The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-06-27

the acting Governor, to release his free Stats
prisoners and disband his forces. Upon tho
Sth the Supreme Court NIT at Lecompton to
try the political prisoners. The District At
torncy not being ready to - on with tho ca
scs. all the prisoners were admitted to bail.
and on the same ,day Gov. Gcary arrived in
the Territory Immediately upon assuming
his Office, he issued proclamation command
ing all bodies of men combined;' armed and
equipped with munitions Of war, without au-
thority of government. instantly to disband
and quit the Territory"
In obedience to this proclamation. the FREQ
SsMe forces disbandcd. hut the border ruff
ans in open defiance Of It. re-assembled. ac-
cording to previous agreement, at Weston.
Mo-, and to the number of 800 strong, with
FIVE pieces of artillery. marched towards Law
renee. 1t was with great difficulty that Gov.
Geary. at the head of L. S. troops, by throw
ing himself between the invaders and Law
renee. succeeded in saving the city. and pre-
vailing upon the Missourians to retire. In
their retreat, among other outragcs, they shot
down an unoffending free State man-Bndom'
for demonstrating against the Stealing Of
his horses
The political free State prisoners. under in
dictmonts for treason and murder. were treat
cd with revolving barbaritv by Col. Titus and
his Southern rutfians, and the citizens of o.
sawattamie were once again visited bv new
Affections from fresh bodies of invaders. Oct.
10th. AL election took place, under bogus
Legislature enactment. for Delegate to Con-
gress, Members Of Territorial Legislature,
and on the question of Delegate Conven-
ton to adopt State Constitution. In this
election the free State mca took no part, and
the border ru!fians had it all their own wav.
On the 18th . free State Convention was
held at Topeka. and a few days afterwards.
another at Big Springs, where protests against
Whitfield's election to Congress, and memo
rials to Congress were adopted praying for
the admission of Reeder AZ representing the
real sentiments Of a majority of the citizens;
of the Territory.
During the latter part Of October thc trial
of the free State prisoners took place at L.
compton before packed jury of bitter pro-
slavery partizans. and twenty-onc were SEN
fenced by the Kansas Jetfries to five Years
hard labor with ball and chain. They had
acted purely in sclf-hc:cncc at Hickory Point.
and would instantly have been acquitted by
Il fair and honorable tribunal. Their crime
in the eyes of the Court. was devoted love
of liberty. and for that devotion they were
treated as felons and murdcrers. But in that
higher court and by that higher law which
exists in. and is constituted by just and
generous people. they were no, only pronoun-
ced mot guilty" but crowned with honor
and loaded with grateful testimo lials. as a
small acknowledgement of their labors and
services in the cause of freedom.
1t will be remembered that while the free
State men were being subjected to the Sc
vcrest penalties which an unholy tribunal
could in!lic:. their opprcssors and prosecutors,
with hands rccking with blood that cried
aloud for vengeance. were never called to ac-
count or made to answer for the laws thcv
had outraged. and the barbaritics they had
perpetrated. The Judges of the Supreme
Court. he it said to their eternal disgrate.
threw of the spotless ermine and cloakcd
themselves in the polluted garments of fanat-
ical partizanship. Before such tribunal. .
charge against free State man. no matter
how base. how unfounded or how frivoloux
WAS equivalent to conviction. Law was muck
cry. principles meaningless. and Justice but a
word. To Illustrate the truth of what We af-
firm We need but cite the murder of Butfom
and the subsequent action of the Supreme
Court. of which Gov. Gcary gives the follow
ing account: When he reached BufFom, the
poor fellow was lying upon the earth in his
aSonics. the blood streaming from his wouds,
and the cold sweat OF death upon his brow.
He seized the Governors hand. and declared
that as he hoped for mercy hereafter. he was
innocent of all the cause of offencc-that it
was most foul and unprovoked murder.
lie asked his assassin why he sought for his
life or desired to take his property-that up
on his efforts depended the subsistence Of an
aged father and mother. and q deaf and dumb
brother and sister-that he himself vas a
cripple. and therefore harmless. To this ap-
peal he was told that he was I'D ab-
olitionist. and that they intended to DESTROY
the whole of them" Upon which Haves.:one
of the gang. seized him by the collar and
placing a pistol to his stomach, shot him.
The Governor pledged him. while he held his
cold hand i'll his own. that he would use all
his power to bring his murderers to Justice.
spent, SAYS the Governor, " five hundred
dollars to have his assassins arrested. and |
would have spent five thousand to have done
so If II had been necessary 1t is veil known
that the Governor had Hayes arrested. but
scarcely was he put in prison when Lecompte
issued writ of habeas corpus. had him re-
leased and SET at liberty upon straw bail.
Hayes is now in Missouri. and is plav-
ing the gentleman. The Governor further
states. that after the release of HAYES, Sur
veyor General Calhoun took occasion, in q
public speech upon the matter, to declare that
the discharge Of Hayes vas perfectly legal,
and that it was mistake to suppose that the
Territorial laws were enacted for the benefit
OF an! other persons than the pro-slavcry
men.
In consequence of Judge Lecompte's course
in this case. and his determined opposition to
Gov. Gcary, the Governor demanded his re-
moval from the office he disgraccd.
On the first Mon1ay in January. 1857, the
second bogus Legislature convened at Lecomp-
ton. A more disgraceful session could not
have been conceived, nor could a body of
men have been found more bitterly oppossl
to the views and convictions of the freI0Quo
party. Their Legislation was perfect -
cry. forming fit sequel to. and connoG1
link with the enactments of that first odiis1o
and illegal body. which inaugurated rsiGn
of terror in Kansas, and which spread {
blighting devastation over the beautiful ana
peaceful face of the Territory. In vain Gov.
Geary strove to moderate their fury and allav
their passions. To no purpose did he veto
their outrageous measures. Insensible to the
dictates of reason. and deaf to the pleadings
of Al l. ii