Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-09-10

tory, and they have determined that we shall
exercise no right of self-government. They
have placed above us set of men of their
own making, and they have appointed by name
a prosecuting attorney for each District, Sher-
ifs, County Clerks. Probate Judges and Com
missioners for each county; but being unable
to appoint Justices of the Peace and Consta-
bles, because of their ignorance of the people
of the Territory, they took care TO provide
that all other officers provided by law who had
not been appointed by the Legislature, should
be appointed by the County Commissioners
These County Commissioners have absolute
control over the election. They have the right
to fix the places where the elections are held.
They appoint their own officers to preside over
the ballot-boxes, taking care to select them
with especial reference to the unscrupulous
manner in which they would discharge their
duty. Having done all this they felt reasona-
bly, secure against everything except absolute
revolution. They then proceeded to disorga-
nize the Free-State party, and prevent them
from having any party or political action with
any sort of efficiency. They first undertook
to deprive that party of its leaders. Indict-
mcntS for treason were originated, some lead
ers of the party were thrown into prison, 9TH
ers were obliged to leave the territory to avoid
sharing the same fate, and now some eight of
our most efficient men are living upon the
plains of Kansas, in tents, guarded by United
States Dragons, and are rendered, in conse-
cient. The Free-State party was thus depriv-
ed of its leaders, and the next step was to strip
them of their presses. Three of these have
been deStroyed-one at Leavenworth, one at
Lawrence, and the third at Osawattamie. They
began to cast their eyes to see where the next
blow must be struck. They saw that in the
city of Kansas in the State of Missouri imme-
diately on the edge of the Territory, ho
tel kept by Free-Statc man from Massachu-
setts. 1t was sort cf asylum, home for the
Northern emigrant. Meeting there, he found
a warm welcome and cordial reception, and
could remain there, meeting men from the
Territory every day, and acquiring such infor-
nation as he desired previous to purchasing
his horses, cattle, and all farming implements.
He remained there comfortable, unmolested
and undisturbed until he was ready to pass in
to the Territory, acquiring information every
day if he chose. There was hospitable roof
under which he and his family could live until
he had selected his land and built his cabin
They saw this was a facility for Northern cmi-
grants which was of great assistance to the
Free-State men of Kansas, and they determn-
ed that they must be robbed of that. The
landlord Of the hotel, after having been oblig-
ed to call his friends to defend his house from
destruction, is finally informed 10y a commit
tee of citizens formed at public meeting that
his house could be preserved no longer, and
that it must be torn down over his head, or
must be sold out to Pro-slavery men. Sixteen
prominent men whre on that committee, and
the landlord compelled to sell out his
house to Pro-slavery men selected by this
committee, as the only alternative to avoid his
destruction. They saw that the hotel at Law
renee afforded great facilities to the settlement
of the Territory by Northern men. That, too,
must be torn down and under the forms OF
law, by the officers of law, artillery is brought
from the State of Missouri, the house attack
ed, the walls battered, its furniture turned out
and destroyed, and at last fires are kindled and
all its gorgeous furniture reduced to heap OF
smoking ruins. l need not tell you of the out
RACES that followed the destruction Of the no.
tel; could not picture to you the infuriated
band of robbers and thieves breaking into ev-
cry house except two, robbing the trunks, cup
boards and wardrobes of every citizen, taking
money, clothing, provisions, arms, horses, cat
tie, everything that this plundering horde
could lay its hands on. One citizen was rob,
bed of about two thousand dollars, another OF
five or six hundred, and so on down to poor
mechanic, who was met on the streets and or
dered to ssstand and deliver" and whose porte
nonQie was taken from him and robbed OF the
last quarter eagle he had. Wardrobes were
carried Off and clothing which could not be
worn by those ruffians was torn in stripes, and
the house of private individual, with all his
furniture, books and papers, was consigned to
the flames. This was the scene which happen
ed in the town of Lawrence on the 2lst OF
MAY. And this, my fellow-citizens, was not {
sudden outbreak, not due to any sudden eX
citement, not the work of lnfuriated men. mol
the suggestion of a moment; but it was one Of
the steps in the progress of this enterprise TO
wards its consummation. The election on the
| 3Oth of March, the laws passed by the Legisla
| ture, the finding of indictments, stripping the
| party of its leaders, the destruction OF the
| printing presses-all these were predetermln
ed. preiudged and prepared, in order to consu
| mate the great leading plan of making kansa:
| a Slave State by violence and force of arms a
| eainst the wishes of its people. Then in the
| spring of 1856, band of men, gathered Will
| drum and fife, whskcy and promises OF free
| unrestrained license upon the plains of Kan
ssa enlisted under the command of Southern
| leaders, taken there under military organiza
| ton, and turned loose upon our soil to live il
| camps and rob, plumber and murder our peo
| ple, take away our arms, and use the weapons
| of political action to drive out those who couic
| be intimidated, in order to murder and plum
der at will. These men landed there in thu
| spring of 1866, the first detachment under th'
| command of Col. Buford. Gentlemen in th'
| South at the time told me that these men wer'
among the idle vagabonds of the Southern ci
ties. With drum and fife and promises of fre'
| expenses and free living on the plains of Kan
| sas they were brought to thatState they wer
marched from the steamboat to the shore il
military array; the articles were read to them
and by these articles they were bound to lv
under military organization; bound to figh
their battles; bound to vote the Pro-slayer.
| ticket. From that time to this, with the ex
ception of those who deserted from them the.
have lived in camps, making no attempt a
settlement, with purely military life, rowing
over the face of the Territory, attacking me
| alone in their cabins, depriving them of thei
arms, and waylaying them, allowing no man t
travel back and forth except he has pass fror
their leaders, or from some friend whom thei
leaders recognize. The citizens were not eve
allowed to procure the necessaries of life, an
no Industrious settler could pass down to th