The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-10-27
From the Herald of Freedom, Sept. %.
Interesting from Kansas.
Il Postmaster refusing to Circulate Free State
Paper.

!. The following letter was received from th
. postmaster at Atchison, Kansas Territory
on the 18th inst. 1t has never been our foI
tune, prior to this, to receive document s
highly interesting from public office, an,
we commend it to the consideration of Post
master General Campbell, as communca
ton worthy his attention, and trust he vii
place it on file in the Department as gen
OF the kind. Mr.. Kelley is partner of B
+. StringfellOw, and associate editor in the
publication of the Squatter Sovereign:
PosToFFICE, ATcHIsoN, X. t.
September 7, 1855.
To the Publisher Of the Herald of Freedom:
Mr. e. w. BRowN:-SIR:-By this mail ]
return you five copies of your paper without
inscription thereon. AS there is law now
in force in this territory prohibiting the cir
culation, you will confer favor by keeping
your rotten and corrupt effusions from taint-
ing the pure air of this portion Of the Terri
tory. at
Two numbers of the Herald are taken at
this office, and [ have distributed them in
their respective boxes, and shall continue to
do SO until get illegal advice"
Hoping you will comply with my request,
| remain your obedient servant,
ROBERT s. KELLEY, P. NJ,
Atchison, Kansas Territory.
All the papers returned were variously in
scribed. On one side of all was written,
"Sent back from Atchison, X. T., Re
fused. ~1T" On the opposite side Of some
was written "Refused;' on another Refused
to circulate" and on another e. Neces-
slty may bring me to crime, but while draw
breath cannot be induced to lend hand
to measure know to be suicidal to the in
terests of the South. cannot and WILL
NOT circulate this libel"
We have preserved all the marks of the
postmaster, and added none. To circulate
the Herald of Freedom, according to Post
master Kelley, is "suicidal to the interests
of the South" We thank him for The COM
pliment, and are truly glad that our humble
efforts in publishing a paper is fraught with
such consequences as to make an impression
upon the institutions of the South if circula-
ted. In view of these facts we ask our friends
in the East to aid us with means to ''circu-
late' the Herald. We are honest in the be-
lief that it is doing as much to advance the
cause of freedom, as any instrumentality now
claiming public favor, and as such we appeal
to the anti-slavery public for pecuniary en-
couragement.
But to the Postmaster We have submit
ted Mr.. Kelley's letter, also the inscription
on the wrapper Of the returned papers, and
the paper itself, to the consideration of Post
master General Campbell. If he allows his
officials to decide what matter is ''incendi-
ary," there is an end to the freedom of the
press in Kansas, if not in America.
We have written statement of facts to
Mr. Campbell, and preserved copy for pub
lication, which we shall give to the public as
soon as we get his reply. The question is an
important one to the press, and as such we
shall expect them to speak freely upon the
subject.
The papers having no ''inscription' upon
them were tied up in a bundle, and directed
to subscriber at Atchson, who had ordered
six copies for that week. On the outside
copy the subscribers name and post-office
address was legibly written.