Freeman's champion., 1857-06-25
Message Of Gov. Robinson
TO THE FREE-sTATE LEGISLATURE.

" TO THE FREE-sTATE LEGISLATURE.
Fellow CITIZENS OF THE SENATE AND
House OF REPRESENTATIVES
v We are again convened at the ex-
Rlpiration of the recess taken by you
Yin January last. You met under cir
cumstances scarcely less difficult, and
mo less embarrassing than have char
! lacterized the previous meetings of this
y Legislature. But your duties under
Athe Constitution are plain, and the
NECESSITY for action imperative. AS
the representatives Of the people, you
)Are here to do the work for which they
selected you. The bitter experience
Of the past has brought nothing,with
a It that could relieve you of your re-
sponsibility, Every step in that ex-
perience has shown the necessity for
y you to do your work; and that you,
y with calmness, wisdom and determin-
ationprepare those bulwarks on which
y Che People may rest their Constitu-
Gonal rights as American citizens,
I. md keep the State Government in
n badness for admission into the Un-
EiSn.
NJ AS it becomes my duty to recon-
mend such measures as | may deem
G@pedient fory your action, and to COM
runicate to you the condition Of af-
jsAirs in the State Ieball endeavor
Briefly to do so.
|NN Since | sent my message to you,
Rshes you first convened in March,
sl856, many important and startling
syents have marked and disturbed
|qKhe current of affairs. The horrors
|gbf actual warfare have existed in our
midst. Towns and cities have been
hacked and burned, and our citizens
have been brutally murdered on the
Highways and in their houses. A
n hostile enemy, on our eastern border,
!, l,has poured in predatory band after
gband, and army after army, with the
design of hamassing our citizens and
completing the subjugation they had
Ibcgun. The General Government,
|, (which still assumes tbepower of pro-
y etection over US, has baSely used that
power as a screen under which it has
A Rendered aid and comfort to our enc
mics, and strengthened the hands Of
those foreign invaders who still pre-
tend to hold the political power Of
hhe people that they usurped. Nor
havo J our labors and your persons
Nbeen exempt. Lawless arrests have
been made of your number, and also
aof Executive officers, by men who,
although they possess some power and
ain many instances held the positions
4 In connection with the Federal Courts,
'sActed with irregularity, and IN def
lanco even of the rules which they pro-
5fcssed to respect.
A large and necessary portion of
The labors of your codiiying Commit
/, Nee was destroyed, with much other
at Lawrence, in May, 1856,
. Then that place was pillaged, and par
n tiAlIy burned, by a mob brought there
flby United Stated marshal.
N When your bodies met pursuant to
N adjournment, in July last, your as
ykombly was interfercd with, and bro
n ken up by large force Of United
btates troops in battle array, who
N )rove you hence, in gross violation
Abi those Constitutional rights which
VjNtIwas their duty to have protected.
hylVhen you again convened, in Janua.
INV last, at your regular session, your
W proceedings were again interiered
by Deputy Marshal, and many
EA5n your members arrested.
EY Il do not propose to enter into a
hinuto detail Of all the unhappy oc-
.kuronces, which have occurred du-
Ming the past year, occurrences
(which have stamped page Of infamy
n bp tho history OF Tho country. Let
A me refer you to tho comprehensive
N address prepared by a Committee Of
A ihc Convention that assembled in this
\ Jpacci on the tenth Of March last, for
ihoso particulars, an enumeration Of
Which would absorb too much Of your
lime. Suffice tito say, that owing to
hoso causes, the State Government
N notyot fully organized, and waits
N " argent necessity for the hecomplction
yTpr work.