The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-02-20
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Good Sanaaritan-- Movements and Schemes i
Of tie RulRans- Laurence on the qai uire. +
The following, from the Lawrence cor /
respondent Of the Ny Times, written on
the 25th ult, is not quite 90 late intelli-
gence from that point as We have received
through other sources, but it will be found
very interesting:
One man. who started on foot 10 come
here last Monday, was badly frozen, and es-
capped narrowly with his lite, BY swinging |
his hat for aid after being unable to walk,
and the Samaritan who first came to his
side was our notorious Sheriff Jones, who |
was riding about one mile distant at the |
time. He found him shockingly frozen, |
and Put him upon his own horse. and car
ried him about three miles to the house of .
an Indian, where he wac we'll cared for
but it 10 doubtful whether he will ever be
able TO walk again, as heard TO day that
his feet were so badly frozen as 10 crack
open. will digress, by saying that | new.
ef saw so many people suffering with chilli
ed feet and hands before in my life, as are
now in Lawrence, Full sne-halfwho walk
the streets limp as they GO, and are Obliged
to wear buffalo over shoes, or something
very loose upon their feet. know of some
women who are obliged 10 use crutches for
the same reason This is the coolest win
ter know here Tor twenty years. There is
about six inches Of snow on the ground, and
the weather is by no means severe to-day.
"Wednesday morning the thermometer was
II dogs. be low zero, but for the last two
DAYS it has stood above zero The ground
4 49,
er about the same. Several ice-houses
have been well packed with ice since the
cold westher began.
! Cold weather Is the only fortuitous event
| for US have 10 mention. believe it is
that Only that keeps he rebels from poune-
| ing upon US. II would be impossible to
conduct a campaign successfully while the
! cold Is SO severe. We know they have an
underground organization that probably ex-
tends through all the Southern States, and
| that all who are connected with il are
pledged to fight IN any case, soright or ,orong,
and never to return till the Free State par
/ ty is extinct They drill every day at West
port and all the prominent towns along the
border, but they are totally silent upon the
! object of their movements when que STONED
| by strangers. We learn, to- night, that eve-
| ry,hing is extremely quiet at Kansas and
other places just now. 1t is the common
subject Of remark among our Free State
/ friends there, they are puzzled TO account
| for IT, Men, who appear TO be in authori-
/ ty, are seen riding from town TO town, hold
! ing conference with prominent Pro- Slavery
! men, but not one word of their designs can
| be drawn. from them. Letters from our
| friends, yesterday, from Leayenworth and
| Kansas, state that there is something
| threatening in the undercurrent, and their
| advice to us is TO prepare for the worst
/ We are fast doing it. One week ago, one
| hundred well-armed men could have storm.
4 ed our town, but our condition was not
| known in "Puk edom" We had no pow
/ der, shot or lead, and bot few provisions; but
! Yesterday one-half ton of lead arrived and
/ nearly as much powder. Two other teams
are on the way with the same "material
aid" Provisions are also coming in. SO
| that we shall soon be in 4 good condition
again for defence. Last night about sixty
| men were detailed from the different compa-
MES, and party put at each Of our FIVE for
| tifcations. Cabins were hastily thrown up
| within the entren chments, stoves prepared,
and they are now boarding themselves in
/ i
| Massachusetts street lie circular, about 100
! feet in diameter, made of earth and timbers
| thrown up about seven feet high, with
walk about four feet wide upon the top
! Upon this circle we have soldier in full
uniform, walking night and day, giving our
town something of a military appearance
Generals Robinson and Lane are constant
| ly in the Counci! Chamber with other sub
ordinate officers. The whole movement of
| the enemy is so shrouded in mystery that
We know not how 10 speak for the future
We can only provide for defences as well
! as is in our power; then "trust in God and
keep our powder dry" A campaign can
not be kept up now as easily as in Decem-
| Der. Then, eur harvest was Just over, the
weather was mild, and men could leave
their families for few days without their
suffering Now, provisions, money and
wood are scarcer, and many who came be-
fore to our aid could not be urged to do SO
again without paying them in advance, SO
that their families would no, suffer in their
absence. We have started men to-day TO
different parts Of the Territory, to expose
our dangers, and charge them to be ready at
an hours notice.
Many are of the opinion that we shall not
be attacked until the new legislature meets
or until we attempt 10 move the wheels of
our State organization on the 4,h Of March.
This may be true, and il may also be true if
large forces from the East, North and West
do not reach Us before that time, that the
Legislature viii Immediately adjourn after
organizing until the LIST of May, when We
shall be sure OF great accession to our
military as we'll as cur industrial strength
they come upon US now they come to
murder US in cold blood, without the least
possible excuse or justification, only TO ex-
tend the bounds Of the peculiar insti,u.
ton" Atchison, in his letter of declIna-
ton, seems to cut aloof from The Federal
Cove rnment, and point 10 Southern Con-
federscy as bis last chance in the game of
politics. dare not express my own appre-
tensions. Our cool, prudent, forbearing
diplomacy saved the Union from civil war
last December, but / fear we sball not be
so successful again. The beasts Of Ephe-
sus were not more ferocious and unfeeling
in olden times than these prowling leaguers
Of darkness, who threaten to devour US with.
out mercy. Who aciH come ID. the hant2
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