Atter tiring of the amusement of watching the Big Ten getting toyed with by Divisionb 1-AA and small Division 1 teams, I complete the following article, which appeared in the Charleston Daily Courier, 30 May 1856, p. 2, c. 4, 5:
"Governor Shannon replied to the committee [from Lawrence] in the following terms:
EXECUTIVE OFFICE, LECOMPTON
Kansas Territory, May 12, 1856
Gentlemen: -- YOur note of the 11th is received, and in reply I have to state that there is no force around or approaching Lawrence, except the legally constituted posse of the United States Marshal and Sheriff of Douglas county, each of whom, I am informed, have a number of writs in their hands for execution against persons now in Lawrence. I shall in no way interfere with either of these officers in the discharge of their official duties. If the citizens of Lawrence submit themselves to the territorial laws, and aid and assist the Marshal and Sheriff in the execution of process in their hands, they or all such will entitle themselves to the protection of the law. Butr so long as they keep up a military or armed organziation to resist the territorial alws, and the officers charged with their execution, I shall not interfere to save them from the legitimate consequences of their illegal acts.
I have the honor to be, yours, with great respect,
WILSON SHANNON
All hope of succor from the constituted atuhorities bieng thus cut off, and believing that an attack on Lawrence would be made immediatley, messages were sent to all parts of the Territory for recruits. The position of the Free State men on the 12th, as stated in the letter quoted above, was this:
"We shall permit the marshal to enter our town to make arrests, but not with a hostile army. We shall permit a small posse only to attend him, while we will have our men at hand in the most available point.
"Col. Topliff has been appointed first in command. He is lately from Rhode Island, and is the most expert drill master we have ever had. We shall send a despatch [sic] to the President, also to Congress, by this or the next mail, asking their immediate interposition."
(Extracts from the Correspondence of the Misouri Democrat:)
LEAVENWORTH, K. T., May 16. -- I left Lawrence yesterday afternoon, on foot, and arrived in this city at midnight. The road rusn through the Indian reservations, the most fertile, beautiful, well-watered and heavily timbered sections of the Territory; but a journey on foot by this route at this season of the year is far from agreeable.
Mr. Slocum, the first free State mayor of this city, has just arrived from Lecompton, with a letter from Governor Shannon to Col. Sumner. The nature of its contents is unknown. He was in the camp near Lecompton yesterday, and says that there are from 800 to 1,200 men there. If Col. Sumner's troops are ordered out there will be no difficulty at Lawrence.
The rabid men at Lecompton hate the soldiery. They recently discovered to their astonishment that a large majority of them sympathize with the people of Lawrence. They say that the troops cannot be relied on.
I slept in a house near the banks of the Missouri, and returned ot this city about ten o'clock. I met Mr. John Hutchinson, who left Lawrence on Thursday mnorning and arrived here last night. He was sent by the citizens of Lawrence with a note to Col. Sumner, commander of the troops at Fort Leavenworth, requesting him, if he could not assist the citizens in defending their town, to at least station a body of troops in the vicinity to prevent the mob which threatens it from proceeding to sanguinary extremities. He declined it. The majority of the investigating committee aslo called on Col. Sumner for the same purpose this morning. He replied he wished he could do something, but he had no power without orders. Mr. Hutchinson says a meeting of the citizens of Lawrence was held on Wednesday morning to see if any peaceable measures could be taken to prevent the mob which threatens them from coming into the town.
On Tuesday evening Mr. Cox, a pro-slavery citizens of Lawrence, at the request of Mr. Hutchinson, went up to Lecompton for the purpose of ascertainign from the Marshal, J. B. Donaldson, if any thing could be done peaceably to prevent the mosnter posse form entering the city. Mr. Cox staid with Mr. Donaldson all night, and returned to Lawrence on Wednesday morning. He said that he had asked Mr. Donaldson if he would be able to control those men if they entered the town. Mr. Donaldson replied, "I don't know that I can." He then asked the Marshal if anything could be done on the part of the people of Lawrence to rpevent them form coming in with so large a force. Mr. Donaldson replied that three demands must be complied with before he could consent not to enter Lawrence with all his forces. These dmands are, first, that every man against who a process is issued shoudl be surrendered; second, that all the munitions of war in Lawrence should be delivered up; third, that the citizens of Lawrence should pledge themselves implicitily to obey the present enactments of Kansas, test-oaths, taxes and all. Upon receiving this reply, the citizens held a public meeting and drew up a letter to the Marshal.
Mr. Cox returned to Mr. Donaldson with this letter and came back at night. He said the Marshal would reply in the morning. This letter was sent on Wednesday forenoon to Mr. Donaldson, and on Thursday morning Messrs. W. T. Roberts, O. W. Babcock, and Josiah Miller went up to Lecompton to obtain the Marshal's answer.
Mr. Hutchinson left Lawrence with a note to Col. Sumner at the time the committee left for Lecompton."
N. B. Although this appeared in a Charlesotn, S.C. paper, it is almost written from a New England slant.