Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-07-22
PROCLAMATION.

PROCLAMATION.
To TIA rLorLE LAW RENE
Ieavenworth, July Is, 1851
! have learned that considerable mum
Der of the citizens Of Lawrence, in this Ter
ritory, have adopted a. they claim 10y q
popular vote. "A charter for their local
government. A copy Of that charter mas
been placed in nv hands: upon comparing
which with that granted by the Territorial
Legislature. last winter, find that they
differ Intentionally in many essential partic
ulars. The new charter, then, is set up, not
only without any authority Of law, lu, in
direct and open defiance of an act of the
Territorial Legislature on the same subject,
On this point Your committee. whose
views have been adopted by you, make the
following statement
81 nder ordinary circumstances the more
regular method OF proceeding would be to
obtain charter from the Territorial au-
thoriiies. As the Territorial government,
however. in no sense represents the people
of Kansas, was no, elected by them, and can
have n" right to Icgislate for them, we can
not accept n charter at its hands And, rs
the State government has not, ms yet dee
med il advisable Ia proceed to the organi
zation OF local and municipal governments,
We cannot obtain "a charter from it, There
is therefore left MS only the alternative Of
charter springing directly from the people.
or u continuance in our present uuorganized
condition.
Under these circumstances, You have
seen fiji to instruct us to present charter
having discussed its provisions in II preiml
nary assemhlage, and now propose TO sub
nit it 10 II full vote OF the people for appro-
! val or rejection"
| II will lee perceived that the authority of
the Territorial Government is here distinct
| " denied, and whilst that of the called
| State Government is acknowledged it is
conceded that no charter has been granted
by them. Indeed. i, is fact that. although
this so called state Government has, in il
self no legal existence or authority yet You
asked and failed t. receive a charter from
them
Under these circumstances. YOU have pro-
ceeded TO establish IA gov ernm, mt for the
city Of Lawrence, in direct defiance Of the
Territorial government and denying its ex
istcnce or authority You have granted to
this city government the authority to elect
a Mayor and Board of Aldermen, City As
SCISSOR, Treasurer Justice of the Peace. City
Marshal, &c. You have granted to the
Mayor and Aldermen most extensive pow
ers. including the right to levy and coll Ct
taxes upon real anii personal property with
in the limits Of the city, whether belonging
to residents or non-residents. and all the
other powers usually incident to IL city gov
ernment
You have imposed upon all these officers
So
81 called State Constitution, thus distinctly
superseding, 80 far rs in your power. the
Territorial Government created by the Con
gress Of the United States. You have eau
sed these proceedings 10 be printed in hand
bill form, and have distributed them, as
am informed, throughout the Territory,
with the view to lncite the other cities,
towns and counties Of Kansas to establish
insurrectionary governments. thereby pla-
cling the people OF this Territory. so far as
in your power, in open conflict with the
Government of the United States
The more considerable portion of your
party having induced your Topeka Lcgisla-
ture TO enact the laws urged NY you, crsa-
ting municipal governments, you have even
in defiance of their authority, which you
profess to acknowledge. proceeded to create
such gov eminent for Lawrence. and are
now urging other localities to pursue sim
liar course. Your evident purpose is thus
TO involve the whole Territory in insurrec
ton, and to renew the scenes of bloodshed
and civil war. Upon you, then, must rest
all the gnilt and responsibility of this con-
templatcd revolution. You will be Justly
chargeable in law and in conscience with
al the blood that may be shed in this con-
| test, and upon You must fall the punish
ment
You have elected your officers under the
charter, and instructed them to enter upon
| the immediate discharge Of their duties, in
Guiding the adoption of ordinances and the
execution thereof, under an authority hav-
ing itself no legal existence, and established
| in direct defiance Of the Government Of the
United States
| From all these facts, it is obvious if you
are permitted to proceed, and especially il
your example should be followed as urged
by you, in other places, that for all practic
al purposes in many important particulars
the Territorial government will be over
thrown. The charters granted by that
government for similar purposes will b<
disregarded, and the justices Of the peace
and other officers acting under their author
ity, will be brought necessarily into con
flict and collision with the so-called officer,
claiming to act under different authority.
The Territory will thus be involved il
memorable confusion and litigation; the val
Ne Of your property be greatly deprecated
your titles, transfers, transactions and con
tracts will he subjected to endless and cost
" disputes and allwill suffer from this insur
rection except the lawyers who have stimu
lated this movement. A government foun
ded on instruction and usurpation will b,
substituted for that established by the au
thority of Congress. and civil war will be
renewed throughout our limits Ii your
authority to act in this manner for the city
Of Lawrence is permitted, similar authOri-
ty must be acknowledged in every other
town, city, or county, result in inevitable
and most disastrous conflict; and II success
full. the Territorial government be over
throw in detail, as ist present purpose.
You were distinctly informed in my in.
angural address Of May last that the valid
ity Of the territorial laws vas acknowledg.
ed BY the government Of the U. 8, and that
they must and would be carried into exc
cntion urder my oath Of Office and the in
structions Ofthe President Of the U. States.
The sane information was repeated in vari-
oas addresses made by me throughout the
Territory. At the same time, every assur
ance Was given you that the rights Of the
people VI this Territory, under the act to CO.
tabhsh their own State government and
ftame their own iorms prescribed by the
government Of your country, social institu2