Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-07-25
WALKERS PROCLAMATION.
HIS DECLARATION OF WAR WITH
LAWRENCE.

os tho naners IL onlv to satisfy the South who have
been denouncine walkers leniency to the Free
State men and especially to carry the August cleo
lions in the Slave States for the Buchanan party
This may have its weight. Buchanan and Walker,
like Pierce, Geary and Shannon have said, "the bo-
gus laws must and shall be executed" If this is
to be, it is as the Shareholders think, high time it
vas commenced, and the Government wisely select
cd tho Federal troops as its Instruments. The dis
patches say, the people of Lawrence will resist the
Government by force and arms. We shall see.
Governor Walker in his proclamation set forth
the treason of the people Of Lawrence as consist
ing in their refusal to derive their city charter from
the bogus legislature, and organizing under the
Topeka Constitution. The Governor sets forth
their offences and their consequences as follows
We copy from his proclamation issued before
marching to Lawrence, as reported by telegraph
He says;
AYou have proceeded to establish q government
for the city of Lawrence, in direct defiance of the
Territorial government, and denying its exist
ence or authority.
"You have granted to the Mayor and Aldermen
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 nonresidents, and oil 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 distinctly superseding, so lar as
in your power, the Territorial Government created
by the Congress of the United States. You have
caused these proceedings to he printed in handful
form, and have distributed them, as | am informed,
throughout the Territory, with the view to inclte
the other cities, towns, and counties OF Kansas 10
establish discretionary governments. thereby
placing the people of this Territory, so far as IN
in onan pppHIptw with the tOvGrnment
of the United States.
Your evident purpose is thus to involve the
whole Territory in instruction, and to renew The
scenes of bloodshed and civil war. Upon you then
must rest all the guilt and responsibility OF TINS
contemplated revolution. You Will 90 Justly
chargeablc in law and conscience with all the blood
that may be shed in this contest, and upon you
must fall the punishment.
A government founded on instruction ana
usurpation will be substituted for that estapilsneu
by the authority Of Congress, and civil war VIII De
renewed throughout our limits. 1t your authority
to act in this manner for the city OF Lawrence IL
permitted, a similar authority must be acknowledg-
ed in every other town city or county and result In
inevitable and most disastrous conflict; and IT sue
c%essful, the Territorial government be oVerthrown
in detail, as is your present purpose.
You have chosen 70 disregard the laws of Con-
gress and Of the Territorial government created by
il. and while protesting to acknowledge a State gov
eminent rejected by Congres,,an which can there,
fore not exist only by q successful rebellion, and
~exacting from all officers the pcrilous and sacrllegi-
Gus oath to support the so called state CONSTITUTIONS:
vet you have even in defiance of the so-called Leg
%islature which refused to grant you q charter, pro-
ceeded to create u local government of your own,
based only upon :nsurrection and revolution. The
very oath which you require from all your officers
to support your so-called Topeka State Constitution,
is violated in the very act OF putting In operation
q charter rejected even by them.
I'LL. - ,.-:tn, and ppppeSarllyl III vnIy-
ing such awful consequences, has never before
d~isgraced any age or country.
Permit me to call your attention as still claiming
to be citizens of tho United States to the results oil
your revolutionary proceedings. You are inaugu-
rating rebellion and revolution you are disregard-
ing the laws of Congress and ofthe Territorial Gov-
eminent, and defying their authority, you are con-
spring to overthrow the Government OF the Unit
ed States in this Territory.
Your purpose, if carried into effect in the mode
designated by you, putting your laws forcioiy INTO
execution. would involve you in the guilt ana
crime of treason. You stand now, fellow citizehs,
upon the brink of an awful p%recipice, ana 1t he,
comes my duty to warn you eo you take the fatai
leap into the gulf below, If your proceedings are
not arrested you will necessarily destroy the peace
of this Territory, and involve 1t In all the horrors
of civil war. warn you, then, before 1t Is too
late, to recede from the perilous position in which
you now stand.
apeal once more to your reason and patriot
ism. l ask YOU in the name of our common coun'
try, in the name of the Constitution, and OF The
Union, to desist from this rebellion. L appeal once
more to your love of country, to your regard for
its peace, prosperity and reputation, to your atfec-
ton for your wives and children, and to all those
patriotic motives which ought to influence Amer
lean citizens, to abandon this contemplated reso-
lution. If you have wrongs, redress them
through the peaceful fundamentally OF the ballot
box, in the mode prescribed by the laws OF your
country.
As all arguments heretofore SO often addressed
by me to you, have failed as yet to produce any
effect upon you, l have deemed 1T necessary Tor
your safety, and that OF the Territory, and to save
YOU from the perilous consequences OF your own
acts, under the authority vested in me by the
President of the United States, to order an ado
auate force of the troops of the United States in
to your immediate vicinage, to perform the pain
full duty Of arresting your revolutionary proceed
ings. Let me implore you not to compel me to
appeal to that military power which is required IN
the last resort, to protect the government OF your
country. You cannot carry your rebelIous pur'
poses into effect without coming into unavoidable
and open conflict with the troops, and government
of the United States.
Let me adiure you then, once more, to abandon
these proceedings before you involve yourselves
in the crime of treason, and subject tho people OF
the city of Lawrence to all the horrors and calam-
tiles Of insurection and civil war.
If you will now desist from the projected res
olntion, the past will DO forgotten as far as practl,
cable, but if you presist in passing these laws and
carrying them into execution. thus detying and
superceding the government of your country, the
deplorabls consequences must be upon your heads
and those of your associates. 1t will be my pur'
pose, if you still persist, to spare all bloodshed as
far as practicable and subject the leaders and pro-
sectors of this revolutionary movement to the pun
ishment prescribed by the law. ! will accompany
the troops to Lawrence with a view to prevent, il
possible, any conflict, and in the sincere hope thai
the revolutionary movement contemplated by. you
and now so nearly accomplished, will, ere it is toe
late, be abandoned by you.
If you can be influenced by no other motives, thu
evident fact that the power of the government il
adequate to prevent the accomplishment of YOU
nnrnosa shnnld indnca unu To dasist from thesi