Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/749

 

 Judge Lecompte's charge to Grand Jury — Presentments. — Official correspondence. — Attack on Lawrence. — Free State bands organized — attack pro-slavery settlements. — Fights at Palmyra, Franklin, and Ossawattamie. — Murders. — Shannon removed. — Atchison's army retreat, — Geary appointed governor. — Deplorable condition of the territory. — Letter to Secretary Marcy. — Inaugural address and proclamations. — Atchison's call upon the South. — Woodson's proclamation. — Armed bands enter the territory. — Lawrence doomed to destruction. — Gov. Geary's decisive measures. — Army dispersed and Lawrence saved. — Hickory Point — capture of Free State company. — Dispatch to Secretary Marcy. — Murder of Buffum. — Geary and Lecompte in collision. — Official documents. — The Judiciary. — Rumors of Lane's army. — Redpath's company captured — released by governor. — Capture of Fldridge's company. — Official correspondence. — Assembling of Topeka legislature — Members arrested. — Territorial Legislative Assembly convened. — Inaugural — Vetoes of the governor. — The "Census Bill" — its provisions for forming State Constitution. — Constitution not to be submitted to the people. — Gov. Geary's proposition rejected. — He vetoes the bill — Bill passed. — Disturbances in the capital. — Geary's requisition for U. S. troops refused. — His application for money refused. — Difficulties of his situation — he resigns — his farewell address. — Robert J. Walker appointed his successor. — Secretary Stanton. — Fraudulent apportionment. — Walker's Inaugural — his recommendation to have Constitution submitted to the people. — This measure denounced at the South. — Convention assembles September, 1857. — Adjourns to October 26th, 1857.

the legislation of congress at the session of 1856-7 on the affairs of Kansas produced no definite results, the details are omitted, and other sources than congressional documents sought for information relative to events in the territory. We will now take a look at the internal affairs of Kansas, in order to see how "the people" behave when they are "left entirely free to settle their iuternal affairs in their own way." The report of the congressional committee, given in the previous chapter, furnishes a history of events down to the summer of 1856. On the 5th of May of that year, Judge Lecompte, the judicial head of the territory, delivered a charge to the grand jury of Douglas county, from which we make an extract:

"This territory was organized by an act of congress, and so far its authority is from the United States. It has a legislature elected in pursuance of that organic act. This legislature, being an instrument of congress, by which it governs the territory, has passed laws; these laws, therefore, are of United States authority and making, and all that resist these laws, resist the power and authority of the United States, and are, therefore, guilty of high treason. Now, gentlemen, if you find that any persons have resisted these laws, then must you, under your oaths, find bills against such persons for high treason. If you find that no such resistance has been made, but that combinations have been formed for the purpose of resisting them, and individuals of influence and notoriety have been aiding and abetting in such combinations, then must you still find bills for constructive treason, as the courts have decided that to constitute treason the blow need not be struck, but only the intention be made evident."

The grand jury accordingly made a presentment, as follows:

"The grand jury, sitting for the adjourned term of the first district court