New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-21
KANSAS.
THE FIRST ACT IN THE DRAMA.
From Ou Special Correspondent.


TIE reign OF military despotism has begun. Yea
terdsy evening company Of United States Dragons
pareded through Lawrence with a wagon full of
Free-State prisoners taken in Franklin. Instead
OF going up the California road toward Lecompton
or By the base Of Mourt Dread toward the drspooa
camp, the procession was brought up the main
street of Lawrence, a. to attract AZ much stte.
ton as possible. The design was evidently to in.
timdate the people Of Lawrence by this display.
|. bad only the effect Of enrsging them. The par.
tculars Of tie ease, so far as haze been able 70
gather them, are these:
Last September the saw-mill of Free State
man in Franklin rsmed Purdau was burned down
bv Pro. Slavery incendares. Among those on.
pseed were some Pro-Slavery men residing there.
One of these, named Crane, is wild reckless fe.
low. iptempente, and gambler As Franklin has
been disputed territory between Free.State and
Pro-Slsyery men, occasional difficulties have &C.
cured there. Recently this fellow Crane. has
threatened TO shoot several Free.St men. IN
| Guiding Purdam. Last Sunday these threats had
been renewed III manner somewhat alarming, and
az he was know to be reckless desperate, and as
| tbcre WAS no law-at least none where Free State
men couh get iust;ce-thrce or four men waited on
| conduct could not be tolerated, and that he must
| leave Franklin. Crane Immediately left, aud he
with Mr. Bucher the classical bogus Sheriff Of
| Douglas County, paid visit to Gov. Walker. The
| great "PacicatOr' immediately raw an Opp0rtu-
| uity 10 DO something, whereupon a company Of
United States dragons were detailed to accompany
| these respectable gentlemen. The result have
| stated. Mr.. Purdam, who is an old and respecta-
BE citizen, and five other persons, taken pris
h.rx I.h
| Lawrence. the evident design being to intimdate
the PEOPLE, Insteed of being taken at once beforea
magistrate. they were taken like prisoners of war
| to Gov Walkers camp west of Lawrence, where
they are closely guarded by troops.
As not ev,na retalstory act of outrage had been
committed. al that should have been done was to
have taken them quietly before Justice. and bound
them over to keep the peace. No attempt was
made to have them arrested until the troops were
sent. TIE military arm supersedes the civil in
the most trivia case, while the parties subjected
10 the most ig1OminiOus conduct, and are kept in
state of apprehension to what is to be done with
them. The whole thing ia O shallow and vulgar
trick. The necessity for taking troops to Franklin
at all NAV be jidged from the fact that it is claimed
as a pro-slayery town. 1t shows to what extremes
| the Governor is driven for pretext against the
people. 1t shows how recklessly he will employ the
military arm, and il is an indication that legal perse
III.
not at an end 1t also clearly demonstrates that
this is military despOtisn that the government is
not of the people, and will not be sustained by
them.
Another still more significant fact was developed
at Lecompton yesterday. Attorney General Weir
notified Gov. Robinson that his trial. under the old
Indictment for usrHpiDg Office was to take place
| next Monday. The Governor told him that ne had
been informed by the officials and himself that MOTT
prosequ had been entered in all these eases. Weir
informed him that such was not the fact.
By this it appears that the pretcnse OF entering
| noLc Dyosfopi in case of the Free.State political
prisoners was fraud. 1t was done to preserve
quiet during the bogus Constitutional election. The
result proves the miserable, false and trucking cha
| racter of the officials connected with the bogus
Courts
Gov. Walker was in Lecompton yesterday. He
pretended to be very much dissatisfied with the
extra judicial decision of Judge Cato to the eilec
that nene should vote but those who paid bogu
taxes Ii tore the mask off his own schemes rathe
tcO ematurely. He, no doubt, thought they nigh
have been satisfied that the aw was without such
premature deoiarit Of it. He said he would issue
proclamation for the election. and in it would de-
| clare that all shall vote without paying tax. The
| object of these promises on bis part is obvious.
| The Pro Slavery men thought that the Free State
men were fully committed to vote by their last Con-
yention 1T Topeka. The Governor knows that the
Crasshopper Falls Convention, still to be held, is to
| determine that point. He wants to hoOdwink the
| Free.State men. He saw the danger. Dishonest,
mean and corrupt he does not hesitate 10 prostitute
lis position in order to further the work OF decep
| ton Let us look at his Inconsistency:
II i, not Judge CatOs extra; judicial decision that
is 10 determine that none but payers Of bogus tax
shall vote 1t is the plain and explicit terms OF the
| bogus law ITSELF Does he expect to convince the
Free-State men that he means to set aside these
| wicked usurpations If be does, why not proceed
at once 10 remedy the mOnstrOus evils Of the appOr
tionment, That is more in his sphere, aud not less
an outrage on the people. Again, just before the
| election for delegates to the bogus Constitutional
| Convention lie declared his total inability to inter
| feIe. l. he ADLER now If he means to disregard
bogus law at all what is the Of taking exception
to one piece of iniquy merely If he int rferes at
| ALL let him give the people a fair election. But
he will not interfere with amy point. He only seeks
| to betray Free-State 1t is astonishing that be
could get even a weak man. anxious to settle the
difficulty without any dagger Of trouble, to believe
| him. The PrO-Slayery men are to rob us and
| Walker is to swindle us. Both VIII DO required.
SO runs the game in Kansas. Military despot!sui,
legal persecution GubernatOrial swindlng, Judicial
| peryerson-snd vet the country is quiet and peace
| still prcseryed The pulses of the people beat
| quicker Indignation is rising, but although the
United States army threaten the peace Of the coun-
tIy the people are still quiet. Are We nsurrecuon-
| ISIS A single touch ill fire the magazine, how
ever The people will avert the storm II they can,
for they know if il comes it must be terrific.
| learn that the soldiers are making preparations
10 remain here some months. The mask s on. a
United States army is quartered ON the people 10
subdue them The United States Constitution is
tramped under foot.