The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-01-13
Slayery in Kansas.
Mr.. John o. wahles writes to the sy-


ABOUT two years ago visited the
Methodist Missionary Station established
among the Indians of that country. 1t
is under the charge of Mr. johnson, the
principal missionary, and located twelve
or fourteen miles south of the village of
Kansas, on the Missouri, at the mouth of
the Kansas river, and some six miles
from the Missouri line. 1t is beautifully
situated, and has around it fertile, de-
lightful country. Such religious estab-
lishment might well be expected to exert
a powerful influence for good, but it may
be doubted whether the evil to which it
gives shelter is not greater than the
good. The chief of the tribe on whose
land the mission is located was then
STAKEHOLDER, and the work on his large
and fine farm was all done by slaves.
The work on the mission farm and In
the mission household was also mainly
done by slaves. 1t is, however, much 10
the credit of the Indians, that this prac-
tice of their chief was not approved of
by many of them, and was the cause of
a division, headed by the chiefs brother,
and sustained by large portion of the
tribe, and by the surrounding tribes, or
fragments of nations, who took the name
of the Freedom party. The Kansas ma
ton belonged to this freedom movement.
| visited at the same time the Friends
Mission, several miles westward, and not
far from the great California route. |
found it organized on the anti-slavery
principle, and suffering much from the
opprobrium of A5oiitionisn,. They,
however, seemed to have more the conf
dence of the Indians Their school was
larger than that of the other mission, and
their First-day meetings were more fully
attended. / learned from the Indians
themselves that the idea of slavery was
repugnant to their feelings, and that they
wanted no religion that made .slayehold-
ing right. In consequence of the feeling
of opposition to this practice, as sustained
by the Methodist Mission, the dissatis-
fed portion of the Indians refused to pat
ronize their school, or to any great extent
attend their meetings and the large and
commodious buildings, erected at great
expense, and calculated to accommodate
large numbers. were completely useless
and empty. These things | learned from
conversation and personal observation.
Most of them gathered from the son of
Mr.. Johnson-the latter gentleman being
absent at the time, having gone South, as
the son informedus, wah drove Of slares." /"
Soil, Minerals. and Climate of Kansas.
The Sciota, o., Gazette published a
letter from GEo. w. MANYPENNY, our Com
missioner of Indian Affairs, in reference
to Kansas Territory-the most of which
we give below:
From the report of the surveyor who
run the lines and laid off the cessions for
the various tribes occupying what is now
Kansas Territory, and from occasional
fragments in the reports of Indian agents,
I CLEAN the following facts:
A large proportion of the country is
well wooded and timbered on the water
courses and in the ravines. Perennial
springs, and streams sufficient to run
mills, abound in many parts. Limestone
and sandstone prevail in quantities for
the convenience, not annoyance, of agri-
culturafists. There is bed of coal up
the Missouri, and another near Fort Leav-
enworth. Iron ore was discovered in
several places. One hundred and thir-
ty-eight miles west of the Missouri State
line is a region of ferruginous looking
land, which continues westward some
twenty-five miles. These rocks have the
appearance of volcanic action, many Of
them bearing unmistakable marks of fu-
sion. One hundred and fifty miles west
of the State of Missouri, glauber salts
were found deposited on several of the
water courses. There are numerous sa-
line streams as you 60 west, and the beach
of Solomon's river, and several smaller
streams, are whitened with crystalization
of salt.
The soil is almost invariably rich, and
the bottom lands peculiarly SO.
Coal-whether bituminous or anthra-
cite is not defned-abounds in various
portions of the Territory; but of what
value as fuel, or to what extent, the mere
ly superficial view of agents or survey
ors does not, of course, determine.
The climate, from the evidence OF
agents and teachers, is salubrious and
agreeable, and offers inducements for a
residence.
My own opinion, founded on personal
observation. differs, in general, from that
given herein. During the autumn oi
1853 l visited, officially, the following
tribes in Kansas, viz Iowas, Sacs and
Foxes of Missouri, Kickapoos, Delawares
Wyandotts, Shawnees, Pottawatomies
Sacs and Foxes of Mississippi, Chippe.
was of Swan creek and Black river, 0ita
was, Peonas, Kaskaskias, Ucas, Pianka
shaws, and Miamis In my journey,
passed over very considerable portion
of the eastern part of Kansas Territory
Sufficiently, presume, to acquire a gen
eral knowledge of the country from sucl
observation. ] consider the Territory
deficient in timber, and | am fearful, also
wanting in that great and necessary ele
ment to the whole animal creation, water
but the soil is unsurpassed.
Magnesia.
The chalk formation, of which we tool
occasion to speak last week, proves to be