New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-10-04
GEN. LANE CHALLENGES THE BORDER
HTITIAN>.

| tn N,ss,, A. W Do.rPH,S and A. 6. Booy.
| GrNTIyxys: M attention has been called to the
last half Of circular published in The Missouri Re-
| zublicon Of Sept. 3 1886 to which your names are
subscribed as indoTsers. Atchson & Co., your prn-
cipals have long since placed themselves beyond the
pale Of those who Gun be recognized a. gentlemen;
and therefore | address you.
II TINS half Of the circular CONVEYS any idea Of the
spirit or tenor Of the whole article, ! venture the
seron that in reckessness OF yeracty and bald alsf
cation it would be difficult to find its parallel
l have Fever enlisted an army. nor even 6 single
soldier to march into Kansas. | Travelled through
Iowa in company with large body of peaceable citi
zens each of whom avowed, with the greatest sppa-
rent sincerity their determination TO become bona ffe
settler. of Kansas, and far as my knowledge eI-
tends have actually made good their professions and
making homes for themselves and their faml-
lies. Fearing my presence might be seized upon a7
pretext for attacking them by the United States troops,
] left the company on the east side Of the Missouri
River and travelled into Kansas alone, taking differ
route from theirs to be entirely disconnected
with them.
On nv arrival in Kansas | found the border papers
teemirg with nAammatory denunciatons of our clts
zens, and boldly proclaming against them war OF
determinations and 10 response to their indictments,
hordes of depraved, misguided despcradoes entering
the country many of them having inscribed on their
hats, "Death to Abolitionists aud quarter
mother and daughter in the absence Of the husband
and father, ravshed by nearly one hundred iiendsh
men; the gifted Major Hoyt, who had gaanty served
his country in the Mexican war. brutally murdered
while totally unarmed his body hacked to pieces. aud
few sods thrown over him. leaving his arms and feet
projecting from the earth prey for wolves, prisoners
murdered in manner exceeding if possible, even the
shocking barbarity of savage tribes, and aterward
scaped-one man scalped while alive. and who yet
lives to exhibit his skinless head to an outraged
world; dwellings being burned over helpless women
and screaming children.
In the state of confusion and Indignation resulting
from these ourages, the people of Kansas sought my
aid and council and | took command of the forces
rallied for their defense an imperative duty which
the promptings of humanity forbade me to refuse.
Instead of following the examples of your associates
We determined to wage on honorable and only q de-
fensve warfare To this end the first order issued
guaranteed to the settler without reference
to his politics, compelled humane and courteous treat
ment to prisoners, forbade the burning of dwellings or
the destruction of property, and inflicted the penalty
of death for it, violation. This order was repubshed
the morning after your associates had burned seven
dwellings near Lccompton in sight If the United
States troops. No buildings were destroyed az Frank
lip and the attack was made there under the I'M
preston that the loaded and used to rghten
Free. State men was the ono taken from Lawrence
The houses DESTROYED at Saunders and Bull Greek
although in themselves military foTtihcations and oc-
cupied but few minutes before their destruction by
our nvadcIs-werc burned contrary to orders, ana by
persons having connection with my command
The house of Clark the Indian Agent. charged as he
& h. omar Tod
Barber with its valuable contents was spared by our
army which reached ii but few moments after the
invaders who had Just burned the seven houses al
uded to, had deserted it and fled TO Lecompton. AT
Lecompton express orders given that not shot
| should be fred at the house occupied by Widow
Brooks and her gallant sons and accomplished dsugh-
ters although the building was at the time occupied
bv the very men who had knded the 6res of the then
smoking ruins Of the houses of friends To Capt
| Scott Gen Richardson and other prisoners. refer
YOU for testimony of their proper treatment. The lat
| ter gentleman at the peril of my own life. was con
Quoted five miles outside OF picket guards. Al
though some of the citizens of Kansas may have been
| driven into measures Of retaliation, and would he
strange if they had not defy you TO point to single
| act committed by the men under my command de
rogatory to their character gallant soldiers OF oh'
| slrc gentlemen.
As TO the charge of treason and outlawry, laugh
il to scorn The recent charge upon bal o. the
prisoners charged with treason will trust prevent
apy repetition of the stale charge b! an! man who
makes any pretensoIs to specability
Ipresume there is no one, IN the Slave States
so stultsAed in intellect to now imagine that the
effort to nhc the curse of SLAYER, Kansas b! force
and AIMS is not entirely futile fou can, therefore
have no other object the inv sson of Kansas than
m. desire for bloodshed. When YOU O. ready for
another invasion TO crafty this hc'lish disposition IN
! order 10 save further importing OF our beloved
Union, viii entertain proposition Ike th-: You 10
select one hundred actual Shareholders, born ana
raised in Slave States who have alresd. been en-
| Gagged in this conflict Atchison 4 Go. among the
number: and TO select one hundred actual non-slave
! holding settlers Of Kansas myself included We be
ing the parry invaded and having The rSht 20 seIe''
! time, place, distance and weapons. who sinai Ggh'
! in presence Of twelve members Of the Senate anu
! twelve members Of the House Of Representatives "
the United States one half Of whom shall be selected
by each party. with the mutual agreement that the
blood of tue parties thus selected shall settle this veXed
| question, and Kansas from further outrage
A. no letters permitted 10 reach me in Kansas
through Missouri You viii direct your answer to ind
| annapolis, Indiana. Yours y. II. Lane.
| I'c-oai Cc-,rt Iowa sept p ls.j
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IT row sseertained beyond Reasonable doubt that