The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-02-17

tell nay unrarnishedt edtale--aad speak only
OF my own claim.
On the 26sh May, 1854, after the an
nouneement that the Shawnees had ceded
their country to the United States, and in
anticipation of the certain ratification OF
the treaty, incompany with severalfriends
whose testimony may be important, Sc
lected and marked the claim where my
dwelling now stands. Subsequently,
and long before the arrival of the " pio-
neer party" erected thereon cabin,
which was standing there when the party
did come, and which stands here now ;
and if the ss Yankee" viii takethe trouble
to call on me, will show him the cabin,
and also show him the men who assisted
me in erecting it; and whose testimony
| hope to use in proving that l did select.
mark, register, improve, and occupy my
claim before Yankee ever set foot upon
it. To further secure myself from wrong
and injury, and in default of Surveyor
Generals Office in the Territory, l fled
in the General Land Office at Washing
ton City my declaration of intent to hold
| by pre-emption my said claim, on the
south bank of the Kansas river, including
my dwelling house, DC.
From the first coming of the people of
Lawrence, though my claim has been
trespassed upon and robbed of its timber,
| have endeavored to be quiet and peace
full, and have avoided every occasion of
offense never dreaming that either the
legal acumen or the morality of the city
| of Lawrence would persuade to the rob-
bing one of his just rights, and of his
house and home but now stand cor
rected and perceive that certain balder-
dash explanations of the pre-emption laws,
and the morality of brute force, has rem
dered my claim, my rights, lagtuAy,
peacefully, and honestly attached, null
and void ;" and the Yankee" (per au-
thority, as it would seem, having put
forth his manifesto, it becomes me to de-
fine my position, and which is this, viz:
assert in the face of all "Yankee"
law and Yankee" morals, that | have
right, good right to my claim; and that
| am prepared by the bestof testimony to
establish every point required by the pre-
emption laws to insure to me the consum-
nation of the title, and that every inch
of it shall henceforth be deemed and held
to be mine; and | warn, calmly butnsean-
sngiy, all persons to respect my rights,
by not lnolesting me or mine in any way
whatever.
Mr.. Editor, you will pardon any seem
ing want of temper in my remarks. l
am. a single handed young man. Icame
and located here when all was wild around
me. I sought and made my home, in
truding upon the rights of no one, for
none s0ere here. The Lawrence people
came; did not fight OF annoy them; 1
did not suppose they came to rob me of
my home or my rights. They came
months after ] did, and laid off their
town, and now hold me up to the world
as an intruder, and as trying to locate a
farm claim on their town, and with worse
than Jesuitical meanness, cry shame on
me. They shall not do it. Towards
them l demeaned myself quietly, and
treated them as neighbors; but the string
is broken, and the cord forever severed.
With such equity and such morals have
no affinity; and let no one henceforth
dream of compromise-neuer. If l can
not triumphantly sustain my claim by the
law and the testimony, then let it fall to
those who have better claims to it. But
there is not claim in Kansas Territory
more indisputably clear and just than
mine; its being so is susceptible of proof
and it surely rebounds not to the credit
of Lawrence City to wrong and rob an
individualof his rights. Concerning my
rights. have to say, they will not be
surrendered; and / have no fears for the
issue. A town cannot be located by a
company on an individuals claim, law
fully and properly attached, whatever to
the contrary any jackanapes may say.
beg you to give this publicity. Re-
spectfully,
WILLIAM H. r. LYKINS.