The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-12-15

one; when he let me go out, and then he left
| himself.
"Some six or eight days Afterwards, the guns
were returned to the arsenal. They were left,
| was told, at Colonel Aliens place, some three
| quarters of mile from the arsenal. In the
mean time, had reported the facts to Colonel
Sumner, and he had sent down company of
dragons. The men sent to me to know if /
would receive the arms and told them | was
not in command, and referred them to Captain
Beall, and he told them to bring them along |;
and they did SO, and they were received.
| Among the property taken was some artillery
harness; | cannot recollect how many sets.
There were some deficiencies in the number of
rifles, swords, and pistols, and some harness, re-
turned but l cannot state the precise particu-
lars. These deficiencies have never been made
up by the citizens of Missouri but have been
instructed by Colonel Craig. the head of the
Ordnance Department at Washington, to pur-
chase sufficient of such articles as l could OBJ
tain in the neighborhood to make up the de-
fciency, and we did so /; but the swords, pistols,
and rifles, we have not been able to make up
l do not know how much has been expended in
making up this deficiency.
Immediately after this robbery, reported
the circumstances to Colonel Craig at Wash
ington, specifying the number and amount of
each of the different articles taken. In the
course of the winter, he sent me orders to ship
the public property to Fort Leavenworth and
st. Louis arsenal, giving me a schedule of the
amount to be taken to each place; which did
as soon as navigation ened.n-House Report,
No. 200, Thirty fourth Congress, first session,
pages lI30-'3l.
1t seems that the arsenal at Liberty was bro
ken up, and what remained of the arms were
shipped to other military posts. Now, sir, there
is very striking similarity between the break
| ing into that arsenal and the attack upon the
one at Harper's Ferry. The question of Sla-
vary had to do with both. The arsenal in
Missouri was broken into for the purpose of
obtaining arms to force Slavery upon Kansas !;
the arsenal at Harpers Ferry was taken pos
session of for the purpose of expelling Slavery
| from the State of Virginia-both unjustifable,
and it seems to me both proper subjects to be
| inquired into. Perhaps the latter would never
have occurred, if inquiry had been made, and
the proper steps had been taken when the cry
| came up from Kansas of these outrages and
| when citizens of Kansas were murdered by the
very arms taken from this arsenal, or at any
| rate by persons in the same army with them.
| Then the complaints that were made were
treated as the shrieks of bleeding Kansas, !"
and they could not be heard. l trust they may
| get better hearing now. Now, sir, when the
the country are opened, ] trust those from
Kansas may get hearing also. l am prepared
to hear both and / hope that the inveshga-
ton in regard to Harper's Ferry may be impair
tial, thorough, and complete, and let whoever is
implicated in the unlawful transactions there
| be held responsible and so, too in regard to
the seizure of the arsenal in the State of Mis-
souri,. l offer the following amendment:
"After the word invaded in the fourth
clause of the resolution, insert:
"And that said committee inquire also into
the facts attending the invasion, seizure, and
robbery, in December, 1855, of the arsenal of
the United States at Liberty, in the State of
Missouri, by mob or body of armed men, and
report whether such seizure and robbery was
attended by resistance to the authorities OF the
United States, and followed by an invasion of
the Territory of Kansas, and the plumber and
murder of any of its inhabitants, or of any cit
zen of the United States, by the persons who
thus seized the arms and ammunition of the
Government or others combined with these :;
whether said seizure and robbery of the arsenal
were made under color of any organization in
tended to subvert the Government of any of the
States or Territories of the Union; what was the
character and extent of such organization, and
whether any citizens of the United States, not
present, were implicated therein, or accessory
thereto, by contributions of money, arms, am
muntion, or otherwise what was the charac-
ter and extent of the military equipments in
the hands or under the control of said mob,
and how and when and where the same were
subsequently used by said mob; what was the
value of the arms and ammunition Of every
description so taken from the said arsenal by
the mob; whether the same or any part there
of had been returned and the value of such
as were lost; whether Captain Luther Leon
ard, the United States officer in command of
the arsenal at the time, communicated the facts
in relation to its seizure and robbery to his su-
perior officer, and what measures, if any, were
taken in reference thereto"
Mr.. MASON thought the amendment pro
posed by the Senator from Illinois calculated to
embarrass the original resolution. He also
deprecated the tone of ridicule with which Mr..
Trumbull spoke of the "shreks from Vir-
ginia."
Mr.. TRUMBULL explained, that those who
demonstrated against the outrages in Kansas
were termed Kansas shriekers'
Mr.. HALE spoke at some length, and express
ed wish that the investigation might be even
more thorough than was proposed by the Sena.
tor from Virginia. He reminded the Senate
that the Southern statesmen, and among them
Mr.. Calhoun, formerly boosted that they want
ed no Congressional legislation for Slavery in
any shape. They simply wished to be let alone.
But of late their policy has been entirely
changed. They now call on the Federal Gov
eminent for the protection of Slavery in the
States and Territories. Mr.. Hale made
statement similar to that quoted from Mr.. Will
son, in regard to the state of,public feeling in
the free States, in reference to the invasion of
| Virginia.
Mr.. DAVIS, of Mississippi made some tenn
perate and conciliatory remarks upon the sub
ject, and expressed his qualification at the
statements of Northern gentlemen In regard to
the condition of Northern sentiment.
Mr.. GREEN, of Missouri, undertook defence
! OF the Border Ruffian invasions of Kansas, and
justified the seizure of arms belonging to the
Government at Liberty, Missouri
Mr.. CRITTENDEN thought that both sub
Jects of inquiry were proper, but suggested that
they be referred to separate committees
Mr.. WILSON. l shall vote, Mr.. President
very cheerfully, for the proposition made by the
| Senator from Virginia and | shall also vote
| for the amendment proposed by the Senator
from Illinois, but would not do so if it was
intended in any manner to obstruct any investi
CATION under the original proposition / am
willing that this resolution shall be adopted,
that committee shall be appointed, and that
a searching investigation shall be made /: and
whoever may be implicated in any way with
the movement at Harper's Ferry, am willing
that that person shall be held responsible be.
| fore the country.
Now, sir, the Senator from Virginia r Mr..
| Hunter has alluded to the public sentiment of
! the country. | believe l utter but the senti-
ment Of all Senators around me from the free
! States, when say, that when the intelligence of
this movement was first received, it was regard
| ed by the public press and by the people as a
lokrr be Of 4kax vrrlyv~a al