Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-12-22
CHE Anti 5Iaprrp BuoIc.
TO THE CITIZENS OF MISSOURI,

circulated III many OF the publlc prints ut your
State in regard to their plan and purposes
So long these Misrepresentation were made
by irresponsible and prcjudiced persons, whose
characters had no weight, we did not think them
worthy Of reply from Us. But when we find
them repeated and endorsed by men Of some in
fluence in your communicative feel that it is due
to ourselves, and to the character Of the emigrants
who have gone out to Kansas under our auspices
to state the truth.
In the published resolutions Of the Convention
lately held in Lexington, Missouri We find mis-
statements in regard to our enterprise which we
desire to correct. This Company is the only in
corporated association, known to u.s. in the United
States, which has for its object both assistance and
organization for western emigration We must
therefore infer that are referred to in the res
outions which allude to "moned associations
under the patronage of sovereign States Of this
Union"
The resolutions charge this Company then
1. With recruiting armies and hiring fanatics to
90 to Kansas
H. With fanatical aggression en- Missouri, with
tho intention of putting tho torch to the dwellings,
and the knife to the throats of Its people.
III. With sending persons to Kansas VIII, do not
intend to remain there, but who go only to inter
fere with and control the .'ctual settlers.
1t is easy for us to show the entire .alsehood o.
every of these charges
/. To the charge of recruiting armies and hiring
fanatics to go to Kansas" answer is very sim
pie. We have never hired a man to 90 there, or
paid the passage Of a single eGgrGnt. Every set
tier who has gone out under auspices has him
self provided the means for his passage
1t is possible that you in Missouri may not have
before observed how large is the regular cmigra-
ton from New England to the States of the
West. Every year, the sons and daughters Of
northern States, in numbers to lie counted by tens
Of thousands, choose to emigrate to those more
fertile regions. They do not wait or need to be
'hired" They go with their own means, and
make their own selection of new home
The favorable accounts which reached US Of the
soil and climate of Kansas. and the advantages
which it offers to the settler, turUcd the attention
of thousands Of such emigrarts to that Territory.
They resolved to go there, and were eager to OBJ.
tain every information as to the best means Of
going and forming permanent settlements in that
country.
Tho fact that such persons were willing to go,
rendered i. possible to form this Company whose
object is to facilitate their organization render thor
journey easy and SAT- and lid them with its cap
ital when there. by tho erection ct mills and
hotels and by the proL.ut..a ! of such-other enter.
prise as are found conducive to the common
good We do not hire them. No Company on
earth could hire them 1t would be more proper
to say that the existence of such men, and their
resolution and intention to 90 to Kansas created
and sustains this Company.
To speak Of such men "paurors," 'merce-
nares," and hired adventures" is simply alb
surd. They are American citizens, who have the
enthusiasm which all their countrymen have fo,
colonizing new regions and bringing them under
the sway of man.
They carry with them their education, their
skill, their money. They are erecting in Kansas
their steam engines, their machine shops. their
factories Of wood, paper ron and all things useful
to men. They have gone there because they had
q right there,-bccausc they choose TO go-bccausc
they had the means to go,-and because they be
leved that in doing they could better their con
diton, and, perhaps do good service to God and
man.
That they might 60 conveniently and chenply,
this Company has leen organized. Il is Que of
the customs Of New England for men to organize
themselves to work in cooperation for any object
which they can achieve thus better than sepa-
rate individuals. Thi, is one OF our Institutions to
which we are attached, and TO which we owe much
of our prosperity.
2. The resolutions of the Convention charge us
with "fanatical aggression Missouri" We
have looked in vain for the first detailed specfca-
tion by which this charge can be supported. 1t is
earnest wish that the emigrants who 90 under
auspicies; should maintain the kindest and
most friendly relations with all whom they meet
on their way, whether in Missouri or in any other
State We have every reason So believe that they
have done so, and until some distinct of IA
natcal aggression" is made out and sustained by
the citizens Of those towns where these emigrants
meet your people, we must deny entirely the truth
of the charge.
By the accidental conditions Of travel at the
ern emigrants pass up the Missouri River, on
their way to their new homes. If this be griey-
ance to you, it is none the less an inconvenience
TO them. 1t lengthens their journey to Kansas more
than four hundred miles. We venture 10 say
however, that they have so borne this incOnven-
ience to give no serious ground of complaint to
those with whom they had dealings in your
State. So the rapid advance of the rail
roads in Iowa permits, they will be able TO shorten
their journey materially, and you may then be re-
Ual frppo tbni n ,vill ir
convenen for them to take your steamboats, III
the river, and to provide themselves with supplies
from your merchants
1t is our belief however, notwithstanding the
misrepresentation of interested parties that the
true citizens of Missouri do not feel this passage
of emigrants from other States along their mag
nifcent river as any grievance at all, We believe
in the brotherhood Of all the States in this Union
and in the hospitality of the people of Missouri
We confident that they will cordially welcome
travellers from New England citizens Of the
same great country, and will bid them God speed
on their way.
g. The remaining charge against us is that o.
sending persons Kansas for political Objects who
are not bona Jide citizens.
The entire injustice of this charge will be evi
dent from simple statement Of what we have
done and is doing for emgrants to Kansas The
whole action of the Company is based upon Tho
presumption that they are to be- and remain teere
as actual settlers.
Our first object is to aid emigrants on thei
Journey. This we do not by paying for the
passage, hut by purchasing tickets at wholesale
and furnishing them to individuals at the actua
cost; by combining our parties so tnat friends anC
neghbors can travel together; by appointing fo
each party conductor acquainted with the route
and by making it for the interest OF rival railroads
10 carry them comfortably, safely and cheaply
We thus reduce for the settler the cost of his Jour
new, guard him against frauds, and bring him t
Kansas with tho utmost expedition
On his arrival in a new country the chief dim
Guilty of a settler, is in tbs want Of capital TN
want is particularly felt in Kansas. One OF tn
Lssg!ution. Of the Lexington Convention ezlT's'a