The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-10-16

extract of a private letter written in Kan.
sas to anrriend in this county. 1t is from
an old resident Of Richland, and is ehti.
tiled to credence, coming from the source
ii does. 1t is written to a personal frisLd
in all candor and truth; without any ex-
pectation Of its being published: r,1 81.
r -'' .- -, ...'. '. AUGusr "a, 1855.
DEAR Sra AND BRoTHER: s rg q,...
*r3rs sri3* 49, hs*au* - sac
at see that you are having a repetition
Of 40 and IA again. Now, IL an Angel
from Heaven commissioned by Jehovah
himself, should be sent into Ohio and then
and there preach the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth of the affairs as
they now exist in the Territory Of Kan.
sas, or State of Missouri. do you think the
Fremont men would believe him under the
present state OF excitement there! Alas, I
fear not; yet, you have men who actually
know the doctrine they are teaching is
false. John Sherman, a man highly es.
teen, asa man, as a lawyer, certainly does,
must know better; he has been here. ]
would ask him to put his finger on one
Border Rufian he saw here--I would ask
him Of the depredations which took place
within his personal knowledge? I would
ask him for oil the proof laid before him
as member OF the committee OF investi-
cation Of this foolish and much mooted
question! I would ask him who it was
that drove those poor families who were
actual settlers, and not slave owners, either,
from the Territory! Their only crime be-
ing that they came from the State OF Geor-
gia. Ttls happened while I was there,
and the settlers were on the river about
six miles from Lecompton. l would ask
him who it was that took from poor
man bag of cornmeol, and then tied
string through his mouth and behind his
ears TO keep him from raising the alarm,
and left him in that position, and when
found the cord had cut the corners Of his
mouth to the depth of half an inch, and
all. as they alleged, because he was a
Democrat! This happened August 18th,
while was in Kansas. l would ask him
who it-was, marching under Gen. Lane in
Nebraska Territory, two m les north OF
Kansas line, robbed DR.. Peters and two
Of his friends-took their horses and sent
them home on foot, and their only crime be-
ing that the Doctor lived in Missouri! Care
there Border Ruffians under Gen. LaneD
And without multiplying questions, would
sum it all up and ask the broad question
what is a Border Ruffinn! how does he
looki what is he made of? where does he
or they come from? hat is their occupa-
ton! What is their object in leading the
life they do! Now, these are plain, simple
questions, and all but the last one, an.
swer for themselves; for all these things
happened while I was ia The Territory,
and the perpetrators avowed themselves
Free State men. The last question, Of
what is a Border Ruf1iun! any man at
all acquainted with the early settlement o {
Ohio. Indiana. Illinois, or Iowa, must eusi'
ly find an answer. But without going
back to Ohio or Indiana, let us look back
few years in order that all who are now
old enough to vote can remember the cir
cumstances. Who was it, when the Mis-
slssppi river was then the line and this
State was then a Territory--who was 1t
that murdered Col. Davenport at MONDAY
on the Fourth day of July!-Border Ruff
fians-he was in his own house on the
line of the States and Territory! Who
was it murdered Miller and Leicy, from
Ohio, and their families close to the line
OF the States and Territories for their mon
eyl Border Ruffians. Who was it that
murdered the Hodges about that time and
place?- Border Rufians, to be sure. Hun
dreds Of others of which 7 do not now
think, were hasely, cruelty robbed and
murdered along the borders of the Missis'
sippi, when that was the line between the
States and Territories. No question Of
slavery then agitated the country, nor was
there any holy fear of Iowa becoming a
slave State; and yet there were Border
Rufians then--there are Border Ruffians
now. A Border Rufian looks lke a man,
and some of the them are as genteel in
their appearance as the. most finished dan
dy of the Eastern Metropolis, while others
are low, grovelling. drunken, murderous
looking villuins. They come from all parts
OF the world--from slave States as we'll as
free States; but those that now infest this
country Of cash and speculation, are mostly
from the free States, and care as much
about slavery or freedom as the man in the
moon cares whether his planet is as large
as ours. The iapscallions Of oil the coun-
tries, congregate here, as there is wide
field for their operations, and this slavery
question covers up all their sins, as it is
either blamed to one or the, other of the
political parties in the coming contest =
o, shame on any man,, or men, or party
that will encourage such strife. The Emi.
grant Aid Society, or rather the rotten politi-
cal leaders Of the eastern Abolitionists, have
more cause to pray for the forgiveness Of
their many sins--7for the blood, yes, inno-
cent blood, spilled through their false teach