country, the deplorable con
II sequences must be upon your heads ant
" those of your associates. 1t will be m.
II purpose, if you still persist, to spare al
,e bloodshed as far as practicable, and sub
rs ject the leaders and projectors OF this rev
10 oIutionary movement to the punishment