The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-04-23
From tie R3ar!in9toa 92ag.
Hon. John kcQpeep's Letter.

WS have received a letter from ~, tho
Hon. John Mcqueen, from which NJ.
make TIE following extracts. This letter
came 70 hlRlRd SO late as to preclude the
possibility ofany remarks, 1. speaks for
itself, however.
" ut would be exceedingly gratifying TO
me to see the State, and the Pee Dee
country especially. excited on the issue
now forced upon the South by the Al,o
I;,ionisis in Kansas. There, !. !. a.ld 70.
patriotism and enterprise. That territory
originally slave, has. simply been opened
to Tho South upon principle, Of equality
sgd Justice, and laws have been passed
to protect our properly. Northern fsnat.
'c'srh aEd northern capital have sent ls,.
hordes Of northern emir rsnts expressly
or the purpose Of crushing out slavery.
-Arme,l to the teeth, and with open aro.-
ii of their pnrposs, they have Opened TO
their settlement, Oregon, Washington,
Minnesota AMI CalilGrnia, as well rs Utah
aud New Mexico but REGARDLESS Of these
they 60 through and overlook these, ri
though perhaps twenty times as large a.
Kansas, and sct.le down in that small
territory, behind the State Of Missouri.
with cannon aud Sh.rp's rife in ,heir;
hands, declaring to the world that they
will tramble the Constitution and The
Laws under foot, drive from or inu,dsr
tho slave holder in th: territory, and "a
'ablish their rule, regardless of the South.
This IS the issue; and the North, in the
face of the Law, has rendered it TO the
South; and the time is upon us when We
mus. respond 10 il. We mus, either sub
.iit. and let the territory be insloriously
~restcd from us, with the certainty too,
shat Kansas being free State, the same
t'.o incepdiaries who take tha, territory
will soon steal slaves from Missouri until
She first, then kentcky and Others will in
er'!aS!y dispose Of the remnant Of those
in their possession, until God knows how
soon wc may be border State. What
under these circumstances vii, our people
gIvei We have the Constitution, the
law, and President in our favor. Shall
We become excited on subjects of much
less Importance, and overlook this ofmos,
vital interest to us. Or shall cur people
rc.Spo2d TO it rs did our ANCESTRY, who
~hen Their rights and their interests were
ABOUT to he mTadeI; resisted tax upon
tea?" WIN We not resist the invasion Of
our hcar:G-stonesi Abolition has been
looming up, regularly, and more korrnida.
bly, for about twenty years. Now we
have an issue that no hypocrisy can dis
gulse; and it seems to me that duty, pat.
r'otlsn, and interest demand of us action
and that too without delay. do not
mean by action necessarily war;-all the
iaws'e<isting in the territory srs in &vor
o: ou: 'righ.ss those Who OPPOSE them t'liiein
may be held as traitors. In that position
they must remain until nsw elections take
place. Tho Aboli,ionists, through their
regular organization and money, are pour
ing into the territory, the slime Of New
England, and indeed Of Europe, in gres,
numbers, with tho determination that
:hey will control the destiny Of the terri
tory by the next elections; their recent
conduct shows that they will sneak back
in!o their f"rts and retreats and make no
light for the present. but they will only
DC the better prepared at the time Of the
elections to carry the poll. by numbers
and this is evidently their expectation.
and it will be realized unless the South
rally ut once and meet them on that
ground, also. 1t seems to me there is
every inducement 70 rompt our people
to be up and doing in this matter. 1t is
the first time that the Abolitionists have
ever made IN issue with as IN which they
have nor" shaped in some w.v to o.div;de
and ; raraly=e'our strength. This is
plain issue, and AL must understand it,
hope thoSe Of our people VINO havc'the
means and cannot go, will 'advxnce 'liber.
ally their money and energy to aid yonnc
men who have not the means themselves
TO go TO the territory and settle early, tina,
they may secure for themselves the most
valuable lands which by pro emp,ion they
will get at l.25 per acre, which one
hand can easily clear by tilling the ground
the first year, and which in short time
may be worth ffom sq5 to 40 per acre.
"A man going with ono negro man be-
tween :l:is and June, may eesily buy the
claim OH ssttle for y reasonable price.
turn over tho lard with oxen, plant corn
on II, and without single ploughing af
forwards make from 30 10 so bushels Of
corn on every acre he plants, FOR which. in
80 new = county, he can get from one
dollar to one and half for every bushel
he makes; so that the product Of 4 or 5
acres thus cultivated the fist year, would
pay for his l60 acres, the extent Of his
pre.emption, whilst he in the mean time
could do any other business which no
might find profitable, and patrio,icaIly aid
in protecting the institutions of his coun
try, ard righu Of the South with sut,:
cieh: R;im5er of true southern mon to con-
troll tho ballot boxes, there will lie no
fighting with the Abolitionists, and the
miserable scum sent there from New f. O.
land would soon find they were certainly
ih'the wrong atmosphere for them.
frost our Portion Of the State will not be
behind other sections, having in no way
the advantage of rs in any respect. !
trust it is useless for me to say | will con-
,ribdie literally As my mean. will allow.
in this enterprise Of duty and patriotism"
EIRR.-We regret To Announce that tho