The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-02-21
eoMNqpicafiops.
Letter from DR.. Chapman.
WARSAW, ILL.,, Jan. %, '57

olR.-l received your paper OF the
17th, which contains Gov. Geary's
Message to the Territorial Legislature
of Kansas.
Not being subscriber to your pa
per, nor having any frieads in Kansas.
| do not know of any one to whom /
should acknowledge the homer done
me but to yourself.
The message of Geary requires no
laudation, it carries upon its face its
worth and its merit. To read and
contemplate it as an official document
of partizan of the Pierce admins
tration, is more like the vsgaries of a
dream than the realities of existence.
| cannot say when l had more extacy
of feeling although l knew he had
exercised an autocracy in Kansas, /
was not prepared to anticipate pro-
scription of the very citadel of misrple
and legal persecution. have fire.
quently observed that il required the
characteristics of an Andrew Jackson
or John G. Fremont to govern Kan
sas as a Territory. The chaos and
anarchy of Territorial government
grows out of the uneonstitutionality
and anti-republicanism of such form
of government.
If there are no conflicting elements
in Territory, no effervescence ensues.
In the general there are no other in
tereSts to subserve but their own spec
ulation, which they generally com
mence the first thing after entering the
Territory. The Territorial govern
ment, under the Ordinance of 1857,
was very different contemplated af-
fair from the present hermaphrodite,
hydra monster, pretended to be estab-
lished by law, under the constitution.
Congress can organize Territorial
government with as many governors
and judges as they see proper or believe
is needful for the protection of the
property of the United States, and
there is as little doubt but they can ex-
clude from the Territory just such
property, hog or an or, as they see
proper. But Congress has no power,
under heavens, to associate the eiti-
zens of the Territory to form the gov
ernment, only SO far as United States
services are required from the citizen
in the States. Such amalgamation of
the citizen with the United States Of
ficers is anomalous government, and
anti-republican. It is the germ of
misrule and tyranny.
Whenever the citizen is permitted
to settle in the Territories, he is free to
act in his sovereign capacity. Sup
pose, then, every citizen should refuse
to meet at the first election called By
the Governor, and no one to accept
any office or appointment from him /;
could the United States compel them
to vote or act as justices of thepeace?
never. Then. these U. s. officers could
only protect the property of the U. S.
by U. s. laws. Still the citizens has
the right to assemble and adopt such
rules and regulations for themselves
as they may see proper, according to
the principles of Republicanism and
on their own application he admitted
as a State, as Congress may please or
not.
Kansas,as now organized,is is an erat-
ic star, without any orbit or limit of
government; hence the pathology of
the diagnostics: desperate diseases, des-
perate remedies; and it now requires
man of iron will and unlimited power
to arrest the anarchy and despotism of
an unconstitutional government. You,
citizens of Kansas, may talk what you
please of the despotism of one man,
or fifty; if Gov. Geary can maintain
peace in the Territory, with his stand
ing army, he deserves the credit q
successful general does, that subducs
the savage foe, and gives security and
peace to the mother and infant. But
as to Gov. Gesry procuring repeal
of the Territorial laws, it is a farce, and
may be good sugar.coated pill for
many faint hearted swain.
" As when the hero, in each campaign
Had braFed the Goth, and msAy vandal
slain.
Lay fortune struck, spectacle Of vol
Wept by each friend, forgiven by each foe"
To the ineficieney. duplicity. syeo-
phancy, and want of courage, of the
first executive of Kansas, may be i'm
puted the loss Of life, property, and
peace of Kansas. He could have null
lifted election after election, for an in
definite time, until he was satisfied
the whole elections were Just and equi.
table. The second Governor reposed
upon the bed of corruption, made by
the first, and for the want of talents
and moral courage sunk lower than
ever Lucifer did. Now Geary's stand
ing army may, with the autocratic
power of an Emperor, hold together 3
corrupt fabric for a while. There are
but two antidotes to the present exist
ing evils of Reeder's oFgsnizaticn.-i
One is for Geary to govern by martial
law, and the otheris, for him with his |
United States troops to Just march out
Of the Territory, and let the people
govern themselves. He need not to-
fear, the people win soon repeal the
odious statutes, sooner than he can
with his standing army. I am eppos-
ed to the Governors making sirtEf Of
sham-ocracy. to dupe the guisbles.
] sm not at all surprised at the
dodge of 1t. Gov. Rnbsrts /; I never
had, from the first moment / saw him.
at the Big Springs Convention, con-
6deace in his pesrintism. But of Gov.
Chas. Rohinson's derilsction, ] am. I
had entertained the utmost confidence
Ia his constancy.
Why did Coy. Geary allow the ar
rest sf thoss nembers at Topeks ~