Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-08-07
ysry Intsrestiny About Kansas.
Hsw Tho slavery question there will
Settle ITSELF

DUSSuU ssovs" HNy
Ons Of tho Editors Of the New York
Journal of Commerce has recently been
10 tho Western frontiers Of clvil'za''on'
and writes a mos. interesting and SEN
.,ibls letter relative 10 the settlement anu
(u,ure condition Of Kansas and Nebras'
ka. We quote as follows:
An old settler Of Missouri presented
ono fact, which he thought conclusive ss
10 tho unwillinsness OF Missourians OF
slave holders to occupy either Territory.
The lands Of Missouri have been 10 mar
ket, until the graduation bill applies 10
them. Actual settlers may enter 32O
acres OF prices varying from 81 down to
twelve sni half cents. depending on
the length Of time they have been IN mar
ket between ten and thirty years. There
10 sill q residue Of valuable land III that
State which may be entered at twelve
and a half cents per acre, while the land
In Kansas and Nebraska is not subject
to entry, but only 10 Presmp,ion claims
founded on actual settlement, in quaint.
tics limited 10 each settler, with chance
that il may ultimately riPen into title,
at IL 25 per acre. How. therefore, said
he, do we stand? In Missouri, where
we are protected in our slave property,
land may be purchased in sufficient
quantity, for mere trias. lying near to
a market. We may pursue our cultiva.
ton Of it without difficulty; whereas, /!
We take our slaves to Kansas. we are
farther from a market we pay more for
land. each owner can obtain only a
quarter section, bis ultimate title depends
on the legislation Of Congress. and he
may lose his slave property. besides,
slave owners in Missouri need land in
larger quantities than 100 acres. and
there is consequently an absolute ce,.
tainty, that large slave owners will not
remove to either Of the new Territories.
There is a class Of settlers on the con.
fines OF civilization, who move West.
ward far in advance Of the main body.
Their chief objects is 10 select proper
sites for towns, hold them unler pre-.
emptions, and sell out 10 the more timid,
who 90 forward after the first di iliiculties
of settlement are removed. This class
Of men are equal TO the Indian in power
Of endura nee they have but little re.
gard for hums life, are bold, courageous.
sagscious; and rely on the knife aud
gun for theit sustenance, except so far
ss it may be supplied by a slight and
precarious cultivation Of the soil. Mis-
souri, and Iowa both have this class OF
men. who partake OF the sectional feel.
ing Of each State with respect 10 sla.
vety. The vocation OF both Of them
was in some degree perled by a new
kind of emigration. stimulated by benev'
olent and emigrant Societies in the At
lan,ic, chiefly the Eastern States. Set.
tiers who went out unler the protcc lion,
and furnished with the means Of those
societies, we're OF wholly different class.
Their want Of means proved them TO
have been unsuccessful in the race with
their Eastern brethren, due in part to
the want Of industry, skill or capacity
to labor; and they went TO field in
the far West already in part occupied
and to meet far more sagacious, self
relying, determined and courageous sci
OF men, than they had met unsuccess'
fully in Eastern competition. Those Of
them who went 10 Kansas, went to a
territory Immediately " est Of Missouri,
and proclaimed their hostility to the in.
terests Of slavery. Their presence eI.
cited the resentment, not only Of the pi.
oneers, but Of capitalists in Missouri,
and funds we're used to hire portion oI
them 10 90 into that State as laborers-
which they readily agreed to; and 9th.
ers, alarmed by the dare.devils who drive
the Indian and the panther before them,
retired from the conflict that was threat.
ened. The men Of Northern sympalhies
who remain on the ground, maintaining
their rights Uf settlement manfuIly, are
in the main pioneers themselves. who
derive their opinions with respect 10 sla.
very from Illinois and States North oil
the Missouri line. Ttey are not distur.
bed. and are not likely 10 be; for they
we'll know how to protect themselves
against any assault.
II there had been no effort in the Eas.
tern States to settle Kansas by artificial
means and unna,urally, with spectral
hostility to the interests Of slavery, there
would have been no counter movement
proceeding from Missouri. Her popula
ton, by the census Of 1850, amounted
to $4,000 whites, and ss,O4O colored
bond and free. The total has since in
creased to say 70O.O0O-a population
spread over an area Of about 67,OO(
square miles, and too small to permit o
reduction by the settlement Of Kansas
and Nebraska. Missouri is the larges
State in geographical extent North o
Texas and East Of California, and sh'
would be greatly weakened by losin!
93,42O of her active inhabitants, which
number Of residents is required to emit
tie a territory 10 claim admission as {
State. "This State (says Mr. Flint ir
his geography has lands already fit fol
the plough, sufficient to produce whea
enough for the whole United States
Prairies Of hundreds Of thousands o
acres Of first rate wheat lands, covered
with grass. and perfectly free from shrubs