The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-10-27
Ihs 1(sFaia Of FREEDOM.
G. w. BROWN, Editor.
Lawrence. Saturday, Oct. q. 1855.
Letter from Gov. Shannon.

letter from COY. Shannon, in which he !
takes occasion to deny that he defined his !
position at Westport, while on his way
10 Kansas, in regard to slavery. At the
same time he discusses several other
questions which are Of but little interest
to the public. and yet. for the truth Of
history. it is well the facts should be stat
ed. as it is presumed he is better cogni-
zant with them than any other person.
1t will De source CT true pleasure to
the residents of Kansas to learn that so
distinguished a person as the Governor
thinks it would be matter of '.bad taste
and out Of place, to have introduced
subject calculated to excite the feelings.
passions or prejudices of his audience, .
on that occasion. They thought as the
Governor does on that subject, and this is
the secret of their hostility to him. Ifit
shall appear to their satisfaction that he
did not express himself definitely on the
question, great source of their ill-feel-
ing will be removed.
The news that Gov. SHANNON, of
Ohio, was appointed by President Pierce
to assume the Executive chair in Kansas,
in place of our much esteemed REEDER,
gave US cause for hope. We canvassed
all his antecedents known to US, and
finally came to the conclusion that he
would not play the low trucking dema-
gogue, but would prove to be Governor
with ''back- bone" feature indispen-
sible TO such an officer in Kansas. The
pro-slavery presses, it seems, came to
similar conclusion, aud their curses of
President Pierce fer the appointment
were loud and repeated. These demon
stratio2s from that quarter gave Us still
greater cheer, and We waited with ankle
~ the arrival of our new Governor. A
Geographic dispatch announced that he
had left Ohio for his journey hither; and
another that he had passed st. Louis, and
vas on his way up the river. The excite
ment was running high, and the neces-
shy of some person vested with authori-
ty to still the tempest seemed apparent.
On the first day of September last,
Gov. Shannon arrived at Kansas CITY.
and on the afternoon of that day accepted
apublic reception from the people of Ms
soari at Westport. On his way up the
river distinguished persons, it is said,
were i'll the habit of introducing them
selves TO the Governor, closing with
flourish, ave are the border rufians
spoken of by Gov. Reeder" 1t was re-
ported to US on Sunday. by gentleman
who came up the river with him, that
thOsc demonstrations did not appear to
lntrt the Governors appreciation, and We
took fresh courage. We even dared to
hope that Lawrence, the most populous
ali l central place in the Territory, might
be made temporarily his headquarters,
and We began to cast about to see what
could be done towards furnishing him a
suit of rooms worthy of such an officer.
On Monday another gentleman arrived
bringing the evidence of the Governors
degradation. He said he was present at
Westport on the Saturday afternoon pre-
yious, and heard all that was said and
That he carefully noted down the sub
stance of his remarks. He is gentle
man of undoubted veracity, of much
ability, and competent to do justice to his
subject. He furnished US synopsis OF
the Governors speech. but to our ex-
IRENE regret the article became mislaid
or lost. He assured us that Gov. Shan
non, in his remarks, said, ''that it was
but natural for the people of Missouri to
extend the institutions of that State OVER
Kansas, since the commerce of the latter
must come through the former and fol-
himself he was willing and DESTROYS to
see those institutions so extended. Il
would prevent the civil discord which
otherwise must prevail between the two
governments. We do not pretend tc
give the language as reported to US yer.
batim. but the substance as near as We
can remember.
That speech at Westpors was received
by nearly if not quite every person pres
eut as an endorsement of the pro-slsvery
movement along the border, and a desire
on the Governors part. to extend the in
stitution over Kansas. The populace sc
understood him, as is evidenced by theil
repeated applause during the remarks
livery anti-slavery man there, whom W,
have heard speak of the matter, so un
destood him pro-slayery editors so I'm
ders:ood him, and SO published in thei
respective journals. The Frontier News
published at Westport, where tn
speech was made-:he Sluatter Sever
eign. whose editor, We believe, was OF
the ground, and, as We before remarked
the entire border press came out and cor
rected themselves in regard to Gov
shannon's position, and represented hin
as sound on the slavery question. Gov
Shannon must have seen those papers
but he made no denial of the truthfulnes
oftheir report. The news was sent East
and was the subject of remark in ever.
part of tie country. The President
Cabinet, while in session on grave di