The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1857-07-11

The meeting ioas not of the ''citizens ol
Kansas as your proceedings will show, il
you will produce them. 1t was meeting
composed mainly Of citizens of Missouri;
and few of the citizens of Kansas. Your
own body, whom am now addressing,
contains two undoubted residents of Mis-
sour, one of whom is your chairman, who
resides with his family in the town of Lib
erty, Mo-, as he has done for years, and
whose only attempt at a residence in Kan
sas consists of a card nailed to a tree, e,upon
ground long since occupied by other set
tiers, who have built and live upon the
claim. The president of your meeting
was Maj. John Dougherty, a resident and
large landholder in Clay county, Missouri,
as he has stated to me since the meeting,
and will not hesitate to state again, as he
is high-minded and honorable man,
above all concealment or disguise. The
gentlemen principally composing your
meeting came from across the river,
thronging the road from the ferry to the
town, ON horseback and in wagons, in
numbers variously estimated by different
persons at from 200 to 300; and after the
meeting was over, they returned to their
homes in the State of Missouri. These
are facts as notorious here as any public
occurrence can be; and every man with
eyes to see and ears to hear, is cognizant
of them.
They were the subject of much remark,
and the cause of deep dissatisfaction; and
even on the ground, in the meeting, and
in reply to the speech of your chairman,
who was chief spokesman of the occasion,
this invasion of our Territory was loudly
complained of by some of the outnumber-
ed citizens of Kansas, and has frequently
since been made the subject of indignant
complaint to me. Such-is the meeting
from which you derive your authority,
and such the title by which you assume
to interfere in the regulation of our affairs.
Few men, with ali the facts before them,
would be hardy enough to say that the as
sumption is entitled to any respect. The
law guarantees to us the right to manage
our own affairs. 1t is the great, much
discussed feature of our Territorial gov
eminent, and one which our people high
ly prize-under the pledges of which the
inhabitants ofthe Territory have come and
staked their future fortunes on our own
soil.
The pledges of that law must be re-
deemed; and it were poor and pitiless
boon to have escaped from the domina-
ton of Congress, if we are only to pass I'M
der the hands of another set of self-consti-
tuted rulers, foreign to our soil, and shar-
ing none of our burdens, no matter what
may be their virtues, or their worth as
men and citizens at home. Itmay be very
desirable for gentlemen to live among the
comforts of the States, with all the accu-
INFLATED conyeniences and luxuries of an
old home, and make an occasional expe-
dition into our Territory, to arrange our
affairs-instruct our people and public
officers, and control our government; but
it does not suit as, and l much mistake
the people of this Territory if they submit
to it. One thing am certain of, that hav-
ing sworn to perform the duties of the
Office of Governor with fidelity, shall
denounce and resist it in friend or foe, and
without regard to the locality, the party,
! the faction, or the ism from which il
| comes.
Thus much the citizens of Kansas have
right to demand at my hands, and to
fail in it would be the baldest dereliction
of official duty. We believe that we are
| competent to govern ourselves; and as we
must bear the consequences of our own
errors, and reap the fruit of our own de-
cisions, we must decline any gratuitous
/ help in making them.
We shall always be glad to see oul
neighbors across the river as friends and
visitors among us, and will endeavor tC
treat them with kindness and hospitality
We shall be still more pleased, if they
will abandon their present homes and do
our beautiful country with their residence:
to contribute to our wealth and progress
but until they do the latter, we must re.
spectfuily, but determinedly, decline tt
allow them any participation in regulat
ing our affairs.
When that is to be done, we insist tha
they shall stand aside, and permit us tt
do the work ourselves.
This, gentlemen, with due respect tt
you personally, is the only reply l shall
+ give to the suggestions in behalf of YOU
meeting relative to the time and name
of taking our census and holding our cleo
ton. Your obedient servant,
A. III. REEDER.
To Z. Gwinner, d. A. n. Grover, Robt
C. Miller, VIM. F. Dyer, and Alfre,
Jones. Esqrs., CommiHee.
i However willing he might be to serv
the administration, however Indifferent t.
the rights of the negro race, and howeve
favorable to the policy of the slaveholdin
oligarchy, yet he could not violate hi
Office oath, destroy his own self-respect
prostitute his power as Governor, to end
so base, without ceasing to be, in spiri
and in manhood, ANDREW II. REEDER.
The man was superior to the POLITICAL
, -he could neither eringe nor bow.
The slaveholding junto were who'll
unprepared for this refusal. Never be
: fore had President or Governor dared t
thwart their wishes. They saw at
glance, that Reeder had turned a deaf c;
, to their solicitations, she needed not the
adviee-he was too independent to be lie
; too honorable to be bribed, and too in
practicable for tool.
: This unexpected refusal called o,
: curses. both deep and loud The leadin
T pro-slayery paper of Platte county ha
the following
!, allow little have our Southern friend
S -impulsive, hospitable, and rash-ur
e derstood the character of the Governor G
: Kansas Many have often said, He wi
G favor the South; his sympathies are wit
: the South; but, coming from free Stat
: he dare not do it openly Upon wh.
{ reasonable prenlises-upon what rationi
] induction of the Governors acts aud col
a duct-could such absurd hypothesis |
5 pre6icated? we viii vet make pros,
: lyte of him, said they. Such proselyt
as they would make of the sllrewd, calc,
e lating, and fsr-sighted Governor would b
fl-...s ~ 4 Al u L