The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-11-21
The People Moving.

renee, on Wednesday evening last. in ac-
cordance with a previous notice. for the
purpose ofconsulting as to the action of
the people of Kansas in the present ext
gency, E. B. Whitman was chosen chair
man, and Norman Allen Secretary.
The President said, on taking the chair.
that in the days of the old Roman Re-
public, when that arch-conspirator Catalina
had almost consummated the union of the
peoples rights, the Senate, by solemn
resolution, declared the immortal Cicero
dictator of the Republic. This was done
because they held him as the wisest and
best of the Romans. Vein our days are
in peril; the liberties of our country are in
danger from usurpers and traitors as in
famous as Catalina. We may not have
Cicero in our midst, but we have man
who, through all our struggle, has IN
sweryingly looked forward to the end
Who, BY his undoubted devotion and
courage, has won our confidence. and by
his foresight has proved his right to our
esteem. We have had lately, in one in
stance at least, an illustration of his fore
sight five had done what then was
proposed a few weeks since, it is now
conceded by those who opposed it, that it
would have been for the benefit of Kan
sas and have made peace in our midst
Citizens of Lawrence, you all know this
man, true and tried as have described
him, and without further remarks allow
me to introduce Gen. James Henry Lane,
who will address you.
General Lane commenced by pressing
the importance of unanimity at the pres
ent crisis of our affairs. We have now in
the archives of the Territorial Govern
ment the proof that we have in Kansas,
eighteen thousand Free State men," stern
and true and ''leSs than two thousand
all told, outside that organization. This
Insignificant minority have usurped the
function of framing a State Constitution
for Kansas; have beer aided and abetted
in their work of treason by the guns of the
United States seldiery, and are now en-
deavoring, by fraud unparalleled in the
history of the world for audacity and
villainy, to foist government under that
Constitution upon the people of this Terri
tory. Now, as heretofore. the people of
Kansas are anxious for peace, but if Con-
gress receives this bantling, conceived
in iniquity and born in fraud, no other re-
sort will be left us for the preservation of
our rights and the maintenance of our lib
critics, but an appeal TO arms.
Devoted to the Union, and attached to
the government of our common country,
such an alternative will be dreadful in
deed, but manhood, the dearest privilege
of Americans, the memory of our own
sufferings and struggles for three years
past, and the glorious history left us by
our ancestors-the fathers of the Repub-
lie, require ms to meet the danger like
men, and to repel the traiterous attempt
like patriots. You have appealed to the
Territorial authorities to call special ses-
sion of the Territorial Legislature, so that
by its action barrier might be raised
against this infamy; should they fail in
acceding to this, your just request, you
will then be compelled, by stern sense
of duty, to fall back upon the peoples
organization, and put the Free State gov
eminent into operation. You will have
to do this vigorously and determinedly,
prepared to support it, and abide the con-
sequences of your acts, let them be what
they may. In the meantime it will be
well, as peace-loving, God-fearing men.
to call upon these arch-conspirators to
cease from their hellish practices-their
traitorouS designs.
He closed by exhorting them to resist
all attempts 10 distract and disorganize
their councils-to stand firm as the men
of Kansas have ever done, prepared to
defend their freedom to the death, and
appealing to just God for aid and counsel
in this their hour of great peril.
Gov. Robinson next responded to the
call of the meeting in clear, able and
matter-of-fact speech. He presented the
condition of affairs as they exist, and
marked out clearly the course he would |
be in favor of pursuing, and the action he
would like to see taken by the Free State
Delegate Convention which is to assem-
BILE at Lawrence On the I'd of December. |
Before he completed his remarks reso-
luton was offered for the appointment of |
a committee of five to report resolutions
expressive of the sense of the meeting.
VIM. a. Phillips, Dr. S. B. Prentiss,
VIM. Hutchinson, Gen. ]. Fl. Lane, and |
DIR. Newman, were appointed as such |
committee, which, after consultation, pre- |
sented the following report, which was |
received, and after being discussed by |
Messrs. Robinson, Lane, Taylor, L. Allen,
Parsons, Elliott, Jos. Speer, Mallory, and
Others, and adopted seriatin,, were adopted /
as whole without dissenting voice. /
WHEREAS, A body of men, claiming to I
act az a Constitutional Convention. have
presumed to frame State Constitution for
Kansas, without submitting the same to
a vote of the people;
And, c5ereas, They were elected by a
small minority of the people of this Ter
ritory, and represent interests that were
defeated by an overwhelming
vote in the recent October election.
And, whereas, They have framed a
partizan Constitution, obnoxious to the
people, and have originated vile swindle
of pretended submission, to deceive
4 ~ !