The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1859-01-29
Just Remarks.

We clip from the Leavenworth Herald
the following very just article in regard
to Montgomery and his surrender to the
civil authorities. His thrust at the Re-
publican newspapers which have endorsed
Montgomery and Brown, we deem in
place. While reading the article, how
ever, we conld not avoid recalling the in
cidents of two years ago, when the editor
of the Herald was palliatine or CLOSING
over similar outrages on the part of his
own partisan friends.
We are glad to see the editor denounc-
ing vice now, and hope he has learned
lesson from the past, and will continue
to denounce wrong, even in his own
party, when censures are deserved. In
deed, we recall the fact that he did de-
nounce the outrages of Hamilton, Brocket
and Clark in unmeasured terms, and We
know that for the last year and half he
has shown as great desire as any of us
to preserve the peace of the Territory.
But we are keeping the readers too long
from his remarks -
MoNTGoMERY's sURRENDER.-lt will be
seen that this notorious villain has FORE
stalled the action of dilatory justice, and
surrendered sat discretion" We almost
ragret this, as it may possible induce the
opinion that he has really defense,
when in fact it was only his sagacity
which prompted him to course he could
not avoid. The people of the Territory
were fast becoming aroused to the shame
and disgrace which was being accumulat-
ed upon them by permitting this outlaw
to 60 unwhipt of justice, and the time
would have been but short ere he had
been bound hand and foot, and submitted
to the rigor of the outraged laws. The
shrewed plan of making a virtue of ne
cessity has been admirably executed, and
we have this horse-thief and murderer,
now by his own act, where he should
long since have been dragged. The blood
of his victims still fresh upon his hands
the plundered stores still in his posses
sion, he has the reckless audacity to pre-
tend to defend himself against the charge
of committing crimes as notorious as they
are heinous.
1t is a source of bewilderment and
modification to us that any journal pre-
tending to ordinary decency should have
defended his villainies and palliated his
crimes, and yet we see the Republican
newspapers not only excusing but even
justifying acts perpetrated by him, which
would shock the moral sense of South
Sea Islander. And what is the ground
upon which they uphold these highland.
ed and bloody enormities? Simply the
alleged fact that they are retribution:
for similar offences committed by Pro.
Slavery upon Free-State men. Do they
pretend that two wrongs make right
that, living in Christian land, outrage:
should follow outrages, and violence pun.
ish unauthorized acts ? The proposition
is communicating the moral sense
of all men and causing respectable Re.
publicans to hang their heads in the pro.
! foundest shame, that such fanstical here.
sizes should emanate from their party. A
negro may be snatched away from hi
dubious freedom, and the fires of Pande
monium are too cold for the offender; ye
hundreds of families are pilfered anC
robbed-husbands ruthlessly assassinated
and wives violated, and miserable bigot
will howl requiem of triumph over thu
diabolical deeds, and GAUGE men to blush
that mortality should enclose the heart
of friends.