The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-03-10
The CAPITAL.

laS Odpls71
We see numerous articles in the public
journals relative to the location of the
capital of Kansas. Its stated by sever
al as a fact, that the Governor hasselected
PawsEE. a point some hundred miles
above this on the river. as the seat of
government, and that the first Legisla-
ture viii be convened there. The From
tier News is very severe upon Gov. REED
Err, ON condition such is the case; and
the Kansas Herald, published at Leaven-
worth, is equally denunciatory, claiming
that the law has located the capital at
Fort Leavenworth, and that the Governor
has no power over the matter.
In the first number of the HERALD OF
FREEDOM we stated that the section of the
territorial act which located the capital
at Fort Leayenworth was repealed, and
the power to choose suitable place was
vested III the Governor. Such we under
stand to be the law still though it is
said-with how much truth-we are not
informed-that bill was pending before
Congress at its last session vesting the
power in the first Legislature, to locate 1t
at such point as they should deem most
advantageous to the public.
It is well known that capitals of States
and Territories are badly located; in a
very large majority of cases, on the bor-
der, compelling all the rest of the State
to pay obeisance annually to some town
very remote from the center. Take a
map of the United States, and a moments
observation will satisfy any one of the
truth of our assertion.
This is always a matter of complaint,
and continual controversy is carried on
between the less favored parts and the
interior, against that section of the State
more favored, until, as is sometimes the
case-for instance, Michigan, and quite
recently, Iowa-they are induced to re-
move, at an enormous expense to the tax
payer, to more central location. The
Governor of Kansas has probably taker
these things into consideration and i
he has selected Pawnee as the point, We
have that confidence in his integrity and
ability to believe that he has done so
after giving due consideration to the sub
ject, and that he deems it for the best
interest of all concerned.
Personally, we would have preferred
that the capital should have been located
at Topeka. and were in hopes lat point
would have been selected; but if it is 9th
erwise we have no disposition to com.
plain, and trust others will not.
1t has been said that Pawnee was al
the extreme western borders of civiliza.
ton. A correspondent in the Kansas
Herald labors to correct this impression,
and remarks:
Numerous settlements have been
made up the Smoky Hill, and Republican
rivers, and three towns, Reeder, Mont.
gomery, and Chetolah, have been laid
out on the former river, and are now oc-
4 cstpied. The first named of these places
is forty miles west Of Pawnee, the second,
fifteen, and the last, eight, and all are in
the midst of as lovely a region as the
sun ever shone upon Within circle
of ten miles of Pawnee there are upwards
of eighty claims, occupied by as industri-
GUS and useful citizens as are to be found
in any State in the Union. The country
west of Pawnee, for over an hundred
miles, is fertile, well watered, and well
timbered, and the coming spring will
witness heavy tide of emigration setting
in that direction
1t has been charged that the town was
laid off by officers of the army stationed
at Fort Riley, and other gentlemen from
Gov. Reedcr's neighborhood. To thi;
assertion the correspondent alluded tc
above, who writes from Pawnee, replies
"On referring to the constitution oI
the Pawnee association, I find that of the
twenty-six original stockholders, but nine
ARE officers of the Army stationed al
Fort Riley and that not one is from
Gov. Reeder's own neighborhood -
except himself. If, as is further remark.
ed, Gov. Reeder is the principal stock
holder he is so because he saw the OBJ.
vious advantages of the situation of Paw
nee for trade and business of all kinds
and had sense enough to invest his money
where there was prospect of doing SO to
advantage. The idea that gentleman
because he happens to be Governor
has no right to avail himself of privileges
guaranteed to every citizen, is SO mani
testify preposterous and narrow-minded,
as to excite no other feeling than that o.
contempt for the person who holds it. y
Population of Kansas.
We have not received the official report
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