Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-09-06
WARRINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

sucn, within the past month especially, as to
lead to the apprehension that the fair soil of
Kansas would be drenched with blood, accom-.
panied BY all the horrors of civil war. In
fact, numerous petty conflicts, as preliminary
to general battle, have ensued and hence
it has become necessary for the Executive to
reiterate to the new Governor, Col Geary, the
policy of the Admins. ration. " 1t is, first, to
maintain order and quiet in the Territory Of
Kansas and, second, if disturbances occur
therein, to bring to punishment the offenders "
The correspondence upon this subject, which
appears at length in the Union of this morn
ing, corrects false and exaggerated statements
relative to the condition of things in the Ter
ritory, and the acts and purposes of the Gov
eminent of the United States, and in both re-
spects shows the precise truth; fact which
renders the official papers more than ordi-
narily interesting, when We consider the in
lection of mere morbidly invented ne,cs into
the columns of the newspaper press.
Some idea Of the manner in which General
Smith is conducting the highly responsible
the concluding PAL; of his instructions for the
officer in command of the deta chment of Uni
ted States troops ordered to assemble in the
neighborhood of Lecompton, the capital of
Kansas Territory, on the requisition of the
Govesnor thereof to repress instruction. He
says, in the kindness of heart as a man, and
with the true bearing of patriot and soldier /:
{" Avoid as long as possible any appeal to
arms. Use every endeavor in your power to
bring those who are in opposition to the law to
sense of their error; especially avoid small
conflicts, and consider the shedding of fell
low citizen blood as the greatest evil that can
happen except the overthrow of law and right,
which must end in civil war. But when the
necessity of action and the employment of force
does unhappily arise, employ it at once with
all the power and vigOr at your command, but
continue it only until you have suppressed the
instruction, and then interfere to prevent any
cruelty from others
From the correspondence it further appears
that, ON the % instant, the Secretary of State
wrote to Governor Geary, informing him that
reliable information had reached the President
that earned and organized bodies of men,
avowedly in rebellion against the Territorial
Government, have concentrated in such num-
bers as to require additional military force for
their dispersion" and therefore, instructs the
Governor to have I" the militia of the Territory
completely enrolled and organized. to the end
that they may on short notice be brought into
the service of the United States"
The Secretary of War, in his dispatch to
General Smith, dated the third instant in.
forms the latter that the President has author
lied him to say to General Smith that he is
authorized, from time to time, to make requi-
sitions upon the Governor for such militia
force as he may require to enable him prompt
ly and successfully to execute his orders and
to suppress instruction against the Govern
ment of the Territory Of Kansas, and, under
the circumstances heretofore set forth in his
instructions, to give the requisite aid to the
officers of the civil govei nment who may be
obstIucted in the due execution of the laws
Should he not be able to derive from the mill.
tia Of Kansas tho adequate force for these
purposes, such additional number of militia
as may be necessary will be drawn from the
States Of Illinois and Kentucky, acquisitions
having been made upon them for two regi-
ments Of foot militia, whenever the exigencies
of the public service shall induce General
Smith to call upon them for such troops. The
Secretary, addressing himself to Gen. Smith,
says:
"To you, as to every soldier whose habitual
feeling is to protect the citizens of his own
country, and only to use his arms against a
public enemy, it cannot be otherwise than
deeply painful to be brought into conflict with
any portion Of his fellow-cOuntrymen but pat
riotism and humanity alike require that re-
belion should be promptly crushed, and the
preparation of the crimes which now disturb
the peace and security of the good people of
the Territory of Kansas should be effectuaIly
checked. You will, therefore, epergetically
employ all the means within your reach to
restore the supremacy of law, always endeavor-
ing to carry out your present purpose to pre-
vent the unnecessary effusion Of blood. -
From this glance at the more important fea-
lures of the correspondence, it is seen that the
President of the United States is determined
to crush the "rebellion'' in Kansas, for which
he will receive the thanks of every true patrio.
Agriculture in California.-From the re-
port of the Surveyor General of California, it
appears that the agriculture interest Of that
State bids fair to take the lead of even the
mining interest.
According to this report, there are inclosed,
and under scientific cultivation, three hun
dred thousand acres of farming land in Cali
fornia. This does not include pasture range
or grazing grounds, but means farms, titled as
they are at the East, with improved imple-
ments and agricultural economy. The growth
Of cereals is stated at eight millions of bush
els, but the proportions of each are not given
All grains, however, thrive WE'LL but barley,
in particular. grows with unparalleled luxuri-
ance.
OF potatoes, the crop was but five hundred
thousand bushels, but the ground devoted to
them was limited A hundred thousand fruit