The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-07-25
Ihe I}erais Of freedom.
Lawrence. saturday, July 2s, 1851.
Gov walkers Proclamatioa.

renee" expressing displeasure at the or
ganization Of an independent city charter,
declaring it 'in direct defiance Of the Ter
ritorial government" and placing the peo-
pie Sin open conflict with the government
of the United States" and this after bill
creating municipal governments" was
defeated by the Topeka Legislature. We
publish It entire, as q document which
will be read with interest in the East as
well as In Kansas
LEAyENwoRTH. July Is, 1857.
II have learned that a considerable num-
Der of the citizens of Lawrence, in this
Territory, have adopted, as they claim, by
popular vote, charter for their local
Government. A copy of that charter has
been placed in my hands; upon compar-
ing which with that granted by the Terri-
torial Legislature, last winter, l find that
they differ intentionally in many essential
particulars. The new charter, then, is set
up, not only without any authority of
law, but in direct and open defiance of an
act of the Territorial Legislature on the
same subject.
aOn this point your Committee, whose
views have been adopted by you, make
the following statement:
"Under ordinary circumstances the more
regular method of proceeding would be
to obtain a charter from the Territorial
authorities. As the Territorial Govern
ment, however, In no sense represents the
people of Kansas-was not elected by
them, and can have 10 right TO legislate
for them, We cannot accept of a charter at
It's hands. And, as the State Govern
ment has not, as yet, deemed it advis-
able to proceed TO the organization of
local and municipal governments, we
cannot obtain a charter from it. There
is, therefore, left US only the alternative
of charter springing directly from the
people, or continuance in Our present
disorganized condition.
"Under these circumstances, you have
seen fit to instruct us to present charter,
having discussed its provisions in a pre-
liminary assemblage, and now propose to
submit it to a full vote of the people for
approval or rejection"
ut will be perceived that the authority
of the Territorial Government is here
distinctly denied, and whilst that of the
so-called State Government has, in itself,
no legal existence or authority, yet you
asked and failed to receive charter from
them.
"Under these circumstances you have
proceeded TO establish a government for
the city of Lawrence, in direst defiance
of the Territorial Government, and deny
ing its existence or authority. You have
granted to this city government the author
ity to elect Mayor and Board of Alder
men, City Assessors, Treasurer, Justices
of the Peace, City Marshal, &c. You have
granted to the Mayor and Board of Alder
men most extensive powers, including the
right to levy and collect taxes upon real
and personal property within the limits of
the city, whether belonging to residents
or non-residents, and all the other powers
usually incident to city government
You have imposed upon all these officers
the duty of taking an oath to support this
so-called State Constitution, thus distinct
ly superseding, SO far as 10 your power,
the Territorial Government created by the
Congress of the United States. You
have caused these proceedings to be print
ed in hand-bill form, and have distribu-
ted them, as ! am informed, throughout
the Territory, with view to incite the
other cities, towns and counties of Kansas
to establish insurrectionary governments,
thereby placing the people of this Terri
tory, so far as in your power, in open col
lision with the Government OF the United
States.
"The more conservative portion of your
own party having induced your Topeka
Legislature to reject he laws urged by
you, creating municipal governments,
you have even in defiance of their au-
thority, which you profess to acknowl-
edge, proceeded to create such a govern
ment for Lawrence, and are now urging
other localities to pursue similar couIs..
Your evident purpose is thus TO involve
the whole Territory in instruction, and
to renew the scenes of bloodshed and
civil war. Upon you, ther, must rest all
the guilt and responsibility Of this con
templated revolution. You will be Justly
chargeable in law and in conscience, with
all the blood that may be shed in this
contest, and upon you must fall the pun
ishment. You have elected your officers
under this charter, and instructed them
TO enter upon the immediate discharge of
their duties, including the adoption of
ordinances and the execution thereof un-
der an authority having in itself no legal
existence, and establish in direct defiance
of the Gov ernment OF The Unitei States.
From all these facts, it is obvious that
If You are permitted to proceed, and es-
rsoff fxrf * L. ell
ed as urged by you in other places, that
for all practical purposes in many impor-
tant particulars, the Territorial govern
ment will be overthrown. The charters
granted by that government for similar
purposes viii be disregarded, and the JUS
tees of the peace and other officers acting
under their authority, win be brought
necessarily in conflict and collision with
the so-called officers claiming to act under
q different authority. The Territory will
thus be involved in inextricable confusion
and litigation; the value of your property
be greatly deprecated; your titles, trans
fers, and transactions will be subjected to
disputes, and all will suffer from this in
surection, except the lawyers who have
stimulated this movement A govern
ment founded on insurrection and usurpa-
ton will be substituted for that establish
cd BY the authority of Congress, and civil
war will be renewed throughout our lin
its. II your authority to act in this man.
ner for the city of Lawrence is permitted.
similar authority must be acknowledged
in every other town, city tr county, result
IN inevitable and most disastrous conflict:
aud if successful, the Territorial govern
ment be oyerthrown in detail, as Is your
present purpose.
aYou were distinctly informed in my in
sugural address of May last, that the val
idity 6f the Territorial laws was acknow-
lodged by the government Of the United
States, and that they must and would be
carried into execution under my oath of
Office and the instructions of the President
of the United States. The same inftrma-
ton was repeated in various addresses
made hy me throughout the Territory. At