The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-10-13
vol. IX.-NO. 12.
satisfaction she fclt nj the result Of her Fourth
of July adventure In New YoIk.-N Y.
DespG.ci..
Charges a:uins, t.rs. Cuss reiuted- Anecdotes Of
curly

Charges a:uins, t'cn. Cuss related Anecdotes Of
euriy >eitlers
We cali attention 10 the following letter
which sppears in the Washington Union,
from an early settler In the Great West
one who writes hat he knous of Gen .Cass.
ltis eloquent in its simplicity, and irrcsisti-
BILE in its truth. Let the base slahderers Of
Cen. Cass read this statement and blush
If, indeed, all sense Of shame has not depar-
ted from them. The Great West will vim
dicate the character Of their carly governor,
who defended in war, and sustained them
in peace; and who bull, up that great en-
prc from bowling wilderness 10 the haps
py abode Of an intelligent and mighty popu.
lation:
ANN Aaron, Mich, Sept. &c, 1913.
DEAR SIR: see that the wing press has
charged Gov. Cass with having been enga-
Ged in land speculaticns, TO the injury Of
the settlers in the west.
Now, sir, frontier men are going to stand
no such charge. We know it to be false,
and get mp by party whose very aliment is
falSehood.
We remember right well, when we were
battling with the miasma of the West
bearing the burden and heat Of the day
enduring the priva,ions Of frontier life
converting our prairies and woodlands into
cultivated fields adding millions to taxa.
BILE property and wealth Of the nation, aud
making the great western wilderness the
caIth's storehuuse-we were branded by
the epithet of STAND pirates and rObbers'-
/ These words sunk down into our souls
We marked the men, and the party Ia which
they belonged. Look at the Great West
now, the galaxy of the Union, and every
star democratic.
( But 10 the charge that "Gov. Cass has
! injured the early settlers Of the Wei''--
Why, sir, there are men in this town whose
farms were purchased FROM government
with money borrowed from Gov. Cass,
uithOW interest, upon the mere security of
an emigrants word, who had not cent in his
pocket, and was rich only in the affections
Of his " lie and some half dozen Children
And when by sickness or other misfortune
we were hard up-when the funds were
gone from the purse and the pork was gone
from the Garrel--we had only TO state tho
case 10 the Governor, aud our wants were
supplied from his private stores. Many an
emigrani's wagon has been supplied free Of
cost with the substantials of life at the resi-.
dence OF the Governor, while his excellent
lady always took care that the coffee sack,
and medicine chest for the aguc, were full
TO the brim. These things were not more
valuable 10 us than the fact that while We
were pushing into the wilderness toto so
miles from my cabin, We knew that under
any misfortune We had friend in the Gov.
crnor 10 fall back upon.
- a.,
der their own vino aua iG-trce. who came
70 the territory frendless boys, without fame
or fortune, save a will TO do aud hand 10
do il, who were PIT into business, by the
Governor and lacked all the way through
until they were able 10 sustain themselves.
Somcfare legends arc told ofthe commence
mcnt in business of men Tho are now the
leading men of Michigan which would be
'pcy were they net too common here, ard
the actors all living. Instance the Hon. l..
Lyon, surveyor general If Ibis district,
whose name is bnrne hy towns and villages,
and is recorded in both houses Of the gen
ciaI government, rs onc among hundreds
Of instances in hich capital only of"a
quarierof a dollar" with The advice, ,ir,c-
iinn, aud guaranty Of Gov. CaSs, has eleva-
ted lis posscssUr 10 fortune aud honorable
distinction.
These little incidents are small in them.
selves, and are only known to the early
settlers; but they indicate the heart as pure
aS lily, and rs open As a sunf0wer. And
when the time comes Tor voting, you will
see The entire West ranged ia one uubrOkcn
line under the democratic banner. The peo-
pie may make president Of Gov. Cass. or
whatever they like, aud we will help them
10 do il; bu, we shall always call him the
GUV6Tgur. Yours, truly.
JOSEPH BROWN.