The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-07-22

acknowledge proceeded create such government
Lawrence and urging other localities TO pursue
similar Your evident purpose is thus 20 involve
the whole Territory in Instruction and to the
scenes OF bOodshed and civil Upon you, then must
rest all the guilt and responsibility Of this contemplated
revolution You will be justly ehargeable in law and in
conscience with all the blood that may be shed in this
contest and upon you must fall the punishment You
have elected your officers under this charter and instruct
ed them 10 upon the immediate discharge of their
duties including the adoption Of ordinances and the
cuton thereof under authority having in itself le
gal existence and established in direct defiance Of the
government of the United States.
From all these facts il is obvious you permitted
TO proceed and especially If your example should be fol-
lowed urged by you in other places that for all pac
cal purposes in many important particulars the territorial
government viii be overthrow. The charters granted
by that government for similar purposes will be disrc
garded and the justices of the peace and other officers
acting under their authority, will be brought necessarily
into conflict and collision with the so-called officers claim
ing to act under different authority The Territory will
thus be involved in inextrcable confusion and litigation
the value OF your property be greatly deprecated your
titles transfers, transactions, and contracts will be sub
eced TO endless and costly disputes and all will suffer
from this Instruction except the lawyers who have slim
uated this movement government founded on in
surrecon and usurpation will be substituted for that
tablished by the authority of Congress- and civil will
be renewed throughout limits If your authority to
in this for the city of Lawrence is permitted
similar authority be acknowledged in every other
town. city county; result in inevitable and dsas
trous conflict and If successful the territorial govern
ment be overthrow i'm detail is present purpose
You were distinctly informed in my inaugural address
of May last that the validity of the territorial laws
acknowledged by the government of the United States,
and that they must and would be carried into execution
under my oath of office and the instructions of the Pes
dent OF the United States. The information
peaed in various addresses made by throughout the
Territory At the time, every assurance given
YOU that the right of the people % this Territory under
the forms prescribed by the of your country
to establish their State government and frame their
social institutions, would be acknowledged and pro-
tected Ii laws have been enacted by the territorial
legislature which dsapproved of by majority of the
people of the Territory the mode in which they could
elect new territorial legislature and repeal those laws
also designated If there any grievances of which
you have any just right to complain the lawful peace
full manner in which you could Them in subor
dinaton to the government of your country also
pointed out.
You have however, chosen to disregard the laws Of
Congress and Of the territorial created by it,
and whilst protesting to acknowledge State government
rejected by Congress- and which can therefore,
list only by successful rebellion and exacng from all
your officers the perlous and saclegous oath support
the socaled State constitution yet you have in
defiance of the socaed State Legislature which refused to
grant You charter proceeded to create local govern
ment OF your own, based only upon instruction and
olution The very oath which you require from all your
officers TO support your socalled Topeka State constit
ton is violated in the very of putting in operation
charter rejected even by them.
rebellion so iniqutous, and necessarily involving such
awful consequences has before dsgaced any age
onuountry.
Permit me to call your attention. as still claiming to be
citizens of the United States the results of your reyo
onary proceedings You nauguratng rebellion and
revolution you disregarding the laws Congress
and of the territorial government and defying their
thority you conspirng to overthrow the government
of the United States in this Territory. Your purpose if
carried into effect in the mode designated by you by put
ting your laws forcbly into execution would involve You
in the guilt and crime of treason You stand now fell
owcitizens upon the brink of awful precipce and
becomes my duty to you you take the fatal leap
into the gulf below If your proceedings arrest
ed you will necessarily destroy the peace of this Territory
and involve it in all the horrors of civil you,
them before is too late ecede from the peous po-
sition in which you stand,
appeal once more to your reason and patriotism
ask you in the of our common country in the
OF the constitution and OF the Union, to desis from this
rebellion. appeal more to your love of country
to regard for its peace prosperity and reputation
to affection for your wives and children and to all
those patriotic motives which ought influence Aneri
citizens, to abandon this contemplated revolution If
you have wrongs redress them through the peaceful in
strumentay of the ballotbox in the mode prescribed
by the laws of your country
AS all arguments heretofore often addressed by
you have failed yet produce any effect upon YOU
have deemed it necessary for your safety and that
OF the Territory, and to you from the perous
quences of your acts under the authority vested in
me by the President of the United States to order adj
euate force of the troops of the United States your
immediate ycinage to perform the painful duty of
resting your revolutionary proceedings Let implore
you not 10 conpe me 10 appeal TO that military power
which required in the last resort to protect the govern
ment of your country You cannot carry your rebelons
purposes into effect without coming unavoidable and
open conflict with the troops and of the Uni
ted States.
Let me adure you, then, more, to abandon these
proceedings before you involve yourselves in the crime
of treason and subject the people of the city of Lawrence
to all the horrors and calamiies of instruction and civil
If you will desist from this projected revolu
tion the past will be forgotten far practicable but
you persist in passing these laws and carrying them
into execution, thus defyng and superscdng the govern
men Of your country the deporable consequences
be upon your heads and those of your associates 1t will
be my purpose, you still persist, to spare all bloodshed
far practicable, and subject the leaders and project
of this revolutionary movement TO the punishment
prescribed by the law / will accompany the troops TO
Lawrence with view to prevent if possible any conflict
and in the sincere hope that the revolutionary
contemplated by you, and nearly accomplished,
will, ere it is too late, be abandoned by you.
If you be influenced by no other motives the evil
dent fact that the power of the government is adequate
to prevent the accomplishment of your purpose should
induce you to desist from these proceedings.
That the overriding Providence who holds in his
hands the destiny of beloved country mny in
cline your hearts to peace and influence you abandon
this fatal enterprise is the sincere wish of your fellow
citizen. r. J. WALKER,
Governor of Kansas Territory.