Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-07-05
Communications.
KANSAS CORRESPONDENTS.

SANAN1R
For obvious reasons the following comes to us
without a signature. 1t is however none the less
reliable on that account:
LAWRENCE, Kansas, June 9Th, 1856.
DEAR MARIus: | wrote you a letter q few days
after the destruction of Lawrence, but as the mails
are frequently pillaged in Missouri you may have
never received it.
The writers of letters too, are frequently en-.
%dangered by what is found in them. One Of Gov.
Reeder's was recently brought before the Commit
tee Ct Investigation to prove his treason to the
Territorial Legislature. 1t is supposed the letter
was taken from tho mail. Col. Lane also says
that very many of his letters have been intercept
ed. l know many men in the Territory who find
it impossible to send away or receive a letter in
their own name. This is d practical illustration
of one of the evils of slavery which we must en-
dure if Kansas Je made a slave State. w have
got now this catalogue. If Slavery, then no free
dom Of speech, no freedom of the press, no sacred
ness of private correspondence, no protection from
search OF private residence, no right to keep or
bear arms, no right to vote, no right to elect our
own officers, no right to travel without being
searched and often robbed under pretence of law.
If Freedom, then the reverse of all this.
One night last week a company of pro-slavery
men took a free State man from his bed in the
night, to hang him. They went to a neighboring
woods and made a fire. His wife gave the alarm
and a few Of his neighbors arrived just as they
were drawing him up to tho limb of a tree. They
One of the men killed was Wilkinson, a pro-slave-
ry member Of the bogus Legislature.
The pro-slavery party reported this as a great
outrage of the free State men-that The men they
murdered were taken from their beds in the night.
some of them sleeping with their wives,-and af
ter the fee State men had murdered them they
mangled them by cutting of their arms, &c.
This had great effect in Missouri SO that two
hundred men started out for Prairie City, from
Westport, to e%xterminato every free State man
they could find. They got out on the Santa Fee
road about forty miles when they were met by a
party of free State men numbering about one hun
dred. They had n regular fight. The pro-slavery
party lost several killed, a large number wounded,
and nearly all their party prisoners. Just as the
free State party had them all safely secured, bound
to trees &C., Col. Sumner rode up with six compa-
mics of dragons and took both parties, disarming
them ali and letting them go. Gen Whitfield who
was on the ground heading a party Ct Missouri
ans was very insulting to Col. Sumner, demanding
the arms, ammunition, horses and baggage of the
misunderstanding him q id Free State
man, &c.
The Col. who is q strict disciplinarian, does
nothing more nor less than his orders specify
After taking all the arms and ammunition he let
both parties go. The free State men taking their
horses and wagons and so on.
f The rumor is that Sumner has the government
of things now, instead of Shannon, and that he
will act impartially. l think he is impartial, fol
both parties find fault with him.
They had a public meeting at L%eavenworth and
appointed a private committee to examine all per.
sons, citizens and passengers that landed from
boats, and send them back, if they don't suit &c.
They have warned off all free State men from this
city and many have left. Twenty or more came
up here. The correspondent Of the New York
Tribune had to leave. Twenty men were hunting
him with the determination to shoot him if they
could. If you were here you would think hell had
broke lose. Shannon is drunk half the time, and
the most ultra, pro-slavery disunionists have the
control Of affairs. IF it were not for the Govern.
ment troops the free State party woald be safe
enough,
There Is no pro-slaeery party IN tie Territory and
necer has been. The pro.slavery party is in Mis-
souri,. OF settlers | think they stand about ten to
one. The free State men are net and never have
been afraid Of them, if they could be left alone by
the Government.
While the SOutherncrs are spending all their
time in idleness and fighting and stealing, the free
State men are moving in and filling up the whole
back country. There is q stream of Northern
emigrants pouring steadily in which will sooner or
later settle this question. I have seen no one dis
couraged or backing out on account of the pro-sla.
very thunder squalls. We shall surely have sun
shine after they are over. Some few however
may leave, and many will DO prevented from com
ing. But there will be backbone here you may
depend. Whenever the Missouriaas plate
perpetrating some horrid outrage they FIRST accuse
the free State men of doing it and then they Sc.
~taliate. They do this to justify themselves before
the world.