Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1856-12-18
KANSAS.
The Land Sales-Another Southern Btun-
der-How <he Free-iState Settlers came
to get their Claims.
FoRT LEAvENwoRTH,
Thursday. Nov. 81, 1856.

Thursday, Nov. 27, 1856. J
Shortly after the day of sale of the Del
aware trust lands was announced, Governor
Robinson of Kansas started east. These
Delaware Lands were to be sold to the
highest bidder-had never been opened to
settlers-no pre-emptions were allowed, and
though men had squatted ON them, yet
they had notice from Government that
they were trespassers and could acquire no
title by settling there The reason for
this was that the Government had made a
treaty with the Delaware Indians to sell
this land in an open market to the highest
bidder. The Delawares had refused the
usual Government prices for this land, and
made the treaty with the expectation that
if thus sold it would bring much more.
Many of the settlers did not expect pro-
lection for their claims. They supposed
strangers would come in and bid against
them, but they wanted the land-it suited
them and they said they could afford to bid
as high for it as any body else. They sup
posed to that being on the claims they
would have an advantage over strangers,
in being fully acquainted with the land.
The Pro-slayery party had warned the
Free-State Settlers off, telling them that if
they did not leave there the Missourians
would come over at the sale and bid their
claims up out off their reach. The Free
State Settlers really were alarmed at this,
and applied to Gov. Robinson, and Others
in the Territory, to use their influence to
induce Eastern capitalists to come to their
aid.
When Gov. Robinson went east, it was
reported among the pro-slavery men IN the
Southern papers that scheme was on foot
to raise money in Boston a place which
many Southern men think is paved with
silver dollars, to buy out the entire tract
giving to the Free State men their claims
at cost, and refusing to pro-slavery men at
any price.
The South was alarmed; for most of the
capital South was invested, and sufficient
amount of money to compete with the
North could not be raised without a great
deal of trouble. They had, however, the
Government on their side. They applied
TO President Pierce for help. He assured
them that the pro-slavery settlers should be
protected. That if necessary he would VI
olate the treaty with the Indians to secure
their claims. And President Pierce kept
his word.
One purpose of Gov. Robinson going
East vas to raise money to protect these
settlers, but he failed partly because of the
excitement of the Presidential election, and
partly..because everybody in Boston felt
that it was not necessary, for Fremont
would surely be elected. The Governor
felt that the Leavenworth and the Della
ware lands must be given up to the Pro-
Slavery men.
He then ceased invoking the patriotism
of the Yankees, but appealed to their pock-
eft. He knew well the Importance of a
Free-State town on the river, and told them
what "heaps' of money they could make
by buying suitable tract of land, and lay
ing out and build up Free-State CITY,
He had capital site in view, explained
| his plan of operations, and the thing took
wonderfully. The Governor returned to
Kansas with letters of fcredit to any amount,
to purchase site for the new city, but
with no gold to purchase the Delaware
trust lands. The Missourians said, DR..
Robson has got back with lots of gold,
but we've fixed it. They were in high glee,
but the Free-State men felt gloomy enough.
On Monday morning the 18th the sales
opened, when to the surprise of all the Free
State men, the Commissioner announced
that ''the Government desired that all set
tiers should have their claims at the sap
praised value" and that no bids would be
received for such lands unless the settler de-
clined to purchase.
Loud cheers and wild shouting followed
this announcement. The Free-Siate Set
tiers cheered because their homes were saved
The Pro-Slavery men shouted because they
supposed they had foiled the great Yankee
scheme.
This is the way the settlers on the Dela-
ware lands came to be protected in their
claims. They had butts small amount of
means, and the Missourians could have ca
silv bid above their ''pile'.
The result is that more than halfthis i'm
portant tract falls into the hands of Free
State men.
Tho HnU niSfenNner