New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-31
POSITION OF KANSAS.

We give TO-DAY an elaborate letter OF our special
correspondent in Kansas which contains, beside
some interesting snatches of narrative, several i'm
pOrtant suggestions upon the prospects OF Kansas
as Free State, and the necessity OF strenuous ex-
ertions on the part OF the friends of Freedom
throughout the North, to prevent the seed already
planted there and happily growing from being tram
pied under foot before it has time to ripen.
We add narrative of the murder of Dow and
of the rescue of Branson, by one who took part IN
If. who signs his name to it, and owns hls read-
ness TO meet his share of the responsibility, and
also speech of AtchisOn's to the Border Ruflans,
while endeavoring to muster them for the INVASION
which offers curious contrast to the speeches OF
the same individual, while cndeayoring to dlsband
them for the benefit Of the Democratic party
Next follows a letter published in The Missouri
Republican, the st. Louis organ OF tAe Border
Ruffians. showing the face which the rufians them
selves attempt to put upon their retreat from
Kansas and which is well exposed and served
up in some remarks of The s. Louis Demo-
crot of the next day, which We have appended to
il. Lastly, we add some long extracts from
another leading article of The 81. Louis Democrat,
in which that able journal reviews the whole case
with view to ascertain what measure OF blame
or praise is due to either party.
This article is of especial importance, and we
beg to call the particular attention Of our readers
to II. They must be careful not to fall into the
grievous error of cOnfounding the people OF Mis-
souri, or even the Shareholders OF Missouri, with
the Border Ruffians Whatever cOuntenance and
support these Border Ruffans may have received
from the legislatures of Virginia, Georgia, and
other Southern States, and whatever aid and COM
fort may have been extended to them by the press
in those and other Southern States il is hut an act
of Justice to the State of Missouri and the respect
able part of her inhabitants to have it understood
that in the State OF Missouri tie Border Ruffans
have no aders nor abettors except those that be-
long TO the AtchiSOn gang. 1t is but justice also
TO The st. Louis Democrat itself to state that, from
the beginning to the end of the Kansas invasion,
that paper has done its best to expose the false
hoods spread abroad by the AtchisOn party as
color for their wicked and murdcrOus acts and In
tentions-fasehOods to which several of our New
York papers have done their best to give currency;
in which, however, fortunately, they did but little
mischief since the very fact of their anxiety to OBJ
tain credit for any statement at once throws GER
tain cloud of suspicion upon it,
II will be seen that The 81. Louis Democrat,
which from its position, certainly has good OPP
portunty of knowing, entertains not whit better
opinion of the Border Rufians than we do. 1t will
be seen that ncitherwe nor our correspondent have
brought one single charge against those Ruihans
which The Dfmocrai does not fully indorse. The
Df,aocyat goes the full extent of maintaining that
tbe Border Ruffians entered Kansas with the in
tent Of burning and pundering Lawrence, and Of
expeling the Free-State settlers; that they meant
blood and murder, and that even women and chill
drcn were not safe against their ferOcious designs;
that nothing saved Lawrence from all the horrors
of town taken by storm except the courage and
prudence of the inhabitants, and the Sbarps rifles
which The Journal Of Commerce thinks it was such
an outrage TO furnish them with.
In all these particulars The Democrat agrees fully
with TIE TRIBUNE, and expresses itself in Ian
guagc quite as emphatic. Nor does that paper BY
nly means stand alone in this view Of the case. 1t
las been taken, not quite emphat cally, but with
no less distinctness, 10y The ST. LOuis IHteRigeHoer.
Tie OIL, leading paper at st. Louis which gives the
benefit Of its support to the Border Ruflians is The
Republican, which, we are sorry to say, is AZ old
Wing paper, built Cp and still sustained in great
meos,-c by eastern merchants resident at St. Louis