Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-04-15


ganic law and next they had the posi-
tive pledges of the men who had authority tc
give those pledges And yet, Judas-like, they
were betrayed by kiss Governor Walker,
in his letter to General Cass, of December Is
1857, says
In truth, had choose between that arrestng in
recton at whatever cost of American blood by the fed
era army, or to prevent the terrible catastrophe as
did, by my pledges to the people of the exerton OF all
power to obtain fair election and the submission OF the
Constitution to the vote of the people for ratification or
jection," "Sot drop of blood has been shed
by the federal troops in Kansas during my Admnisra
ton But insurrectiOn and civil war extending, fear
throughout the country, alone prevented by the
course pursued by those and the whole
people, abandoning revolutionary violence induced
by me to for the first time into general and peace
| full election"
Here, Mr.. Chairman, were these rebels
these men whom the President arraigns before
the country as opposed to all law aud order
and all forms of civil government who, when
your civil officer proclaimed to them that they
shall have fair chance to vote, and that they
would not be cheated out of their rights by
! fraud and violence, as they had before in the
whole history of Kansas, said that they asked
nothing fairer than that and they went to
the polls holding your executive officer to the
his word which, had he been permitted by
IIit lcSiutuL W hctp, tHcIe HOuIu nave bccH
now no disturbance in Kansas.
The government told them that they would
have the privilege of going to the polls and
voting for or against the constitution yet that
right was denied them and you insist now
on consummating the wrong.
These men whom the President has ar
raigned as traitors and rebels, and therefore
not to have the rights of freemen, were quiet
ed by the simple declaration that they should
have justice. All opposition eases then and
hey follow the course marked out by Gov.
Walker to pacify Kansas You could have
'pacifed Kansas in five minutes at any time
within the last four years, by securing to her
people a balot-box free from fraud and yio-
leuce. 1t was all they asked, | will read
you from the dispatches that came to the
President to show that he falsifes the truth
of history when he charges these men with re-
bellion and treason They have done what
American freemen, true to the blood that runs
in their veins, and true to the great heritage
which they received from their ancestors,
should do They would never submit to q
usurpation of their political rights. They be-
lieve in the motto of Thomas Jefferson, that
resistance to tyrants is obedience to God"
The President cannot find on record an in
stance of the people Of Kansas ever resisting
the laws of the United States. They simply
refused to support the territorial organization.
They said, ave will have nothing to do with
it you may 60 on and administer it as you
please we pay no attention to it. but offer no
forcible resistance"
Governor Shannon, in his dispatch to the
President of April | /, 1855. speaks of the To-
peka legislature, says:
"The legislative action OF this body YVES mainly pros
pectre character and looks forward the amis-
sion of Kansas into the Union a State future
legislation before their enactments are to be enforced
law
Governor Geary, in his farewell to the peo-
pie of Kansas, bears the following testimony
as to the character of his people:
The great body of the actual citizens conserva
tive law abiding and peaceoyng men, disposed rather
sacrifices for coucia.on and consequent peace
than insist for their entire rights should the general
| good thereby be caused to suffer"
What, was the character of the government
in Kansas that the President says would have
been long since overturned, if he had not main
tanned it with the army of the United States
Gov Geary, in his despatch to Mr.. Marcy,
September 9, 1856, Executive Documents,
third session thirty-fourth Congress, volume |,
part l, page 49, says:
al find that have not simply to contend against bands
Of armed rufans and brigands whose sole aim and end
h assassination and robbery infatuated adherents and
advocates conflicting political sentiments and local in
stituons and evil disposed persons tuated ire
obtain elevated positions but worst of all against the
influence of men who have been placed authority, and
have employed all the destructive agents around them
to promote their personal interests at the sacrifice of
every just honorable, and lawful consideration. have
barely time to give you brief statement OF facts find
them The town of leavenworth is in the hands of
armed who having been enrolled as militia, perpetrate
outrages of the most arocous character under haOur Of
authority from the ferTitr1d government Within few
DAYS these have robbed and driven from their houses
unofending citizens have fred upon and killed others
in their dwellings, and stolen horses and property
under the pretence of employing them in the public
vice. They have seized persons who had committed no
oense and after stripping them of all their vauables,
placed them steamers and sent them out OF the Ter
tory"
The roads filled with armed robbers and murders for
mere plunder, are OF daily occurrence Almost every
farmhouse deserted and traveller has the termert
to venture upon the highway without an escort"
Same document, page y, Lieutenant McIn-
tosh, of the first cavalry, writes Woodsen,
acting governor at the time, that
1T is notorious fact that of the band who orig
inay came this Terrtury with Colonel Buord have
committed gross outrages, and say with certainty
that there are still small parties OF his in the
Territory acting in the most lawless manner"
" Great complaints constantly made to
me of the stoppage of wagons and the road and
in great many Instances robberes nave been commit
ted"
These men are some of the peaceable emf
grants that went from the Sonth, each present
ed by Clergyman of the Palmetto State with a
bible instead of Sharpe's rife.
Same document, page LOG, Governor Geary,
in despatch to Mr.. Marcy, September Is,
1856, says:
"The whole country was evidently infested with armed
bands of marauders who set all law at defiance and
yelled from place to place, assang villages sackng and
burning houses destroying crops malreatag and
children driving off and stealing cattle and horses and
numbering harmless men in their dwellings and on
the public highways" Whilst
engaged in making preparation for the foregoing exped
ton several messengers reached from Lawrence