218 
KANSAS. 
had reference to, in promising claims to his men ? While such 
men as these were making Lecompton their head*quarters, and 
Major Clark was drilling his fifty men,'Judge Lecompte delivered 
his extraordinary charge to the grand jury. As a legal curiosity 
it deserves preservation, and will be regarded with interest by all 
who have fallen under the jurisdiction of a judge as much more 
infamous than Judge Jeffries as his consummate ignorance renders 
him more despicable. A portion of it reads thus: 
“ This territory was organized by an act of Congress, and so fai 
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 person has resisted these 
laws, then you must, under your oaths, find bills against them for 
high treason. If you find that no such resistance has been made, 
but that combinations have been formed for the purpose of resist¬ 
ing them, and individuals of influence and notoriety have been 
aiding and abetting in such combinations, then must you find 
bills for constructive treason.” To make the matter so plain that 
even the dullest of his hearers may not fail to comprehend his 
meaning, he states that some who are “ dubbed governor, lieuten¬ 
ant governor, etc., are such individuals of influence and notoriety.” 
Before this famous charge of Judge Lecompte, on the 8th of 
May, as Gov. Reeder had returned from Tecumseh, and was con¬ 
ducting the examination of a witness before the committee at 
Lawrence, Deputy Marshal Fain appeared in court, and served a 
writ of attachment upon Governor Reeder. He arose and informed 
the committee of the fact, and gave the three following reasons 
for his not obeying the subpoena of the day before; namely, infor¬ 
mality in the writ, insecurity of person at Lecompton, and privi¬ 
lege as a member of Congress. The writ was not properly ad¬ 
dressed to any officer; it did not specify the day in which it 
required him to appear; it was not properly attested. He stated 
