Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-05-21
CLEARFIELD, PA, MAY II, 1856.
LETTER FROM KANSAS.

addressed. 1t was not designed by the writer
for publication but as it treats of q subject
in which every citizen of our country is deep
ly interested, the liberty Of giving publicity
to it has been taken by one who hopes that
good may be accomplished thercby.l
CoUxcrI ClTv. March 10th, 1856.
Rev. J. J. HAMILTON My dear, dear Broth
er:-I received your short letter by way of
George. Now l just want to ask whether you
were flying when you wrote it, for [ certainly
felt much as if had a pair of wings when 1
read it, but only to fly one way: for thousand
sill.en chords seemed to draw me toward you
so strongly that fairly began to be afraid of
my bOnds-afraid lest I could never break
them, and afraid that they would break. Ny
heart seemed to jump up in my throat and fut
ter about SO, that for some time 1 could not
get it calmed down again TO its proper place.
Indeed it did not seem as if we could be so far
apart. and if we live, hope we may not be so
great while, but don't know.
have just been reading in the Banner
proposition 70 substitute Christian colonial
tion, in place Of foreign missions. Now it
does seem to me as if that is just the fling.
erly selected and organized. Let all branches
of labor be duly and economically represent
ed; and in all things show the heathcn how to
live. l grow more and more persuaded that
reform in the use of our bodies must accompa-
ny any high attainment in godliness. This re-
form may precede that spiritual change which
is the beginning Of Christianity, to 4 great cx-
tent. A man may fully conform to the laws of
nature in respect to his body without ever be-
coming christian. But he cannot make much
| progress in godliness, without such rcforma-
| tion accompanies it. The cannibal must re-
! form his practices. The raw bccf-cater Of Ab-
| ysSinia must reform Tho drunl<erd among
| ourselves, must reform and all the coffee,
whiskey, tea, tobacco, pill and potion takers,
must leave off these things, at least to a great
| extent, before they can attain very high de-
| gree of godliness. To this end we should join
/ every endeavor to deliver ourselves, together
with the rising generation, out of all these bad
| habits into which we have fallen, for in so do
ing we shall have taken indispensable pre-
paratory step toward christianizing them.
ButI set out to write to you few words on
another subject. You cannot but have noticed
that have said almost nothing in my former
letters, on the subject of slavery. This was
for fear that they would never reach you if
did. Two Of the letters which sent to George,
as near as 1 can learn, never got there; and
some of those that he did get, he told me, had
| evidently been opened. Early in the season
our letters went to Westport, and the 2. NJ. at
that place is the man whom the Missourians
|
county, and who led them at the raid of last
December. Our letters now go to Indepen-
dence, the P. N. Of which is more honorable,
as we believe.
The lost letters were suppressed, as 1 sup
| pose, because of some reference to what saw
at Hickory Point, on my way out. This is
the same place where Dow was shot. Well,
| in the Spring, on my way here, l stopped at
Bull Creek, q pro-slavcry stopping place, l.
miles east of Hickory Point. Here 1 heard
dark hints about hurricanes, cabins blown
down, &c. Agreeably to this, l saw four cab
ins torn down at Hickory Point. 1t appeared
that the Missourians had begun to settle there,
and were determined to keep eastern men from
settling around them, at all hazards. The
d Yankees soon came in, however, in such num-
bers, that they couldn't carry on the game
for they got pretty large company there,
armed with Sharp's rifles, and drilled to suit
the times. now write to let you know that
my former sentiments on this subject have
been intensely aroused by coming here; and
if this letter don't reach you, l mean, (if not
killed first, as ] may be- to rewrte it, in SUBJ
stance, and send it by some one going east
completely past that blghted state. l wish
were with you while to talk the matter over
for writing is so tedious to me, as | suppose il
is to yourself and almost everybody. But to
get back to this detestable, abominable, horri
BILE, cabin-tearing, man-killing thing of slave
ry. Why, it's almost every thing that's bad
And yet we're told that it is christian-o yes
Is it not Christ-like7 Are not its fruits holy
and pure. and gentle, and loyablc2 Just thC
things to awaken our better feelings, and draw
out our nobler sentiments To restrain on
bad passions, such as hate, and lust, &c. Blu
I must hold on, or shall get excited, and it,
altogether too cool yet for that. But 1 d.
want to see christians moro free to conside
the scriptural validity of chattel slavery.
All creatures are the property of the Crea
tor, and no creature can have any right to ex
ercise any control over another, without tn
appreciation of Him who is the source of al
authority. Now, for my part l can find n
: commission emanating from God for the prac
tice of chattel slavery; if indeed for any ser
: : vitude whatever, except that due to himscl
Thou shall. worship the Lord thy God, an