The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-11-08


mittee Of Invitation for the Kings Mountain
IN. CO. Celebration, we find the following:
PLATTE CRY, Mo, Sept. IL, 1855.
GENTLEMEN: Your letter of invitation, re-
questing my attendance at the Celebration OF
the Battle of Kings Mountain, has been re-
ceived. 1t will be altogether inconvenent for
me to be present on that occasion. have Ger
tain duties, both private and public, to dis
charge at home. The Battle of Kings Noun.
tain was fought by the Wings, under the lead
of Campbell, Mcdowell, Shelby, Sewer, and
Williams, against the forces under the gallant
Ferguson. We have similar foe to encoun-
ter in Kansas, on the first Monday of October
next-the "border rufians," such as fought
with Mcdowell, Shelby, &c, on the one hand,
and the Abolitionists, such men as fought with
Ferguson, on the other. We 1.-THE "border ruff
fians") have the whole power of the Northern
States to contend with, single handed and alone,
without assistance, and almost without sympa-
thy, from any quarter; yet we are undismayed.
Thus far have we been victorious and, with
the help of God, we will still continue to con.
quer.
Gentlemen, / thank you for the kind express
sion in the concluding paragraph of your let
ter" three cheers for Atchison and Kansas ~
| have read this paragraph to sundry of the
" border rutiians," and their eyes sparkle; their
arms are nerved. We have been acting on the
defensive altogether. The contest with us is
one of life and death, and it will be so with you
and your institution if we fail Atchison,
Stringfellow, and the "border ruffians of Mis-
souri,, fill column of each Abolition paper
published in the North abuse most foul and
falsehood unblushing is poured out upon us
and yet We have no advocate in the Southern
press, and yet we receive no assistance from
the Southern States. But the time will short
ly come, when that assistance must and will be
rendered. The stake the border ruffians " are
playing for is mighty one. If Kansas is abo-
litionized, Missouri ceases to be slave State,
and New Mexico becomes a free State; Cali
fornia remains free State; but if we secure
Kansas as a slave State, Missouri is secure
New Mexico and Southern California, if not all
of it, become slave States. In a word, the pros
perity or the ruin of the whole South depends
on the Kansas struggle.
Your Obedient servant, d. r. ATcHIsoN.
1t will be seen that Atchison fully corobo-
rates all the charges of interference by Mis-
sourians in the affairs of Kansas. 1t will re-
quire a face of bronze to deny it, after reading
this letter. "Tbus far" he says, shave De
been victorious, and, by the help of God, we
will still continue to conquer" He claims it
throughout the letter to be the peculiar bust
ness of Missouri to introduce Slavery into Kan
sas ; and while he complains of the abuse heap
ed upon the "border ruffians " by the North
ern Abolitionists, he pretends not to deny the
charge of interference in Kansas affairs, but
justiies and glories in it.
We must do Atchison the Justice to say that
this letter is creditable to his sagacity We
concur with him entirely in the opinion, that
If Kansas is abolitionized, Missouri ceases to
be slave State, and New Mexico becomes
free State; California remains a free State
but If we secure Kansas as slave State, Mis-
souri, is secure; New Mexico and Southern Cal.
ltornia, If not all of it, become slave States"
Atchson is coarse, hard-swearing, tobacco
chewing fellow, but he evidently knows what
he is about. We trust that our readers will
weigh we'll every word of this letter. 1t is full of
significance. 1t reveals the whole plot of the
Pro-Slavery party, and the motives which led
to the repeal of the Missouri Compromise 1t
should nerve the arm of every Northern free
man to renewed efforts in behalf of Freedom
in Kansas.