The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-03-01


passions which will be sure to fird an en-
emy where the man of peace will find &
brother, but it would send there force
of sturdy men, who will have every pos
sible motive to use Sharp's rifles with eff
feet, when freedom and home, with its
endearments, are in jeopardy. J.M.T.
The St. Louis Republicans Idea of the
one great Interest.
The st. Louis Republican has render
ed itself almost as conspicuous for its ex-
treme pro-slavery position as has the
Richmond Examiner. 1t is, as almost
everybody knows, capital commercial
and general newspaper, and gives to the
public great deal of matter interesting
10 all classes of people, yet editorially,
for some time back, it has not seemed to
see that Missouri has any great, domi-
nant interest, except that which is vested
in negroes. All through tn. Kansas
troubles it has sympathized with the law
less men who have sought to trample
down the rights of the people of that
Territory. The great interest of Mis-
souri, was slavery; if Kansas should, by
any chance, become a free State, that
great interest would be endangered ;
therefore, the people of Kansas must be
put down. Such is condensed state
ment of its social, political and economi-
cal logic. in syllogistic form. So long
as Atchison, Stringfellow and their gang
were working to force slavery into Kan
sas, it was all well, as the Republican
looked at it ; and of course all who op-
posed them were in the wrong. Their
proceedings might be little irregular,
but were to be justified by the necessities
of the case.
Indulging in this chronic state Of ex-
treme pro-slayery feeling, it is not, per-
haps, surprising that the Republican
should, as it does, characterize the late
meeting of our citizens called to listen 10
Gen. Schuyler's account of Kansas af-
fairs, as an abolition" gathering. With
the Republican, as with the Richmond
Examiner, there is no medium ground on
the question of slavery. Everybody
who has the slightest objection to its in
definite extension is an "AbolitioniSt. I"
That "Kansas scrip" too, is an excellent
joke-destined, says our cotemporary,
s'to share the fate of the 'Kossuth scrip,
and those who are now purchasing twill,
year or two hence, laugh at their sim
plicity in falling into such a ridiculous
gull-trap." Well, we shall see. Those
of our citizens who generously invested
in it, were only anxious thereby to fur
ther what they deemed good cause, and
if it should never be redeemed, they will
have no cause for regret. At all events.
it will stand about as well in the market
as certain hundreds of thousands of st.
Louis (city and county, bonds, which
have become worthless, or nearly so, SIM
ply because the people of Missouri have
listened to just such fatal advice as the
Republican is so zealously administering
to its readers.
But to what end do we remark on the
suicidal course of our cotemporary ? If
study of the contrast presented by the
States of Illinois and Missouri has failed
to impress it with useful lesson in social
and political economy, we might well
despair of exerting any influence toward
bringing it to reason. Indeed we have
no such hope, and write mainly for peo-
pie who already understand what are the
true elements of prosperity in state.
But we should like to ask our cotempora-
ry question which seems pertinent to the
occasion: If Missouri were not cursed
with the almost dead weight of servile
labor, does it imagine that the railroad
facilities of the State would be confined
to single short section of single line.
(and that unfinished. and that its whole
system of roads would be exposed to ut
ter failure by the refusal of a Governor
to execute certain bonds
A word in conclusion as to the meet
ing. Some of the gentlemen in this city
who took stock in "Kansas scrip" have
been instrumental in building many hun
dreds of miles of railroad trayersing our
own State. and destined to radiats through
the whole West and Northwest. They
have never been known as "Abolitionits." !"
They believe In minding their own busi-
ness, aad do it so thoroughly that they
have no time for mere agitation. But
they naturally feel sympathy for their
fellow-citizens in Kansas, who have been
outraged in their dearest rights. They
would avert from Kansas the sad fate of
Missouri, not only in the consideration
of the welfare of the countless genera
tons of men by whom it is to be peopled,
but because, as business men, they dep
recate the possibility of our lines of rail-
road now stretching westward towards
Council Bluffs, and ultimately to extend
through Kansas toward the Pacific, pass
ing through such half wilderness as
slavery would make-such as Missouri is.
Looking at the matter in this light. does
not our contemporary see that kansas
scrip" may be very sensible invest
msnt ?-Chieago Democratic Press.