The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-06-16
From the New York Tribune.
A Chapter of History.
CT T.orJS Nav % I

ST. LOUIS, May 2s, 1855.
Among all the letters in the Tribune from
Kansas and its neighborhood. do not recollect
OF having seen the true reason stated why the
Parkville Luminary was destroyed and its pro-
prietors presented with the alternative Of q ght
or violence. Let me briefly state it, One warm
day last summer crowd had assembled at the
town site of Atchison in Kanzas to attend a sale
of lots. Dave" himself was there, and as
there was much whskcy and many friends, he
got glorious little earlier in the day than
usual. So with much splitting on his shirt and
making himself general; more nasty than
common, the Vice President delivered himself
something after this wise:
Gentlemen you make a id fuss about
Douglas. but Douglas don't deserve the credit
of this Nebraska bill. l told Douglas to intro
duce it, 1 originated it, l got Pierce committed
to it, and all the glory belongs to me. All the
Houston--and who are they? Mere nobodes,
no in1uence--nobody cares for them?"
1t happened that young man Fl ON Parkville
was present-a friend of Atchinson's by the
way. When he came home he was sounding
AtchinsOn's praises and repeating what he had
said. Patterson, of the Luminary, got him to
write down the exact words Of the Vice Presi-
dent and the next number contained a verbat-
i'm report OF portions Of his conversation BY
this time, some of Dawes friends were sober,
if he was not. There was trouble in the camp.
The Platte Argus, the Atkinson organ, came
out with fat denial of the language The
Parkville young man replied over his own ni-
tails that he heard and reported the words ex-
actly as they were published, and whoever
should deny them was discriminating his
readiness to maintain the same against all COM
ers. Meantime a chivalrous nephew of John
Bell residing in st. Louis. had seen the report
of Atchinson's language in the Luminary, and
had written him requiring a categorical answer
to the question whether he had used the Ian
guage imputed to him concerning his uncle
The tone OF the letter was strongly suggestive
of 1.-THE usual satisfaction" Dave evidently
thought his three hundred pounds of flesh too
cd marx for pistol ball, and he according.
ly replied to the nephew that he had the me st
distinguished consideration for his uncle, and
never said such word about him--f be had
said any thing of the kind, that the lying scoun-
drels had tortured into what they had publish
ed he begged that it might be passed by. as
he was in ''hquer at the time" And thus the
Vice-President capped th" vexation of person
al responsibility for his language. Drunken
ness is not usually regarded valid plea for
lawyer to make in behalf of client, but it
seems very good for Vice President
But the mischief was done. notwithstanding.
Douglas looked glum about bis stolen thunder
Bell and Houston were not disposed to any spe-
cial affabllity toward the President Of the SEN
ate, so he sent in his resignation and STAYED
away two or three weeks after the meeting of
Congress. Judge with what bitter hatred be
regarded. the Lulninary, and when he could
sway the mob power how eagerly he employed
it to wreak his private vengeance.
VERITAS.