The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1863-03-21
EITHER ORDER OR ANARCHY.

EITHER ORDER OR ANARCHY.
The time has arrived when the people of
Kansas must decide whether they will live
as law-abiding people, with their rights
and duties exactly ascertained and plainly
defined. or whether they prefer that their
persons and property shall be at the mercy
of mobs, thieves, and cut-throats.
We see by the Southern Kansas Herald
that Henry Seaman, claiming to be a Cap
tain in the Fifth Kansas, broke open the
Jail at Paola recently and released one priso-
ner charged with murder, and two others
charged with different crimes. The late
Leavenworth papers contain an account of
some unknown person riding up to Mr..
Stevenson, asking him if that was his name,
and upon receiving a reply in the affrma-
tive commenced shooting at him, inficting
such serious wounds that the unfortunate
man will probably die. Not an exchange
do we take up but contains an account OF
some outrage committed on person or prop
erty, and frequently several acts of atrocity
are mentioned in the same paper. These
things mast cease, or all good citizens will
be compelled to wage a war of determination
on the thieves and assassins, no matter who
they are, or by whom protected ; and, if
necessary, mete out the same even-handed
justice to their protectors, no matter how
high in position.
To-day, it is the breaking open Jail in
Miami county in defiance of the civil au
thorities and the law and liberating the pris-
oners therein confined. Yesterday, it was a
'red-leg" shooting at a man in the broad
light of day in the streets of Lawrence.
The day before, it was some soi-disant Cap
tain setting the laws at defiance in Leaven-
worth county. Tomorrow, it will be some
other of the outrages on person and prop
erty, which have become familiar as house
hold words. Again, secret bands are form
ed under the guise of patriotism and devo-
ton to the cause of our imperiled county,
but in reality for the purpose of thieving
and rlunderiug, making it necessary for the
General commanding this District 10 issue a
proclamation denouncing them in the Sc
verest terms and threatening the EXTREMIST
penalties? How long will such state OF
things be permitted to exist. We tell the
perpetrators of these atrocities that there
mill be stop put to them. The patience Of
peaceable, >order-loving, lawabiding citi-
zens is wearing thin. The point is nearly
al to h. xy,r
tue. Let the scoundrels beware of the vi
ais Of wrath.
Let it not be supposed that we counsel
retaliatory measures not sanctioned by law
Far from it. But we do call on the Govern.
or OF the State to see that the laws are main.
tanned, and the persons and property of cit.
liens protected, even though it be necessary
to call out every man within the boundaries
of the State liable to do military duty to ait
in doing it.
1t can not be possible that those who de
fsnd these violations of law perceive the in
evitable tendency of such course. 1t Car
only result in anarchy pure and simple. They
surely forget that the lawlessness which
they to-day invoke against their neighbors
may tomorrow be invoked by their neigh
bors against them.
Perhaps iayhawking, thieving, lynching
and laWlessness generally, are some of "Ou
things" and "work well - but then again
perhaps they are not. We never will be
lieve that any portion of the cOmmunit
save the inevitable scum of border civil
cation aud that class of desperadOes which
great civil commolions like the present al
ways throw to the surface, will sanction sucl
acts of lawless violence as those of whicl
we speak.
We therefore call on all good citizens, o.
all those who desire a government of law
and not of men, to unite in assisting the le
gaIy-cOnstituted authorities in maintaining
the laws and protecting the persons an
property of citizens.