The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-10-01
REPORT OF TEE ST. LOUIS COM
MITFEE ON THE AFFAIRS OF
KANSAS. ssdi---'z ze,5y. z.,l.....,.. -.

1t may be recollected that some week
ago the people of st. Louis at a publ,
meeting appointed committee to re
pair to Kansas, and ascertain the trn'
state Of facts tlpre b regard to tb,
Thousand rumoss daily sent out 70,
leleetieaeeripg purposes ''i
Phs committee has returned and The
report is below. No one on reading
this report, but must come to the con
clusion at once, that no punishment car
be too severe that the Law .justifes, fol
these outlaws and murderers. Better
men have been strung up BY the neck
without judge or jury, than these fol
lovers of LANE. He should be made
an example Of to! sseteg all other Eaga-
bonds from sepgagigg rips such rebellion
against the peace Of his country, =
1T is said aiso that aaitaa q part of his re:
cruits are from Cangdq2. This is very
probable, as the British Geyernm ent
takes deep interest in the. election Of
Fremont and in fagitating, the dissep.
.tiops among our people, as the surest
and cheapest means Of curtailiDg . rival
powers and in bringing about a disselu
ltipn of the Union, that must again give
her full control of the seas, and ipure SO
largely to 4, her, commercial interests.
One of the English papers charges open
ly that the British Government has act
uaily cent money to this country to
elsctiohees for Fremont and the Aboli-
lion cause. II so, she will Of course en-
courage her subj ects in Canada to en-
list in this Kansas rebellion.
REPORT:
Hon JOHN F. DARBY,
President of the Kansas Mass Meeting at St.
Louis: .
Sir The undersigned committee,
appointed to sisit Karsas Territory, beg
Ieaveto report thai, in conformity to
tie requirements of the resolutions of
said meeting, they have visited the Ter
ri;ory of Kansas with view to learn
the true state of facts in relation to the
present distur bed ard distracted con-
Iition of that Territory.
We 10 not, sir. pretend to give full
and detailed statement of every partic-
ular violation of Law and order in that
ili.fated Territory, for the time expen-
ded in our inquiries did not sfford us
the means Of so doing; but We believe
that we have succeeded in collecting all
the necessary facts in relation to all the
most prominent occurrences and acts
Of hostility a. 4 violence committed
against the citizens and society of Kan
sas. r r-1F--E 1-a5-.F s-. ....
Duriug the eN<iy part of summer,
peace and quiet prevailed generally
through the Territory; Pro-slavcry
men aud -fFreesoiiers were -litiHgszon
ncighborly terms with each other-dif
feripg, With each other on :he sobjeetso;
slavery, as other political tqpies. THIS
qnies was of short duration, however, all
again became excitement, upon the news
being spread throu9h the Territory that
Col. james II.sLape was marching his
army of about one THOUSAND men from
the North eastern, States i 'ffuto Kansas,
for the purpose Of eontFoiIfpg the spolit
icaldestinies Of the Territory; and some
time in the latter part. OF July or in the
early part of tue month Of August last,
said, Lane. under the disguised name Of
Colonel Cook, With regiment ofcarmeed
men, Consisting Of, as yqrious!y cstima-
ted, from SIX hundred. to one thousand
men) entered; the Territory on itsnorth-
ern boundary, after having marched in
body through, the State Of Iowa and
Nebraska Territory, to the Karsas liuc,
entered he latter in small detachnle6ts,
and again united after. having marched
some distance into the Territory; about
two hundred of this army are Canadia,ss.
Soon after this, and between the ist
and 18th of August, this army marched
ed through the counties of Lykins
Franklin and Douglas, robbing the pro
slavery citizens Of their horses, mules
provisions aud arms, and commanding
them to leave the Territory, many oI
whom did so, with their families, in q
most destitute condition others sought
protection BY flying to other parts of the
Territory and uniting with other pro
slavery men, formed companies for the
purpose of protecting themselves against
the threatened assault of Lanes party
In q very short time most of the Abo
lition citi1eus of he Territory armed
themselves and united with Lanes ar
my, swelling his army to about fifteen
hundred, Lane says twenty-five hund
red. On the 18th of August, at about
IL o'clock at night, company of Lanes
men numbering about two hundred and
fifty, made an attack on the town o.
Franklin, where small company o.
Pro-slayery men, about fourteen ip mum
ber, had collected and armed themselves
for protection. - s-i} rse.-sre. u
Lanes party commenced the attack
by firing upon the house in which the
pro.slavery men were; the fire was re-
turned, and, after hot contest of some
half hour or more, Lanes party retreat
cd leaving seven of their men killed