Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-07-27
ELECTION, MONDAY
AUGUST Sd.


0OvU60OE " 8ARo6 ana A40DDD,
The affairs Of Kansas seem destined TO be
the coercivs test Of the American capacity
for sslf government. Any people less accus-
TONED than the citizens Of the Northern
States Of THE Union 10 aequissee In the &C.
ton Of legal authority. or Of authority
claiming to b. legal. would have brought
the questions at issue between the Free State
men and the Missourians Of Kansas TO the
asbitrament Of ferocious war At very early
sage Of the "invasion" which convulsed the
nation year ago.
Any people lees accustomed than are the
came citizens 70 converting every interest,
however sacred. and every issue. however
vital. into the material Of party strife and
petty partian intrigue. would have long
since accepted the position In which matters
were LEFT BY the "paci6cation" Of Kansas,
and. making the best Of that position, would
have gone to work to effect practical Or
ganiaAtion Of their affairs.
We have never been able to rec that any
possible result Of permanent good for Kansas
or the nation was to be achieved nv the
attitude Of tho Free State men at Topeka.
IL the crisis Of our national existence ia
really upon us--if the Union Of these States
has been virtually dissolved, and the Gov
eminent to which We send our Representa-
dves. and nom which we receive our execu.
tive fanctonsries. IL no longer . Goversmen,
shen' certainly. We can comprehend the
position Of those who maintain that Il 10 res.
sonable and right for the Free State men Of
Kansas 70 refasc obedience to the Terrific.
nal authorities designated by the Govern.
ment Of the United States, and to persist in
the support of Territorial organization
which b not recognized, and viii not be re.
cogaissd BY the Congress Of the Union. Blu,
Ne do not ercsivs that the Topeka Lseis
lstsrs sssums this position. They seem T.
~ 70 claim the privileges without assuming
the responsibilities Of revolution. And il i,
for this reason. and for this reason only, tina,
We always have opposed. and do still stren
uously oppose. their arguments and their
action.
That we ara right in this opposition is,
- think, sufficiently proved by the actual
state Of affairs At Lawrence.
The inhsbitants Of Lawrence have set up
aGovsrnmsnt within Government They
refuse to recognize the Territorial Govern
nent-and the Topeka Government has not
recognized them. They accordingly yro-
coed 70 recognize themselves, and to consti
tatc FREQ city In the heart Of the Territory
They take up what IL an absolutely auoma-
leus ground They 60 back in the most lit.
ersi manner to fret principles and establish
In Ksusas such . condition Of society a. Of :.
tained In lrael before the days Of the Judges
hthere were no shadow Of Government Ia
Ksnsas--if open civil war ragged in the Ter
ritory. aud the bonds Of the Federal Union
had been loosened-we could understand
the propriety Of this proceeding and see it's
relation TO civil ORDER But the most infat.
uatsd defender Of the people Of Lawrence
must surely find it difficult to dispose fairly
Of the facts set forth by Gov Walker in his
Proclamation, which we publish to-day.
1t 10 impossible that any man Of common
loyalty or common sense, occupying the 20.
sition Of Federal officer in Kansas. should
look quietly on upon such an absolute and
contenptuous disregard Of his authority, and
Of the very existence Of the Government
which he represents. a. il manifested by the
citisens Of lawrence In their municipal or
gss'ation. II peaceful solution Of the
Kansas question is impossible, if it is inevi.
tabls that civil war again break out there, to
spread thence throughout the Union, let
those Who cherish this belief make Il plainly
known. that We may understand what is
before VA But let rs not hear cries Of
'peace" from those whose conviction is that
pescs 10 chimsra, nor proclamations Of re-
gard for Law from those Who believe that
Law In these Unitsd States has become a.
tesaatsly hree and tyranny, hat our
Government il an irrcmediable imposture,
and that nothing can sscurs the quiet or
ganisaticn Of great Territory ofthe Union
but the entire Withdrawal from that Terri
tory II every pretence and appearance Of
Federal authority."-N y Times.
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