The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1864-01-23


to the Constitution. No citizen can object
to this course. Il heartily Wish,'' says one
of the great conservative statesmen Of Great
Brittian, when speaking on a kindred theme,
''that the deliberate sense of the kingdom
should be known on this subject. When it
/ is kn0sg1, it must be prevalent Il would
be dreadful, indeed, If there were any pow
/ er IN the NStion capable of resisting its
unanimous desire, or even the desire of any
great and decided majority of the people"
+ Their viii must be your Law and mine,
| the Law of the State. The Constitution, as
1 it now stands, does not recognize the coll
ored race, and il is for you to submit to the
people whether they desire TO have them re-
cognized or not. am for their freedom
everywhere, and for comforting upon them
/ the rights of freeneR.
/ The Legislature has rendered important
service to the State through its memorials
I to Congress. When pressing, in this way.
| the Just claims Of the State, and seconded
as il has been, aud viii be, by our able Con-
gressienal delegation, it will seldom fail.
Trusting that you viii not falter in this
/ good work, I shall proceed to mention sub
/ jeet-matters on which you should memoir
+ alize Congress at your present session.
referred. N my first message, TO the sui
! ferers of 1855, so and 81, and urged upon
| you the importance OF memorializing Con-
gress to relieve them. l earnestly repeat
what then so fully recommended.
In 1861 number of Kansas regiments
were put into the field by the State In do
/ ing this debt was incurred of SI2,35
Congress, during that year. passed an act
/ TO reimburse the several States that had
raised troops, and advanced means for this
object authorized Gen. G. W. Collamore
to adjust this claim with the Federal Gov
eminent, inasmuch as the debt had been in
CURED during his term of Office as Quarter
master General of the State. For this pur-
| pose he withdrew the vouchers from the
! auditors Office OF the United States and
/ the State. These papers he bad at his
| house when the raid was made upon Law
/ renee, he killed, his house burned, and these
papers destroyed. The vouchers being
/ thus lost, the Third Auditor at Washington,
who has this matter under control, could
not act upon the claim, nor will he be able
to do so until an enabling act has been pass.
ed by Congress.
I have elsewhere spoken at length of the
condition of the border. 1t has been, un-
/ til very lately, continually threatened by the
rebel foe, and subjected 10 lawless raids by
rowing bands of guerrillas. 1t became ne
cessaTy to meet these dangers and as the
| Federal Government had Withdrawn the
main tady of the Kansas volunteers into
distant fields of duty. the State had to do
it. A heavy expense was thereby incurred
/ an expense that will not fall far short Of
$50, 600 That the Federal Government
will reimburse the State, have no doubt.
/ Congress has already passed an act repaying
I the State of Missouri for monies she ad
yauced in organizing and sustaining her
+ home guards. The claim of Kansas is still
I stronger; for the militia of the State has
not only rendered important aid to the Fed
eral Government, but was accepted by the
/ General commanding the department, put
under the command of Federal officers. and
retained only while the Federal authorities
/ thought their services necessary.
The discussion of the subject of the Ter
ritorial warrants has been SO frequent and
general that every one is familiar with it.
! Under an act of February Goth, 1868, the
I Territorial Indebtedness was authorized to
+ be assumed and bonded by the State. This
/ has been partially done. That Indebtedness
arose from the neglect of the Federal Gov
eminent, under former administrations, or,
more properly speaking, of its officers in the
/ Territory. The last Legislature memorial
/ lied Congress upon this subject; and the
bill failed in that body for want of lime to
act upon it. You viii realize theimportance
of prompt action when I inform you there
/ is charged against the State direct tax of
| nearly S72, 600, which ii has ample means
/ to liquidate when the Federal Government
shall have settled its just claims.
/ Last year, as you are aware, fearful raids
were made along our southern border, and
! into the interior of the State. Shawnee
town, Gardner, Black Jack and Lawrence,
! land previously Humboldt and Olathe, J
were sacked or destroyed besides, large
number of farmers lost their all through
them. Distress and terror prevailed. Few
considered themselves safe in the exposed
parts of the State, and the pursuit of reg
ular business day by day, and the enjoy
ment of needed sleep by night were an i'm
possibility.
1 visited Lawrence the day after its cal
amity. The scene beggared description.
No pencil could paint, 10 Imagination con-
ceiYe the sadness and desolation of that
day. Before me lay the smoking ruins of
young and thriving city, aud outstretched
liz the few remaining houses, spared by ac-
cident, we're the cold and lfeless bodies of
the murdered dead. Among them were the
remains Of one ofyour body, young Thorpe,
so gifted, so noble, and so beloved by all
who knew him. Yet, as I gazad upon this
dark and fearful reality, turned instinc-
lively towards the living. No tears dimmed
their eyes. Their greif was too deep for
utterance. They stood calm, resolute. fear
less. and amid the loss of life and wreck Of
property, as if animated by The subiimest
courage. said 1--WE whi curry cur dead