Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

doing. He pleaded guilty of the two charges but showed that he had obtained permission of the master to instruct the negro and that the second was in accordance with the custom of the country to take servants in the carriage. Being unable to find any grounds to convict him of misdemeanors and succeeding only in rendering themselves ridiculous before a crowded house of both ladies and gentimen, they acquitted him.

But this Association did not stop with trying abolitionists, and driving men from the country because of their opinions. It sought, also, to control the business of the country by requiring all classes of trade to patronize only those who were favorable to slavery, by prescribing for the merchants to make their purchase in slave holding cities. But the tyrrany of this organizid mob soon became insufferable, and there was a sudden, spontaneous and general uprising of the outraged community against it. A public meeting of the people of Weston was called at which the following preamble and resolutions were adopted, and one hundred and seventy-four citizens of that town affixed their signatures to them:

"Whereas, Our rights and privileges as citizens of Weston, Platte County, Missouri, have been disregarded, infringed upon and greviously violated within the last few weeks by certain members of the Platte County Self-Defensive Associ- . ation; And, whereas, the domestic quiet of our families, the sacred honor of our sons and daughters, the safety of our property, the security of our livings and persons, the good name our fathers left us, the good name of us all, and the city of our adoption, are each and all disrespected and and vilely aspersed, and contemptuously threatened with mob violence; wherefore it is imperatively demanded that we in mass meeting assembled, on this the 1st day of September, 1854, do make prompt, honorable, effective and immediate defense of our rights and privileges as citizens of this glorious Union; Therefore,

"Resolved, 1. That we whose names are hereunto affixed are order loving and law abiding citizens.

"2. That we are Union men; we love the South much, but we love the Union better; our motto is, "The Union first, Union second, and Union forever."

"3. That we disapprove Bayliss' resolution as containing nullification, disunion and disorganizing sentiments.

"4. That we as consumers invite and solicit our merchants to purchase their goods wherever it is most advantageous to the buyer and to the consumer.

"5. That we hold every man as entitled to equal respect and confidence until his conduct proves him unworthy of the

same.

"6. That we understand the Douglas bill as giving all the citizens of this Confederacy equal rights and equal immunities in the Territories in Kansas and Nebraska.

"7. That we believe in the dignity of labor. It does not necessarily detract from the moral or intellectual character of

man.

"8. That we are competent to judge who shall be expelled from our community and who shall make laws for our corpo

ration.

"9. That mere suspicion is not a ground of guilt. Mob law can only be tolerated when all other laws fail, and then only on proof of guilt.

"10. And, lastly that certain members, the leaders of the Platte County Self-Defensive Association, have proclaimed and advocated and attempted to force measures upon us contrary to the foregoing principles, which measures we do solemnly disavow and disapprove and utterly disclaim as being diametrically opposed to common and constitutional law, and as having greatly disturbed and well nigh destroyed the order, the peace and the harmony of our community; and as being too well calculated to injure us in our property and character at home and abroad, we will thus ever disavow and disclaim."

The power and reign of the Self-Defensives in Weston were now at an end. "Three times did they order the inoffensive blacks to leave the city and county, and when at the third command an armed band of outlaws were coming to drive them out, the citizens armed themselves with loaded rifles to meet them, and the assailants forebore to enter the town." They removed their headquarters from place to place at the

remonstrance of the citizens, and were by October almost entirely superseded by the "Blue Lodges" in their operations.* Scarcely had the little colonists spread their tents upon the grassy sward at Lawrence before the Missourians sought to drive them from their resting place. They came in wagons. with "music," flags and whisky, to the number of about one hundred and encamped on the north side of the ravine running through the west part of what is now the city of Lawrence. They grounded their action upon the alleged fact that a certain tent stood on a claim which belonged to their number, and demanded its removal, and threatened in case it was not removed they would remove it themselves. To which the reply was given: "If you molest our property you do it at your peril." The pro-slavery men then informed the emigrants that they might have until morning to remove the tent peaceably, and retired to drink, shoot and carouse at their encampment.

All night the colonists kept out a guard to prevent a surprise from the Missourians. Morning came, and the invaders increased by fifty fresh arrivals. They sent over the demand: "The tent must be taken down and all their effects gathered together preparatory to leave by two o'clock," and "that the abolitionists must leave the Territory never to return to it." The free state men mustered about sixty persons and drilled them before the tent with arms. At ten o'clock the solemn assurance was sent, "They could have another half hour to remove that tent and get ready to leave," after which, if they did not comply, every one of them would be "put to the bowie knife." "That was in earnest." The half hour sped quickly by, and another messenger appears with the communication that they dreaded the effusion of blood and hoped to avoid it, and for this reason another hour would

The author gathers the material for an account of this organization chiefly from the letter of Rev, F. Starr. in the New York Tribune, November 5, 1854, and from "Three Years on the Border," by an Episcopal clergyman. They were both reliable men, eye witnesses to the scenes, and wrote their accounts at the time the events transpired,

be given for the tent's removal. The hour elapsed, the Border Ruffians mustered their forces, but no attack was made. They got into a dispute and wrangle among themselves whether to attempt to remove the tent or not-some warmly favoring it, others timidly opposing it. Thus they continued to parade and debate until near sundown, when they broke up their encampment and left with the warning to the colonists that they would return within a week with a thousand men and "wipe them out."

So ended the first invasion of Lawrence, bloodless and harmless, prevoking only laughter from those assailed.

1

CHAPTER XII.

INAUGURATION OF GOVERNMENT.

For the first four months after the opening of Kansas for settlement there was no general government over the Territory; but squatters in various localities would get together and adopt rules and regulations to which all would subscribe. By these rules all questions pertaining to claims were settled, and a record of them kept. Peace and harmony prevailed among the settlers, and there was no difficulty, only when some wandering Missourians would seek to disturb free state men in the possession of their claims. People were intent in the construction of their new homes, and the question of slavery attracted little attention. Presses began to be introduced of a stamp that would have done honor to an older country. Prosperity and good will existed among all classes. But the mischief-makers in Missouri were busy at their work, soon, indeed, to disturb the growth and harmony of the rising State.

The following officers were appointed by the President to organize and administer government in Kansas: Andrew H. Reeder, of Pennsylvania, Governor; Daniel Woodson, of Virginia, Secretary; Samuel D. Lecompte, of Maryland, Chief Justice; Sanders W. Johnson, of Ohio, and Rush Elmore, of Alabama, Associate Justices; J. B. Donaldson, of Illinois,

« ZurückWeiter »