The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-07-30
Letter From an oberlin Student

1ISLCGf rom al E0Cu1SnC
An crtract Of a letter from an O6erkn
STUDENT to lis reAativc, furnished to
Tie Ohio Statesman t2r publication.
GAS far as instruction is
concerned, I could not we'll be better suit
ed, but [ do not like so much fanaticism
on politics. You cannot look from the
window, but what You will sec clusters
of people with their heads close together,
talkifg about Kansas, and c~ondemning
the administration. They are just such
people as whitfield from Brutus to Anto-
ny and from Antony TO Brutus, during
the revolution at Rome. There is III
fact no stability about them, and they
will, l have no doubt, condemn the next
administration as heartily as they do
this. Here you hear President Piercc's
name spoken of in no other relation than
that of q tyraut and a usurper. Douglas
is called IL traitor to his country, and
the people in Kansas, who are not abo-
litionists like themselves, are called Bor-
! der RuGiaus. l have heard men here
who call themselves Republicans, lift
up their voices in prayer. to the God Of
the Universe, asking him to assist them
to drive the pro-slavcry men from Kan
sas or serer the Union. Here, the man
who is the greatest thief, who has stolen
and induced the most slaves to run away
from their masters, is the greatest gen
tleman. [ was, until l came here, hall
inclined to belieye that the Republican
party were aiming at a good object, but
now / an fully convinced that it is the
corrupt production Of political dema-
] gogues, and that they are trying to keep
up , strife in Kansas, in order to make
political capital of it this Fall. In fact,
[ have heard some of their leading men
say, that they hoped that the political
excitement in Kansas would not die out
till after Ire election this Fall, that they
thought if things were managed about
right there and they made a big noise
about the Nebraska bill, aud the Fugi-
tive Slave law, they would stand a pref
ty good chance of electing Fremont to
the Presidency. Without this treach-
erous play they have no hope. In short
1 will say that the present Republican
party is only another name for the cor
rnpt part of the old Wing party. l
say corrupt part" for many, very
many, of the Wings Will o join the
party.
l will venture to say if the old Wings
of Ohio could be in Qberlin aud witness
what [ have witnessed, and see the de-
signs as plainly as they exist here, that
not one in ten would be a member Of
that party. They have men here who
90 about lecturing on politics and en-
listing people to go to Kansas, iii order
that The quarrel may be continued til
after tie election. [ have heard tive
Of those Kansasites speak since l have
been in Oberlin, have seen those men
each Of them, draw from their pockets
a pair of revolEers and a large knife.
(Which they carry in a leather sheath
made on purpose,) and brandish them
above their heads, exclaim that these
were the things with which they intend
ed to teach Democrats reason, and thai
if in order to make Kansas a free State
it becomes necessary to Unfortunately
put to death every pro-slavery man, they
would do it; and such expressions al
these were received by the so called Re
publican party with applause, and crie'
of good %" good "-and let Frarl
Pierce and all Democrats in Congress a
Washington be included in the sentence
These facts look glaring, and in the Ian
guage of Shakespeare, l will say "Tha-
had an angel from Heaven told me tina
these were the sentiments of the Repub
lican party at Oberlin, [ would have be
lieyed no tongue but theirs, and no ears
but my own. But if hey get into pow
err we may look out for trouble. Goo
knows we have trouble enough in on
national affairs now, but all that ha'
been : only a drop in the bucket or
" as a few saSSds compared to tie might:
continent"
They boldly assert that they intend
as soon as theis power is sufficiently dc
yeloped, to wrcst the slaves in the Soutl