The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-09-06
From the st. Louis Inieligencer.
THE BITTER FRUITs-THE SUICIDE OF
SLAVERY

Our news from Western Missouri is of omni-
nous and most discouraging character. That
region is suffering from midew and blight Its
glory is dimmed, its spirits abated, and its hope
fading.
The emigration to Kansas has been almost
entirely checked. Emigrants from the Northern
or free States have ceased to 60 to Kansas, be-
cause they can find as good lands elsewhere,
not cursed by mob law, nor ruled by non-resi-
dent DULLES. Emigrants from the Southern
States do not 60 to Kansas, because they will
not put their slave property in peril, by taking
it into Territory where there is strong Free
Soil element threatening the security of slaves.
Any man of sense might have foreseen this
result. Alabama and Georgia may hold public
meetings, and resolve to sustain the shareholders
in Missouri in making Kansas slave State.
But their resolutions comprised all their aid
which is not material" enough for the crisis.
When shareholders of Alabama and Georgia
emigrate, they go to Louisiana, Arkansas, and
Texas. They do not come with their slaves
to Missouri or to Kansas. Call they that back
ing their friends?
Thus the matter stands The Northern emf
grants shun Missouri and Kansas as plague
spots of the nation. The Southern emigrants
shun Missouri and Kansas, because here is the
battle ground between Slavery and Free Soil.
The result is, Kansas, the fairest land under
the sun, is neglected and idle; occupied by
few honest and earnest but disheartened pio
neers, and lorded over by dozen or two feudal
tyrants of Missouri, who curse by their presence
the land they have desolated.
Such is Kansas-poor, neglected, and despis-
ed-and Western Missouri stands infected by
the horrible contagion of outlawry, and dwindles
away under the moral leprosy of its mobocratic
leaders. We are assured by two gentlemen of
high position in western Missouri but totally
differing in political sentiment-one upholding
the oligarchy that controls the affairs and tram
Piles upon the peoples sovereignty in Kansas,
the other deploring the accused madness of the
day-that matters are gloomy enough in west
ern Missouri. Business in dull. Commerce is
stagnant Money is exceedingly scarce. and
panic pervades the people. The fifty thousand
emigrants that ought this season to have poured
over into Kansas are not there. The prairie
sod remains unbroken. The sound of the axe
and the whoop of the husbandman is not heard:
Western Missouri towns are not thronged with
settlers, buying their outfits and their equip
ments of husbandry. The farmers find no mar.
ket for their horses, mules, oxen, and cows
There is no new and large trade springing up
in Kansas The much-vaunted Kansas towns lie
neglected. mockery to their owners, laugh
ing stock for all men. "Dead-dead-dea -
may be written on all the country-so deep and
disastrous has been the fall from the high and
fond hopes of the next year.
In May last, the editor of the Latelligencer
was in Kentucky, and he met numerous of the
most respectable and wealthy farmers of that
State, such as form so large portion of the
population of Missouri, who inquired earnestly
about the condition of things in Kansas and in
western Missouri. They spoke of the intention
they had of removing to Kansas or western
Missouri; but said they had abandoned it ut
terly, for the reason that they would never think
of taking their families to a region where law
was set aside, presses mobbed, and men driven
from the country by irresponsible and unknown
bands of regulators. They preferred the rule
of law to anarchy. In a recent trip through
several Northwestern States, we found that the
same circumstances were most industriously
and fatally used to divert emigration to those
States, and to prejudice Missouri and Kansas
with every class of people. The most aggraya-
ting stories of insults and outrages committed by
Missourians on the persons of emigrants from
the Old World or from the free States, who are
found ascending the Missouri river, are circula-
ted in the newspapers all through the free
States; and it is impossible to conceive of the
deep hatred thus generated towards our whole
State in the Northern half of the Union.
Between these two fires, Missouri is leading
on her languid existence. St. Louis is retarded
in most woful way, Our railroads creep at
snaiPs pace. We build ten miles while other
Western States build one hundred In every
department of life, we feel the paralysis. In
stead of bounding forward, buoyant, strong, and
rejoicing, we sit with dull eyes and heavy
spirits, and listen to the tick of death watch
These are the bitter fruits of the repeal of
the Missouri Compromises wicked and wrong
full deed-that will yet bring hell of bitter
selfreproaches to. its authors. Missouri did not
demand that repeal. The South never asked
it. Atchison solicited it-and in moment of
political insanity the South consented to the
wrong, and made the wrong her own. This
,cas the suicide Of Slarery
Every step since taken has deepened the
wrong and enhanced the danger. The free
States organized Aid Societies, and sent their
men to make Kansas free. 1t had been Free
Soil, by solemn compact, for thirty-6ve years
and they naturally were ihcensed to see Its char.
acter changed. The South would have been
far more indignant if a slave Territory had been
thus, by unexpected act of Congress, converted
into Free Soil.
The free States had a right to be indignant
that lifelong compromise had been repeal.
ed-and they had a right to try to keep Kansas
free, as it had been, by peaceable colonization.
They attempted nothing else. But portion