Freeman's champion., 1857-08-20
ICE. OF THE
NORTHERN PRESS!
Shall the Liberties Of Freemen be
Crushed2
Is THE NORTH WITH US?
From the N, Y. Tribune.]
Walkers Proclamation.

against Lawrence affirms that the late
Territorial Legislature framed a mu-
nicipal charter for Lawrence. OF
course this must be, though it con-
hicts with our understanding of the
following paragraph in the address
of the committee of citizens OF Law
renee instructed to frame charter:
"Under ordinary circumstances the
more regular method of proceeding
would be to obtain q charter from
the Territorial authorities. AS the
Territorial Government, however, in
no sense represents the people of
Kansas, was not elected by them, and
can have no right to legislate for them,
we cannot accept charter at its
hands"
We inferred from this paragraph,
not only that the peopls Of Lawrence
never asked the bogus Legislature for
oharter---.as OF course the great mass
of them never did but that said
Legislature had never undertaken to
impose one on them unasked, which
is contrary to the fact. There is in
existence an act Of the bogus Legis-
lature assuming to give Lawrence a
charter; but the people Of Lawrence,
disputing the right Of that body to
legislate for Kansas, have never ac-
cepted it, but proceeded to frame a
charter for themselves. Hence os-
tensibly) the fresh visitation of "the
pomp and circumstance of glorious
war" to which they are now sub
jected.
Let us now consider the reasona-
bleness of this pretext:
Mr.. Walker went to Kanzas per-
tectly aware Of the fact that the great
mass Of the people Of Lawrence and
of Kansas regarded the so-called Ter
ritorial Legislature and its acts as the
fruits Of foreign conspiracy, ruflian-
ism, wholesale ballot-box stufling,
and general villainy, and that they
strenuously denied to both Legislature
and laws any rightful validity, With
a full knowledge of these facts. Mr..
Walker visited Lawrence, addressed
alarge meeting Of its citizens, and was
courteously heard. Did he then, or
in his inaugural, threaten with fire
and sword all who disregarded the
mandates of the Territorial Legisla-
ture? Surely not When the Free
State Legislature re-assembled at To-
peka, he was on hand and made an
other speech; but he prompted no
arrest of its members, no obstruction
Of its proceedings. Yet, surely, this
meeting of rival Legislature, re-
oeiving q message from q rival Gov
ernor, afforded a far better pretext for
ordering out troops with loaded mus
kets and fixed bayonets than does the
forming OF municipal charter, on
the naked basis OF Popular Sovereign
ty, by the settlers OF Lawrence.
1t is scarcely year since the peo-
pile Of San Francisco did Just what
Mr.. Walker accuses those of Law
renee of doing-organized munich
pal rule utterly unauthorized by any
Legislative authority, and in opposi-
tion to the municipal authorities re-
cognized by both Federal and State
authorities. This rule was upheld by
the strong arm for several weeks, a
militia organized, precepts served,
offenders tried, and punishment in
Aicted in obedience to its mandates.
The Governor OF the State denounced
, il, and called for Federal aid to over
throw IL; yet none was granted-not
even q proclamation. Why should
peaceful Lawrence DO dragooned as
armed and militant San Francisco
was not? 'g
Suppose Lawrence fully organized
nnder her homemade charter, and
heF municipality proceeding to cstab-