Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-07-09

II is a sad one indeed, and pray God to for
give me if be wrong in my conciusien.
1t is with relief that cast of from my mind
the prospect of strife for moment, TO speak
OF the ready made, and cxuberantly fertile
and beautiful farms with which nature has pro-
vided us. We have had plenty of rain thro,
April and .hc fore part of May, and the coun-
try wears a very luxuriant appearance We
sowed no rye, but that among the wheat head
cd early in May. The wheat is very promis-
ing. The prairie grass has long been in head
On the uplands il is a little shorter than tilno-
thy, and waving in the summer breeze, with
its sprinkling of superb flowers, it presents
scene of magnifcence--of exquisite and thrill
ling, yet boundless beauiy-together with an
impression of exhaustless fertility, that wins
the mind for time from its sorrows, aud leads
captive all the faculties of the heart You
may think me extrayagant in this description,
but assure you am not ] have cndeayored
to inform you truly and faithfully respecting
the appearance and prospects of the country
I have represented its shadows-permit me al
SO to reflect its sunlight-its rfomise--its joy
There has been but little sickness this season,
except the remains of last Argust's ague. from
which we are recovering. Then there has
been plenty of rain this spring. which has put
everything forward. Besides the insects which
were very numerous last spring, seem to have
been demolished By the cold winter. Cffck-
cts are scarce. and grasshoppers are nowhere.
Moreover the thunderstorms have been mildcr
this season-Inore like those of the eastern
States-and not of such terrible. tho mag
Iifcent, character as those we witnessed last
year. In addition TO all these encourage
nrents, an impression takes possession of the
mind, and keeps possession of il, that j very
little labor will produce an abundant living,
together with all the mxuries of life. if we
cease then to wonder that we love Kansas-too
dearly perhaps for our spiritual welfarc-far
too dearly for the danger which mcnaccs her
to drive us from her, was conversing lately
with the wife of ncighbor, who has been
mourning that they were not back in Pennsyl-
yania. Well, she received letter from sis
ter-in- law, who did return last winter, in which
she regrets that she is not again in Kansas, and
this lady here, in view of the danger Of being
| "ust begins to love Kansas, and that she did
not think that she would cling to it as she now
does, and that she could not possibly hc con
tented in Pennsylvania again. The fact is
she has hitherto considered only their mme-
diate trouble, and the care of large family !;
but now she begins to awaken to the latent
wealth which surrounds her.
D. \, ,,cl-ar, Ru
ford's company is an orored baud OF rc6bers.
At all events, We begin to feel their presence
| in that character. Our citizens on the road
arc now robbed of money, wcll arms.
| Spies are securing the country 10 ascertain
where descent can be Proftably made. And
| the government sustains the banditti. 1t does
| not disperse the robbers, but it diSperscs the
| gatherings of Flee State men, by means of a
few soldiers, which they will not fight, and
then leaves them at the mercy OF the enemy.
A Free State man recently expostulated with
the Governor, and entreated him to protect us
| against these outrages, telling him that they
must inevitably end in civil war s.Ihea tror
IL is, by God,' was the reply Since that he
has been somewhat softened, l understand, by
an apprehension that the free Escn, driven 10
desperation, might speak to him in another
manner. In addition to all this, the Missou-
rians are now making another irruption into
the Territory. The immediate pretext is that
the free men are committing outrages on the
opposite party. In one case, some rash free
state men did notify man to leave He left
accordingly, and took several other pro-sIave-
ry families with him, telling all sorts of horri-
bic stories as they went. Next we heard that
there had been fight in another place, and
several killed on both sides. Then we heard
that the killed were all on one side, the free
men having called them out and shot them in
cold blood, they having previously threatened
to burn these free men at the stake The f.
nal account, however, is, that they were en-
deayoring to hang free man and had one end
of the rope round his neck, and the other over
the limb of tree, when the thing happened.
But cannot write every thing. l am not ex-
pecting to fight Immediately, if it be possible
to avoid it; and yet any letter which you may
get from me now, may be the last one. can
not tell, but would continually rest upon the
refuge and shield. You have my prayers,
brother; let me also have yours--not so much
that God will spare my life, as that he will
keep my soul from evil unto the end-
The survey has been suspended, I am told,
in consequence of the slower Houses non
concurrence in paying for it. / wish you
would petition it to adhere to its position, and
strike out any provision for paying for 1T al
the present from the general appropriation
bill. Help us every way you can. Oh how