w, 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 discovery of the assailant, the attack upon the
sheriff was made the signal for drastic procedure against the town of
Lawrence. A grand jury found indictments for treason against Reeder,
Robinson, and other leading citizens of the town. The United States
marshal gave notice that he expected resistance in making arrests
and called upon all law-abiding citizens of the Territory to aid in
executing the law. It was a welcome summons to the pro-slavery forces.
Not only local militia companies responded but also Buford's company
and various companies from Missouri, in all more than seven hundred men,
with two cannon. It had always been the set purpose of the free-state
men not to resist federal authority by force, unless as a last resort,
and they had no intention of opposing the marshal in making arrests. He
performed his duty without hindrance and then placed the armed troops
under the command of Sheriff Jones, who proceeded first to destroy the
printing-press of the town of Lawrence. Then, against the protest of the
marshal and Colonel Buford, the vindictive sheriff trained his guns upon
the new hotel which was the pride of the city; the ruin of the building
was made complete by fire, while a drunken mob pillaged the town.

On May 22, 1856, the day following the attack upon Lawrence, Charles
Sumner was struck down in the United States Senate on account of a
speech made in defense of the rights of Kansas settlers. The two events,
which were reported at the same time in the daily press, furnished
the key-note to the presidential campaign of that year, for nomi