The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-05-09
On the I3sh a Free State Conve

days afterwards. another at Big Springs
where protests against Whitfield,s
election to Congress, and memorials
to Congress were adopted praying for
the admission of Reeder as represent
ing the real sentiment of a majority
of the citizens of the Territory.
During the latter part of October
| the trial of the Free State Prisoners
took place at Lecompton before
packed jury of bitter PFo-Slavery par.
tiEans and twentv-one were sentenced
by the Kansas Jefries to five years
hard labor with ball and chain. These
persons were guilty OF no crime
They had acted purely in ,selfdefense
at Hickory Point, and would instantly
have boon acquitted by a fair and hon
orabie tribunal. Their crime In the
eyes Of the Court. was a devoted love
Of liberty. and for that devotion thy
were treated as felons and murlerers.
But in, that higher law which exists in.
and is constituted by just and gen
erons people. they were not only pro-.
claimed "not guilty." but crowned
with honor. and loadel with grateful
testimonials. as. a small aeknowle lg-
ment of their lahors and services in
the canse of Freedom.
1t will he remembered that while
the Free State men were heing snb-
iacted to the seyerest penalties which
an unholy tribunal could inAic.t. their
opprrSsors and prosecutors, with hands
raeking with blood that crie1 aloud
for vengeance. were never called to
account or made to answer for the
laws thev had outragel. and the bar
harities they had perpeirated. The
.Jndges OF the Supreme Court, ha it
said to their eternal disgrace. threw
of the spotless ermine anil cloakPd
themselves in the polluted garments
of fanqtical partizanshir. Rpfnre
ench atrihunala charge against Fee
State mon. no matter how base, how
unfoundnd or how frivolous. was
equivalent to conviction. Law was
mookerv. principles meaningless. and
iustire hnt word. To illustrate the
trn,h of what we affirm we need but
cite the mnr,ler of Bqffnm and the
subsequent action. of the Snpremn
Cnurt. of which Gov. Gnarv gives tho
following account: "Whpn he reached
Bnfflm the roor fellow was lying
unon the earth in his agonies. the
blood streaming from his wounds. and
the coll sweat of death upon his brow.
He seized the Governors hand. and
dnclaroi that as he hoped for mercy
hereafter he was innocent of all cauSe
nf often "e-that it was most fonl and
nnprovokri murder. He asked his
assassin why he sought his lif2 or de-
sired To take his p~nnertv-that upon
his efforts depnnde I the subsistence of
an aged father and mother. deaf and
innnb brother and si>ter--that he him
self was cripple. AMI therefore harm-
less. To this appeal he was told he
was "d-l Abolitionist, and that
they intended to DESTROY the whole Of
them.' Upon whirh HAYES. one Of
tho gang. seized him hv the collar,
and. placing the pistol against his
stomach. shot him. Tho Governor
nlndgel him. while he held his cold
hand in his own. that he wonld use all
his power to bring his mnrdPees to
iusticc. 81 spent" sail the Cover
nor. GIVE hundred dollars to. have
his assassin arrested; and / would
have spent FIVE thousand dollars TO
have done so. ifit had been necesra-
ry." 1t Is we'll known that the Gov
ernor had HAYES arrested. brit scarcely
was he put in prison when Lecompse
issurd a writ Of ko5eas corpus. had
him released and set at liberty upon
straw hail. Hayes is now IN Missou-
ri. anil is plavinr the gentleman.-I
The Governor further states that after
the release of Hayes. Surveyor General
Calhoun took occasion. in a pnbhc
speech upon the matter. to declare
that the discharge of Haves was per-
fertlv legal. and that Il was mistake
to suppose that the Territorial laws
were enacted for the benefit If. .anv
other persons than the Pro- Slavery
mea.
In consequences of Judge Le"omp-
toms eourse in This case. and his de-
tormined opposition to Gov. Geary.
the Governor demanded his removal
from the office he disgraced.
9 On the first Monday in .Tanrary,
1857. the second bagns Legislature
convened at Lecompton. a more
disgraceful session could not have been
conceived. nor couId body Of men
bave been feunlamere bitterly OPP os-
ed to the views and convictions of the
Free-State party. Their legislation
was a perfect mockerv. forming q fit |
sequel to. and connecting link with. |
the enactrnents of that first odioas and |
Illegal hoflv which inaugrTaied a |
/. Reign of Terror in Kansas, and
spread lighting devastation. over
the beautiful and peaeefni fire. of the
Territory. Invain Gov. Geary stsove
to moderate their fury and altay their |
passions. Togno purpose did hs veto
their outrageous measures. 1nsensi-
bIe to the dictates Of rpason, and deaf
70 the pIcadings of iustice. they vet
had the impudenre to believe that the
actual residents Of Kansas would be
forced to acknowlerige their legality as
a aL.giIatnre. and the binding force ofl
their enaetmpnts. God forbid that |
sneh another Legislature" po.iute the |
soil or faint the atmosphere Of the
Territory. e
The Pro-Slarery Convention that |
met a. Leeomptnn on the 18th Of Jan
uary was an outgTowth of this rotten
anil psstiferous trunk-an ngly butt
natural excresence. The address they
coined is too palpably counterfeit 20
pass current. and adds but another to
the formidable lisf of crimes Of which |
the Law and onder Party . or Z. Ma.
tioaal Democracy of Kansas, have
y