Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1857-10-08
NO. ~.

ianlsm from MlSsourl, upon the people who
abhor and disown it,. Every man who has,
from the first, known its czistence, has
known its origi,. and its nature. Let it
then he taken as it Is; as it is in its origin
and its nature. And what is it? A code
OF laws oppressive, unjust, cruel, outra-
geous, without, a parallel, created, i'm
posed, by the usurpation of ruffians from
Missouri. And these laws, and this
Government, without the least evidence
to establish their authority, but with the
most abundant proofs to the contrary, you
are proposing to sustain and execute by
the United States army You speak Of
numbers Of lawless men," &c, alluding
evidently to the Topeka Convention. Be
it so, for the sake of the argument: but
how does one '.lawless attempt" to estab-
lish a government, justify or palliatc an
other lawless attempt, for the same pur-
pose?
Further: In your reply you seem to
your Memorialists to concede, in all its
truth and force, the principle which they
maintain. Thus yon uniquivocally aud
justly assert that ''for portion of the
people of Connecticut to undertake to es-
tablish a seperate Government, within its
chartered limits for the purpose of repress-
ing any grievances, real or imaginary"
would be usurpation, and add that "such a
] principle, carried into execution, would
destroy all lawful authority, and produce
universal anarchy" Your NJ .morialists
fully subscribe to this doctrine. But what
is the act which you call usurpation in the
case supposede What is it but setting up
a Government claiming authority, and
laws demanding execution, which, in the
nature of the case, can claim no authority
and are opposed to existing axthority?-
If you would call this ''usurpation" in
Connecticut, If it would "destroy all
legal authority and produce universal an
archy,' what is this but the very act which
Missouri invaders have perpetrated in Kan
sas-government under the Constitution
of the United States. Law was there also,
a law for the organization of Government
BY THE PEOPLE OF THE TERRIroRY. Right.
too, was there; invineible right of the peo-
I pie to make their own laws and elect their
own rulers. In opposition to the existing
law, trampling upon those inherent rights,
Missouri invaders have set up bloody
tyranny, which has, in fact, produced an
archy and bloodshed. If YOU condemn
the one, condemn the other also. Your
Memorialists have nothing to ask of YOU
/ in this matter but consistency OF principle.
/ Condemn the same conduct in both cases;
! put down the usurpation in Kansas, and
the friends of truth, justice, and of the
country would rejoice
( Your Memorialists again ask. whether a
case can well be imagined, to which the
name of authoritative government could be
applied with more palpable impropriety
and untruth, than to the Territorial Gov
ernment of Kansas? Might not even po-
litical shamelessnrss blush to call it bv such
a name? Was not the true and only char
acter of this Government known to You
and the whole country before your inaugu-
ration, and during the Presidential canvass?
Did you not, with the fall knowledge of it,
!, accept your nomination, which you were
free to decline, and thus avoid the respon-
sibility of executing these nefarious laws;
or, did you suppose that the oath of office
would exempt you from this responsibility?
You admit the Constitutional duty of the
President to ''take care that the laws be
! faithfully executed" And now, without
holding You responsible for any acts of
your predecessor, for which you are not
willing to be responsible and have not
fully sanctioned, your memorialists would
ask, was there no law to be taken care of.
/ by preventing a well known projected inva-
sion of the political rights of the people of
~ = l.. a.. L
speet to the thcfts, the robberies, the incen-
diarism and the murders that were perpe-
trated? no law to be taken care of in the
mode of civil administration adopted by
Federal officials? no law to be taken care
of in not appointing officials whose hands
were red with innocent blood, or in remo-
wing bribed and pcrjured Judges? no law
to be taken care of by securing to the peo-
pie. of the Territory fundamental right of
the Constitutions right guarded by an
express law Of Congrcss-the right s'to
make their own laws and elect their own
rulers 2 no law to be taken care of in Civ
! ing to Congress information at least of the
state of the Union, and especially in recon-
mcnding necessary and expedient measures
for the relief of the people of Kansas from
the injustice. the oppression and the bss-
barities to which they were subjected?--
Had then Great Britain any such laws to
take care of in France, when the present
Emperor was enthroned there by usurpa-
ton, as those which our Government-our
President was bound to take care of in our
own Territory? In utter neglect of these
laws. have you not, with full knowledge
of the nature Of this usurpation, its origin.
its progress, its violation of Constitution
and fundamental rights, its violence, its ra-
pine, its massacres, its conhagrstions, and
its; shame, sustained at every step its au-l
thors aud abettors to this hour? Have you.
not sanctioned such conduct BY placing, or
retaining. prominent leaders therein in Oh
cial stations? q ef ft
Again. arc the troubles and calamifics of
Kansas the legitimate results Of the wise
administration--ofth the true and right work,
ing in such an exigcncy--of our national
Government? the most perfect specimen
of human government the world has sees--
to;our own admiration the perfection of ex-..
cellence. Surely, such results bespcaky