Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-07-09
CLEARTIELD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1856.
As KANSAS. sssr a =.
Extracts from Letter, 10 a gentleman IN Clear
field Counfy, dated
KANSAS.
COUNCIL Crrr, Kansas Ter, May a7, '56

Extracts from a Letter, 10 gentleman sn Clear
field County, dated
COUNCIL Crrr, Kansas Ter, May %, '56.
DEAR FRIESp:--1n yesterdays letter gave
you a short account of the affair at Lawrence.
The details you must seek in the papers, for 1
cannot write them--not in the ssBanner & Ad-
vocate,'' however You will find no account of
them there. But yon may, perhaps, in the
"Tribune." But Greely, you say. is q Presi-
denf-maker. Well now, brother, possibly he
is; but somehow he does tell the truth about
Kansas; for he keeps correspondent here
who represents things just as they are, till the
hearts of the people thrill with graf itude, and
turn to the Tribune as their truest earthly
friend, which shall yet break the spell of the
sorceress, and cast our shaekies off. Don't
think that mean to chide you, George, for
your opinion of the Tribune, but believe me,
Greely is right in respect to slavery. 1t is
the question, which if lost to US, all else is
lost. Don't think that mean by the term
slavery, negro slavery alone. The race of the
enslaved is only incidental. We here, who
have been accustomed to so high degree of
liberty, are in imminent danger of a servitude
more abject and more hateful than European
despotism-more atject, because we were so
free, and more hateful because our oppressors
have not even the glitter of royalty, but are
bandits and drunkards. The whole Territory
is to be subjected to complete guerilla sur
veillance, intolerable to bear. Spies are in ev-
cry settlement. Many of our best men are in
prison. Our stronghold is sacked-not by the
| superior strength of our enemy, however, but
by United States authority, which they (the peo-
ple) would not resist. Since this occurrence,
a terrible gloom has settled upon all the land.
The enemy is rampant-the highways are ur-
safe-murder is abroad, and anarchy reigns.
Beneath all these brooding elements civil
war is warming into life. The North, per-
haps, will think that things are going on pret-
| ty quietly here, now that our best presses are
| destroyed, emigration stopped, and communi-
cations generally interrupted. They will not
| hear much from us, except the Missouri YER
sion of matters. And as for ourselves, what
| shall we do Our numbers are by no means
| Insignificant; but we are mostly poor-too poor
to live well-much too poor to fight. Yet in
view of all these disadvantages, believe the
general sentiment is TO place our property, our
lives, and our dearest honor by the altar of lib
erty, and resist every encroachment upon those
rights, with which the constitution of these
United States and the God Of nature have en-
dowed us and We appeal to every lover of lib
| erty throughout the land TO render US speedy
assistance, and protection in the use of these
| ood-bought and priceless treasures. Shall
lre appeal an rain? Mast ace die here unpiiied
and aahe0rd' Or, what is worse, must we be
shorn of everything which makes life more
| than a british existence of everything which
goes to dispel the gloomy cloud that floats be-
tween us and eternity I! Oh, Brothers of the
North, We appeal unto you. Shall it be in
vaina But almost forgot that am only wri-
| ting to few persons. However, you can do
somcthing-wake upyour neighborhcod. We
must have the next President favorable to US,
or we shall be lost. Labor for that. -.
do not anticipate that there would be much
| fghting-not that the Southerners lack war
| like qualities, but they are under no necessity
to fight, but can go whenever they please.
They are contending to ensfave US, while we
are contending for Freedom and for existence.
But you may think that the President would
send the military to drive off such force.
!
/ disperse the Georgians and Alabamians, who
are causing this troublef Let him do this,
and we will be satisfied. Our friends could
then settle together, and make themselves
homes in this beautiful country. -. The
President is chief in this wickedness, and
holds over us the terror of U. S. authority to
enable reckless banditti to rob and destroy
US with impunity. This is the way in which
we are to be subdued. This is the way in
which the plots of Douglass, Atchison and
Stringfellow are to be executed. Must it be
so much longer?
| You will think it strange that should have
so far overcome my Iepugnance to war, as to
be wishing for reyolvers. Think rather how
great must have been the wrongs which have
driven me to it. Not that all Kansas is actu-
ally destroyed, for it would be an absurdty to
talk of fighting if it were. But the eastern
part of the Territory has, in many instances
suffered terribly from the Presidents Bandit
ti,'' and the whole of il is kept in state of
anxiety and suspense which things have a
tendency to harden our hearts. deplore this,
but SO it is. Our teams from this place have
not as yet been robbed, but only stopped and
searched for arms. Individuals, on this road,
have also had their arms taken from them.
In view of this condition of affairs, I could not
make up my mind to forsake Kansas in the
time of her danger; neither could think of
staying here and idly looking on until we are
completely gagged and bound beneath an in
tolerabIe and hopeless oppression. The only
alternative, then, which l can see, is to fight.