The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-09-06
For the National Era.
KANSAS AND YOUNG AMERICA.
BY SETH WEBB, JUN.

BY SETH WEBB, JUN.
sat in my Office in Wall street, one showery
and sultry afternoon in July. My small daily
influx of clients was over; had dined, and
was alone. had lighted my cigar, taken the
last new volume of De Quincy from its quiet
hiding place, and settled myself into deep
armchair, with legs outstretched crossed, high
pOised-attitude bemoaned of Europe, but nor.
NAL to Young America-when the Office door
was thrown open somewhat roughly, and my
neighbor Abel Bison entered, with his cigar and
halfcrumpled newspaper. He occupies the
see good deal of each other. Much as | liked
Bison, | could have dispensed with a visit from
him at that particular time. In the first place,
was just sinkingiRto that superb and luxu-
rious calm, the m of the tropics, of the an
! clients, of the Grand Turk, in which you are
sufficient unto yourself and in which all human
presence is an impertinence. In the second
place, there was something in Bisons mien
| and manner, so different from his usual grave
decorum, that a glance was enough to satisfy
me that he was about to make some heavy
draft on my sensibilities, my intellect, or my
conscience. Presented this, instantly and silent
ly, and, after half nod of recognition, plunged
deep into my "note book" hoping that Bison
would take the delicate hint, Ia hint which our
intimacy stripped of all peril, and respect my
dolce far niente. was disappointed. He saw
my game, and paused moment in his advance,
as if surveying the ground. Then, knocking
the ashes from his cigar, he shut the door with
great deliberation, came forward with his strong,
firm tread, and, laying his hand on my shoulder,
said, sternly, Flint, you are a Sybarite. Read
that" At the same time he handed me the
newspaper, and pointed to paragraph headed,
personal Attack by Stringfelow on Governor
Reeder, of Kansas"
eyes" l answered, carelessy. "Abomina-
bic outrage; 1 read it some time ago." and
tossing the paper on the desk, | sunk again into
the opium-eater.
Bison began to walk the Office. His eyes
were on the floor, and his steps grew momenta-
rily slower and slower, heavier and heavier.
Finally it stopped.
Clint" said he, am Sybarite." / lift
ed my eyes to his figure, as he stood in the mid
die of the implanted floor, with halfraised arm
and gathered brow and the contrast between
him and his word was complete, so perfect,
as to have on me the effect of a great stroke of
wit. put down my book, vanquished, and
laughed outright.
A compact, dark, deepchested young man,
with the stamp of power all over him; inscru-
table eyes; jaws Of bar iron; beard thick and
ine teeth solid and perfect; the hands of a
blacksmith strength written on every limb,
moulded into every feature and the rich light
of cultured thought breaking through all
"Flint," he began, taking an attitude half
colloquial, half oratorical, and fastening his
deep eyes into mine, while the tones of his
voice grew grand and full as he went on, " Kan
sas is career! D'Israeli has said the East is
a career. BAH 1t is not, and has not been
since Tamerlane. Did Napoleon find it so {?
Do the Allies? DO your modern travellers?
Has Layard settled in Nineveh, or Bayard Tay-
Tor among the fountains of the Nile? The
Howadji does not keep house in Egyptian
Thebes nor does D'Israeli, the jew, pay
his taxes in Jerusalem. Repu blican Lamar
tine prefers the shadow of Western despot's
throne to the Syria in which he owns real es-
tate, and which his unrhymed song has steep
ed in a new enchantment. Asia is total ruin,
and Africa swarthy dream. The East is
sepulchre."
"Mark me-" said Bison, as ] settled into
posture of attention. al do not say that the
stone may not, some time or other, be rolled
away from the door of this sepulchre, and that
the resurrection may not come. But the third
day is not yet. The civilization of the West
ern nations will not run backward to its foun-
tains, but forever forward and westward round
the globe. Its great floods, like the sun.wave,
now breaking on the eastern coast of America,
and bursting through the Alleghanies, will ill
the Mississippi valley, submerge the South Pass,
and eliminate in Oregon and California, before
they gather themselves up for a new roll west
ward, and prepare to fall with warmer and
brighter dash upon the archipelagoes and
shores of Asia-move Eastward, but by the
way of the West-settle in Bagdad, but travel
to it BY the way of Kansas and the Sandwich
Islands. mol Let the dead East bury its dead.
Kansas is a careerl The African race on this
continent -
"Bison," said /, "take care of your heel.
Remember Achilles, vulnerable only there
And indeed, as he stood before me in his vast
and careless and manly strength, l inwardly
classed him with the Goddess born, and thought
how the wrath of this man might be as terrible.
"That Greek had more than one weak spot.
Unlike me, he wasn't right here" laying his
hand on his breast, and so he fell. The Atri-
can race on this continent, / was about TO say,
is crowded say crowded, and he who does
not feel his old Anglo-Saxon love of justice
stirred to its deep recesses -
Gibson, scent the conventicie or the eau
GUS"
"France of Delphi Crags of Sinai, ratheri"
he retorted; and that torrent of sunshine which
men call smile burst through his swarthy fea-
al IL Il L..
mountain smit with morning.
"No, Flint, not the politician, but the proph-
ct speaks. America needs her Isaiah; will
need her Cassandra, if deeds like these" dash.
ing his hand on the newspaper, ado not meet
the big weight of just public vengeance. If. as
dart my eyes through the States of America
at this hour, did not behold an uncounted
army of volunteers mastering from hundred
camps, heretofore hostile TO struggle shoulder
to shoulder against the Carib civilization and
the Thug Christianity which are now invading
the territories of the nation; and if, as the host
of good and evil hang over Kansas, and prepare
to close in mortal combat, did not hear a muir
muir of popular wrath gathering in the distance,
like the voice of many streams, and did not see
myriads of faces lighted with the glory of
great resolve; l should indeed despair of my
country and of mankind"
AIo you tddhluS VI inc hailsdS eullSTdnCS!
/ interrupted, cor of the brave stay-at- home
warriors, like one Flint and one Bison?"
"Of both, of ALL" he replied; {" for both, for
all, must conspire TO save Kansas. But my
thoughts are at this moment mainly on the first
The Kansas emigrant at the present time is the
prominent object of notice on this planet Sc
bastopol is the seat of skirmish but Law
renee is the seat of war. In the great fiux
and reAux of civilization, there has been. in
every generation Of men, since human events
began to be transmitted, some one person, some