the anti-slavery crusade-第26章

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ribing　in　lurid　colors　the　outrage　which　had　been　perpetrated　upon　the　people　of　Kansas　by　the　〃border　ruffians〃　from　Missouri；　and　asserting　that　the　accounts　in　the　Northern　press　had　not　been　exaggerated。　While　Governor　Reeder　in　contact　with　the　actual　events　in　Kansas　was　becoming　an　active　Free…Boiler；　President　Pierce　in　association　with　Jefferson　Davis　and　others　of　his　party　was　developing　active　sympathies　with　the　people　of　western　Missouri。　To　the　President　this　invasion　of　territory　west　of　the　slave　State　by　Northern　men　aided　by　Northern　corporations　seemed　a　violation　of　the　Kansas…Nebraska　Act；　and　he　sought　to　induce　Reeder　to　resign。　This；　however；　the　Governor　positively　refused　to　do　unless　the　President　would　formally　approve　his　conduct　in　Kansasan　endorsement　which　required　more　fortitude　than　President　Pierce　possessed。　On　his　return　to　Kansas；　determined　to　do　what　he　could　to　protect　the　Kansas　people　from　injustice；　he　called　the　Legislature　to　meet　at　Pawnee；　a　point　far　removed　from　the　Missouri　border。　Immediately　upon　their　organization　at　that　place　the　members　of　the　Legislature　adjourned　to　meet　at　Shawnee；　near　the　border　of　Missouri。　The　Governor；　who　decided　that　this　action　was　illegal；　then　refused　to　recognize　the　Assembly　at　the　new　place。　A　deadlock　thus　ensued　which　was　broken　on　the　15th　of　August　by　the　removal　of　Governor　Reeder　and　the　appointment　of　Wilson　Shannon　of　Ohio　in　his　place。　In　the　meantime　the　territorial　Legislature　had　adjourned；　having　〃enacted〃　an　elaborate　proslavery　code　made　up　from　the　slave　code　of　Missouri　with　a　number　of　special　adaptations。　For　example；　it　was　made　a　penitentiary　offense　to　deny　by　speaking　or　writing；　or　by　printing；　or　by　introducing　any　printed　matter；　the　right　of　persons　to　hold　slaves　in　the　Territory；　no　man　was　eligible　to　jury　service　who　was　conscientiously　opposed　to　holding　slaves；　and　lawyers　were　bound　by　oath　to　support　the　territorial　statutes。　The　free…state　men；　with　the　approval　of　Reeder；　refused　to　recognize　the　Legislature　and　inaugurated　a　movement　in　the　fall　of　1855　to　adopt　a　constitution　and　to　organize　a　provisional　territorial　Government　preparatory　to　admission　as　a　State；　following　in　this　respect　the　procedure　in　California　and　Michigan。　A　convention　met　in　Topeka　in　October；　1855；　and　completed　on　the　11th　of　November　the　draft　of　a　constitution　which　prohibited　slavery。　On　the　15th　of　December　the　constitution　was　approved　by　a　practically　unanimous　vote；　only　free…state　men　taking　part　in　the　election。　A　month　later　a　Legislature　was　elected　and　at　the　same　time　Charles　Robinson　was　elected　Governor　of　the　new　commonwealth。　In　the　previous　October；　Reeder　had　been　chosen　Free…soil　delegate　to　Congress。　The　Topeka　freestate　Legislature　met　on　the　4th　of　March；　1856；　and　after　petitioning　Congress　to　admit　Kansas　under　the　Topeka　constitution；　adjourned　until　the　4th　of　July　pending　the　action　of　Congress。　Thus　at　the　end　of　two　years　two　distinct　Governments　had　come　into　existence　within　the　Territory　of　Kansas。　It　speaks　volumes　for　the　self…control　and　moderation　of　the　two　parties　that　no　hostile　encounter　had　occurred　between　the　contestants。　When　the　armed　Missourians　came　in　March；　1855；　the　unarmed　settlers　offered　no　resistance。　Afterward；　however；　they　supplied　themselves　with　Sharp's　rifles　and　organized　a　militia。　With　the　advent　of　Governor　Shannon　in　September；　1855；　the　proslavery　position　was　much　strengthened。　In　November；　in　a　quarrel　over　a　land　claim；　a　free…state　settler　by　the　name　of　Dow　was　killed。　The　murderer　escaped；　but　a　friend　of　the　victim　was　accused　of　uttering　threats　against　a　friend　of　the　murderer。　For　this　offense　a　posse　led　by　Sheriff　Jones；　a　Missourian；　seized　him；　and　would　have　carried　him　away　if　fourteen　freestate　men　had　not　〃persuaded〃　the　Sheriff　to　surrender　his　prisoner。　This　interference　was　accepted　by　the　Missourians　as　a　signal　for　battle。　The　rescuers　must　be　arrested　and　punished。　A　large　force　of　infuriated　Missourians　and　pro…slavery　settlers　assembled　for　a　raid　upon　the　town　of　Lawrence。　In　the　meantime　the　Lawrence　militia　planned　and　executed　a　systematic　defense　of　the　town。　When　the　two　armies　came　within　speaking　distance；　a　parley　ensued　in　which　the　Governor　took　a　leading　part　in　settling　the　affair　without　a　hostile　shot。　This　is　known　in　Kansas　history　as　the　〃Wakarusa　War。〃　The　progress　of　affairs　in　Kansas　was　followed　with　intense　interest　in　all　parts　of　the　country。　North　and　South　vied　with　each　other　in　the　encouragement　of　emigration　to　Kansas。　Colonel　Buford　of　Alabama　sold　a　large　number　of　slaves　and　devoted　the　proceeds　to　meeting　the　expense　of　conducting　a　troop　of　three　hundred　men　to　Kansas　in　the　winter　of　1856。　They　went　armed　with　〃the　sword　of　the　spirit；〃　and　all　provided　with　Bibles　supplied　by　the　leading　churches。　Arrived　in　the　territory；　they　were　duly　furnished　with　more　worldly　weapons　and　were　drilled　for　action。　About　the　same　time　a　parallel　incident　is　said　to　have　occurred　in　New　Haven；　Connecticut。　A　deacon　in　one　of　the　churches　had　enlisted　a　company　of　seventy　bound　for　Kansas。　A　meeting　was　held　in　the　church　to　raise　money　to　defray　expenses。　The　leader　of　the　company　declared　that　they　also　needed　rifles　for　self…defense。　Forthwith　Professor　Silliman；　of　the　University；　subscribed　one　Sharp's　rifle；　and　others　followed　with　like　pledges。　Finally　Henry　Ward　Beecher；　who　was　the　speaker　of　the　occasion；　rose　and　promised　that；　if　twenty…five　rifles　were　pledged　on　the　spot；　Plymouth　Church　in　Brooklyn　would　be　responsible　for　the　remaining　twenty…five　that　were　needed。　He　had　already　said　in　a　previous　address　that　for　the　slaveholders　of　Kansas；　Sharp's　rifles　were　a　greater　moral　agency　than　the　Bible。　This　led　to　the　designation　of　the　weapons　as　〃Beecher's　Bibles。〃　Such　was　the　spirit　which　prevailed　in　the　two　sections　of　the　country。　President　Pierce　had　now　become　intensely　hostile　towards　the　free…state　inhabitants　of　Kansas。　Having　recognized　the　Legislature　elected　on　March　30；　1855；　as　the　legitimate　Government；　he　sent　a　special　message　to　Congress　on　January　24；　1856；　in　which　he　characterized　as　revolutionary　the　movement　of　the　free…state　men　to　organize　a　separate　Government　in　Kansas。　》From　the　President's　point　of　view；　the　emissaries　of　the　New　England　Emigrant　Aid　Association　were　unlawful　invaders。　In　this　position　he　not　only　had　the　support　of　the　South；　but　was　powerfully　seconded　by　Stephen　A。　Douglas　and　other　Northern　Democrats。　The　attitude　of　the　Administration　at　Washington　was　a　source　of　great　encouragement　to　Sheriff　Jones　and　his　associates；　who　were　anxious　to　wreak　their　vengeance　on　the　city　of　Lawrence　for　the　outcome　of　the　Wakarusa　War。　Jones　came　to　Lawrence　apparently　for　the　express　purpose　of　picking　a　quarrel；　for　he　revived　the　old　dispute　about　the　rescuing　party　of　the　previous　fall。　As　a　consequence　one　enraged　opponent　slapped　him　in　the　face；　and　at　last　an　unknown　assassin　entered　the　sheriff's　tent　by　night　and　inflicted　a　revolver　wound　in　his　back。　Though　the　citizens　of　Lawrence　were　greatly　chagrined　at　this　event　and　offered　a　reward　for　the　di