The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-01-28
A. Leaf From che Pass.

r. Leaf From che Past.
/ THE Baltimore american, Of the 10Th, i'll the
following calm article, details the circumstan-
ces of the dispersion of the Free State Legisa-
ture in Kansas in 1856, by the military, under
orders from President Pierce, and not Buchan-
an, as tho American states. Mr.. Buchanan
was not elected until November 1856, and on
ly qualified as President in March 1867. JET
ferson Davis was Secretary of War at the time
the orders were given to Col. Sumner to dis
perse the Topeka Legislature
CONVENIENT FoRGETFULNEss. THE speak
i ers who have undcrtaden:to give expression to
the public indignation at the military interior
ence with the proceedings of the Louisiana Leg
islature have differed widely in their views as
to the course that ought to- have been pursued
by the President but they have all agreed up
on one point-namely, that the action of Gen.
Emory was unprecedented" Inasnuch as
most of the gentlemen who have publicly pass
\ ed Judgment upon Gen. Emory's conduct, and
have declared his action to have been without
precedent" are Democrats, who onght to be
familiar with the history Of the administrations
/ of Presidents Pierce and Buchanan, their fail
ure to remember that United States troops were
used to dispense the Territorial Legislature OF
Kansas is the more remarkable. There were
'sn(Rignatiol" meetings held then in various
parts of the country. but we do not remember
that any Of them were adtlres sed by the gentle
men who have now rushed to the attack with
such ardor.
We disapproved of the action Of President
Buchanan in sending regiment of United
States cavalry to Kansas for the purpose OF put
! ting down the government which had been set
| up bya large majority OF the citizens Of the Ter
ritory, and we can therefore claim to be entire
~ consistent when we express our disapproyal
I,f ,taNe of fEor ;tor xyst tho
ganization of State Legislatures anl State Gov
ernments. But there are gentlemen whose in
dignation at Gen. Emory S action has been ter
4 rihly hot5 who made no protest when Col. Sum-
.mer did precisely the same thing in Kansas, al
though there was far less excuse in that case.
|7and the wrong done WAS infinitely greater. It
might be we'll for orators who profess to lay
aside all partizanship and to speak for tho pa
triotic people of both political parties to refresh
their recollection before denouncing the act of
a military officer as unprecedented" Law
yers may conveniently forget the presidents
which tell against their own side of a case, but
+ the people who want to know nothing but the
truth are apt to to recall them at the very time
4 that their existence is most yehemently de-
MED.
we need not recite the melancholy history of
Kansas during its territorial existence, nor give
in detail the events that led to the calling OF the
| ssTopeka Convention,' the framing OF q free
nd the election of a Legislature to carry the
same into effect The Legislature met at To-
peka on the Sd Of July, 1856. President Buch-
anan issued proclamation warning all persons
against participating in the Topeka movement,
and commanding the Legis allure to disperse.-
i Col. Sumner. the commander OF the United
States troops, had in the meantime been i'll
structed to hold himself subject to the orders OF
1t. Governor Wootlson, who represented the
small fragment of what was called in those days
s'the border-rtlffian government" that had not
/ yet returned to Missouri. At that time it SEEM
ed to be admitted on all sides that when Uni
7 ted States troops were sent to quell an ''insur-
rection,' in a state that they were to be used
under the Objection OF the acting Governor. In
this case there was really only the fiction OF
State authority, for although I: sort OF quasi
State government had been set up at Lecompton,
Congress hadpersstently refused to admit Kan
sas into the Union. But even with this slender
title to authority, 1t. Gov Woodson was recoy-
nized as the civil officer whose orders Col. Sum-
ner was bound to obey.
On the 4tI Of July, 1856, Col. Sumner APP
peared in front OF the house in Topeka, in which
the Legislature meta the head OF two hundred
United States dragons. When he entered the
hall Of the House of Representatives, the follow
ing colloquy occurred:
/ GelatJen1ela-I am here to perform the most pain
full duty of my whole life. Under the authori
ty of the Presidents proclamation | am here to
disparse this Legislature, and, therefor, inform
you that you cannot meet, therefore, order
you to disperse. God knows that [ have no
party feeling in this matter,and will hold none
solong us occupy nay present posltionlin Kali
sas.
Judge Schuyler, MEMBER asked care we
to understand that the Legislature are driven
out at the point of the bayonet?''
81 shall use all the force iii my command to
carry out my orders, was the reply.
Col. Sumner then proceeded to the Senate
i Chamber and gave the same order, which was
quickley obeyed. We cite this incident from
| tie history OF Kansas. not for the purpose of
showing tiiaS President Buchanan was right in
calling the Topeka Legislature an insurrection-
airy body. or that Lieutenant Governor Wood
sou was right in ordering the United States
| troops to diSpersc it, or that Col Sumner was
right in obeying this order, or that the whole
| transaction ought to be regarded us u safe pre-
cedcnt; all we contend is that the orators who
talk about military Interference with a State
Legislature as something unheard Of in the
history of the country ought to read the first
volume of Mr. Greeley's great work entitled
forgotten entirely too much for gentleman who
profess to be able to instruct their less learned
| countrymen i'll the duties of citizenship.
| We trust that before many weeks have passed
| a speedy solution for these Louisiana difficult
ties will be found, which will remit the govern
menC OF Lne state TO Officers ItIly CHOSEN ny Il
majority of the voters of the whole people, and
that whatever Of patriotism, of virtue. OF intel
Egence, and OF respect for law and order there
may be in New Orleans and in the country par
ishes will be fully represented in the new adj
minstration. When peace has been restored
and the rights of ak the citizens are respected,
we shall not be under the necessity OF hunting
up presidents either to justify OF condemn
military interference"
Presidents Message OF Louisiana.
The message of President Grant OH Louisi-
r., tx,n lsxrt ot,yro