Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-08-07

own business and enjoying their own opn-
ions. But it was very soon manifested shat
this was no part Of the purpose for which
they were brough here. About the middle
of May, they in connection with two or three
hundred Mssour;ans commenced series of
depredations in this Territory. For weeks
we were subjected to reign of terror
Men were barbarously murdered as well in
cold blood as in the heat of passion. Towns
were sacked, houses burned. property stolen
or wantoniG destroyed, the sanctity of the
hearth invaded and women subjected to
fiendish outrage. Our highways have been
beset with banditti at whose caprice our ci-
tizens going peaceably about their business,
have been arrested and detained, or plupder.
ed, abused and insulted When asked by
what right they did these things, the rufians
were wont to show their revolvers, as their
sole and sufficient authority. Citizens have
been reduced to the humiliation of travel
ing the highways under protection Of pass
from some border ruffian magnate. Manv
OF these passes are extant, signed by Will
son Shannon
A few only of the ou:rages committed can
be mentioned here. At Blandon bridge.
four miles from Lawrence, a young man
named Jores, quiet inoffensive settlers
was beset by an armed band, who demanded
his arms, and after taking them, deliberate
ly shot him dead. Two days afterward a
young man named Stewart was murdered in
similar manner near the same place.
A man named Cantrell, a Mlssourian ot
Free State sentiments, residing at Palmyra
was seized few weeks since, at a short
distance from his own house, by guerrilla
party, who took him with them towards
Mlssouri-his family not knowing what had
become of HIN. When they reached Cedar
creek two or three of the party took him
into the woods and shot him repeatedly till
he was dead
The Shawnee Agent named Coy, was
stopped near Westport and asked if he was
Free State man. On his answering thai
he was, he was shot dead on the spot
Some desperadoes on the border have beer
known to boast of murders of which we
have no knowledge in any other way
Whether these boasts were mere lies, OIL
whether their victims really lie IN some
OBSCURE ravins, prey to wolves and buz
yards, can only be conjectured. The boast
is at least Illustrative Of the border morals
The full details of these outrages wou ID
fill volumes, and large portion of them
have been already published in the South
ern and Eastern journals. These papers are
extensively read here, and it is a matter OF
common remark that the reports of occur.
enccs in this Territory-though some time:
inaccurate-are seldom exaggerated. The
reporis which we have seen of the more i'm
portant events. as the sacking of Lawrence
&c, have been neither inaccurate nor ex-
aggerated.
The conflict here is not between adverse
parties within the Territory, for tie Pro-
Slavery residents are too few to engage in
such a conflict, and mlny of them are peace.
able men, willing to sbide the decision o
the majority. Our enemies are without
Their attacks upon US have been undisguis-
ed lnvasions. The piracies lately commit
ted at Lexington and other Missouri towns
show with sufficient clearness ,chere our
enemies are. They ais, show what they
inlend--shich indeed they openly avow--
viz: to forcibly prevent any more Free State
emigrants from entering the Territory, and
to drive out or exierminats those who are
here.
What shall be the end Of these things:
1t seems to US not very difficult to predict.
If another Pro-S,auery President be elected
our enemies ,oM either accomplish their pur-
pose of erpelling or e.rterminatine US, or con-
Guide the Nation ,oith Civil War in the at
tempt to do it. If the North does her duty
Kansa. will be saved and the Natl on saved
with her.
We shall read our doom or deliverance in
the result of the presidential election
Pierce had no personal reason for oppres-
sing US. He has only served the power
which gave him his seat, and Buchanan, il
elected, will do the same-wilh more decency,
and fewer blunders, but not less effeclually.
If we had no other criterion, the knowledge
that our enemies trust him, would be suffi
cient. The hope of Kansas lies in the sue
cess of Fremont and Republicans. We
appeal to the voters of the Free States to
forget party attachments and animosities for
the time, and unite as one man, for the
defense of our rights and their own. IF but
one or two large Northern States vote with
the South for Buchanan, Kansas is lost
We appeal to the tens of thousands OF
candid men who acquiesced in the repeal of
the Missouri Compromise. believing that the
Administration and the South were sincere
in proposing to have the slavery question To
the free action OF tho PeePlo of the Terri-
tory. You can no longer doubt that you
have been betrayed. We appeal to you as
you love fair play and detest oppression, to
unite in :he only course which can save US
from ruin and the Nation from disaster and
disgrace.
We cannot close without referring to
an inquiry which for months past has re-
Cured continually to every thinking mind
in Kansas. That inquiry is, "What can the
Slave Power mean!" We are amazed and
confuunded by its audacity. We have said
of this and of that step-"They will not
dare to do it,"-Yet they have done these
very things, one after another, until
the inquiry has become-"What will they
not dare dol" Their seeming utter reck-
lessness of the effect which their doings
must have on the presidential election, has
cont inualy forced on our minds the suspi-
cion OF some deep laid treason by which
they mean to ho;d on to power. even though
The election should gn against them. This
apprehension may be unfounded, but we
have we'll learned this truth, that THE SLAVE
POWER scRUPLEs AT NOTHING.
Topeka, July 4th, 1856.
Proceedings in U. S. Senate.