Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-06-12
One little shar2.visaged, dark-featured

|
black-eyed South Carolinian, as smart as
cricket, who seemed 10 be the leader of Il
gang, was particularly displeased, cd
you," said he, "if came all the. way fro
':South Carolina and spent So much none
s'to do things up in such miik-and-watt
.:style as this
They stripped ne naked to the wais
covered my body with tar, and then, for tn
want Of feathers, applied cotton WOOL
Having appointed a committee of three
certainly hang me the next tine / shoUI
come to AtchisOn, they tossed my clothe
into my buggy, put me therein, aceompanie
me to the suburbs of the town, and sent m
naked out upon the prairie. Is
adjusted my attire about me as.sbest
could, Ind hastened to rejoin my vie an
two little ones on the banks of the SSsange
Creek. 1t was rather sorrowful Naeetin
after so loug a parting. Still, we were YER
thankful that. under the blessing of goo
Providence, it had Jared no worse with u
ALL
| The first mob that sent me down the Mis-
souri, River on a ratt--aiways eXceptin!
Robert s. kelly-were courteous gentleman
compared with this last one. When | wa
towed into the middle of the steam do no
remember to have heard word spoken b.
the men Oh the shore. This last mob, whel
they left me on the border Of the town
shrieked and yelled like pack OF New-ZeaI
and cannibals. The first mob did not at
tempt to obridge my right Of speech. Ii
reply to all the hard and bitter things they
said against me the patiently heard Inc to the
end. But these men who have come to in
troduce into Kansas that order of things tina
now exists in South Carolina, savagely gag
ged me into silence by rapping my face
choaking me, pulling my beard, jerking ml
violently to my seat, and exclaimed, Dbl
you, hold your tongue!" All this was done
while nv arms loere piaa0ned behind me!
Many will ask now, as they have asked
already what is the true and proper cause
of all these troubles which have in Atchi.
son. | have told the word already and
can only repeat my own words. have said
The very head and front Of my offending
hath this extent, no more" | had spoken
among my neighbors favorable for making
Kansas Free State, and said in the office
ofthe Squatter Sovereign. am free -Soiler
and intend to vote for Kansas to be Free
State. 1t is true that Kelly, by an after
thought, las added two new counts to his
bill OF Indictment against me. The first is
I -, NF tat,t I,.
Augu5t, talking Abolitionism. | have not
the honor OF being an AboliiioniSt. And
second, that | spoke sOm:how or other.
improperly il the presence of slaves. All
this is not only utterly false, but the charges
are ex-pOst facto; for not word was said OF
this the day they pat me on the raft.
Prior to August Is. 1855, there was, pro-
perly speaking, no Free State party organi-
zed in Atchison county perhaps not the
whole Territory of Kansas. Free voters
did not know their own strength, AID ali
were disposed to be pruient-some were
timid. Here in AtchiSon coun we were
determined that if the Border Rufians were
resolved 10 drive matters to bl ody issue,
the respons bility of doing so should rest
wholly with themselves. There are many
Free-Soilers in this county; brave men, who
have no scruples to hinder them from arm
ing themselves and preparing to repel force
by force. The Border Rufiiars sought, by a
system of terrorism, SO to ntimidate Free
Sellers as to prevent them from Organizing a
Free State Party, or even discu- sing the
subject of Slavery and Freedom in Kansas.
They carried this to such an extent of out
rareous violence that it came to be currently
reported that it was as much as mans lie
was worth in The town of Atchiscn to say:
81 am Free Soiler.''
We deprecated violence and wished a
peaceful discussion Of the subject. 1t was
therefore most fitting that man whose pro-
fession forbade him to GO armed should put
to the test of actual experiment whether an
American citizen OF blameless life could be
permitted to enj y the right of free speech
the privilege ofexpressing views favorable
to making Kansas Free State-suchs views
being uttered without anything of angry,
abusive OR insulting language. 1t was tor
this purpose the above words were spoken,
and which has been the cause Of ali my
troubles in Atchis0n. x
Respectfully, PARDEE BUTLER.