The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-10-19
KANSAS FROM A SOUTHERN POINT OF VIEW

1
we have given several letters from NON.
siaveholding immigrants TO Kansas Let us
see what slaveholding ones have to say. We
copy the following letter from the tri-weeklv
Examiner of Georgia, whose editor speaks .,
the writer as man of high character.
PLATTE Co., Mo, Sept. 9, 1884.
DEAR Bro: In answer to your INQUIRIES rel.
alive to Kansas, Nebraska, and this countrv
tor the sake of convenience win somewhat
transpose your questions, and thus be able To
reply more intelligibly
fou are doubtless advised of the efforts of
the Apohtionists to induce such an emigration
" NOSE opposed to Slavery, as shall exclude it
..om 'ne Ierrtory These Efforts, with the
Ssu em,gra0on from the non-slaveholding
oeases, VIII necessarily throw into the Terrific.
~ large population opposed TO Sla,erv
cnouio they even succeed in becoming the m a.
Jo,ity, am yet fully convinced that Kansas
wiii De slave State-Slapery does noso. erist
mere, IN Jaet. The number Of slaves is daily
increasing. OF those who 90 from this State.
= large number will be either shareholders. or
.near children; and, though they NAV for a
ume leave thor slsyes In Missouri thew will
NOT the less influence their friends and neigh.
DOTS, who may even in their feelings be in.
cnneo against Slavery, to oppose it's exclusion
lCr sneir sake. At present, the portion of the
torrisory open for settlement is mainly in the
possession OF those favorable to Slayery-they
cover the larger portion Of the Territory suita.
gse ior small farms and men of limited means.
Inc parts nnoccupled are prairies remote from
umoer, and unfit for settlement by moor man.
Gould the question be determined at an carly
period, the character of the population. the
superior intelligence, their Familiarity with DO
h1icai canvasses, their position in the Terrific
y, would give those favorable to Slavery a de-
cioed advantage In addition to all which.
snere are two causes which will unless those
favorable to Slavery should foolishIy fear tn
settle In Kansas, and thus Voluntarily give up
the Territory, finally, certainly determine the
condition OF the Territory as slaveholding
State.
rs matter Of law Slavery crisis in The Ter
r'tory-, needs no act of any legislation to es-
.Goiisn IL. 1t requires an act of competent au-
thortty to prohibit it. The Territorial Lsgisla-
lure IS not competent to abolish or erclude it.
ms Is deemed by the best lawyers a matter of
certainty Ii cannot be excluded until the peo-
P'e 81 me Territory form their Constitution for
State Government. By that time the true
value of the Territory will be appreciated. II
as tcithoM doubt, the best fitted for poor settlers
Of any Territory ever opened-it IS ,peH adapt
ed to men of i0eahh The absence of timber
requires for the making farm more means
than the Abolitionists possess The houses
must be framed, or of brick. Cabins cannot be
built. Fencing must be of plank, or the rails
hauled generally great distance This re-
quires the fields to be large, or the expense is
proportionately too great To break prairie
requires team of not less than six yoke of
oxen. There is no timber land for cultivation-
every foot is required to support the demand for
fuel and timber
Already the poor settlers from the free States,
who had taken their families, ore returning.
For men of means it is a very desirable agri-
cultural countTy-well adapted to grains, Pc
culiarly fitted for the culture of hemp, for the
raising of stock. To a man with capital, it is
far easier to make farm on prairie than in
the timber. Ii is finely watered and with q
great abundance of fine building stone. Me-
cessity will compel it to become a home for the
rich-for those who can command money and
labor. The poor man, who has neither, but re-
lies on his own single arm, is fool to 90 there
ls Is next to impossible to procure white la
borers in the West the only labor which can
be hired is slave. The low price of land, the
feelings and habits of the people, all conduce
to make every man a landholder-to have a
farm of his own. This is easy wherever tim.
bered land can be had; there, with his axe
and one plough, man without help can build
his cabin, belt his trees, and make his farm
Such land cannot be found in Kansas In
those portions where timber is most abundant
1t is all needed for the prsiries: not an acre
can be wasted. But to the man who has the
ability to purchase the timber, to build his
houses and can command the labor to fence
and break prairie the prairie affords incalcu-
liable advantages. A farm is complete in one
year; there are neither stumps nor grubs; all
fresh, ready for the plough. The sod Just
broken will yield a heavy crop of stock corn,
nearly sufficient to pay the expense of it's cul.
tiyaticn. The late breaking will yield crop
Of wheat equal to the best old land Though
1t requires capital to make it. prairie farm
will pay for itself ten times over before the
stumps can be removed from timbered land
Many emigrants are going to Kansas from
Kentucky and other slave States; Missouri
will leave no stone unturned, even to the, at
least temporary, emigration of half her popu-
lation, to save it from Abolitionists; and, if
the People of the other slave States do justice
to themselves, we will secure it for the South
In answer to your second question, will
state, that it is now open for settlement; and
WILL In reply to your fourth question, state that
treaties have been made with the Kickapoos,
Delawares, lowas, and other Indians, By which
all the country on the Missouri, and large
portion of country on the Kansas river is now
subject to settlement-a larger portion ALEC
subject to presumption. A larger portion of
the timber has been taken, and is now held by
claimante, from whom you can purchase at q
low price, say from one to two hundred dollars
Tor one hundred and sixty acres By doing 80,
you can do better than if you were to attempt
to hunt a claim. The land will be sold as soon
as surveyed, say in some twelve months or more
All not taken by presumption will be sold at
public auction for cash. Those who take bv
presumption, get it for 81 .25 per acre. At pub
lie sale it rarely brings more, being generally
purchased by some one adjoining, and who has
claim recognised by his neighbors
In answer to your third, | will state that
this country lies on the border of Kansas, the
Missouri river being the boundary. The Ter
ritory runs north of us some sixty miles, and
south to nearly the south line of the State.
In reply to your questions touching the soil of
this country and that of Kansas | will state
that our county, Platte, is generally deemed
to possess the best soil 10 our State, and indeed
in the Union. Our staple is hemp, of which it
yields from 1000 to 1900 pounds per acre.
worth from four to six cents per pound. IL is
also finely adapted to grains, yielding from SO
to 100 bushels of corn, and. from s to 40 bush-
els of wheat to the acre. IL is finely supplied
with water, an abundance of springs; gener-
ally limestone water; and nearly all our coun-
ty is heavily timbered. Kansas, in the fertil-
lily of its soil, is not equal to this county, but
large portion of it is good hemp land, and all
of it good for the grains and peculiarly adapt
ed to grass. 1t is well supplied with excellent
water good building stone and stone coal, and
G. oHo1 l.