Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-10-24

Destitution in Kansas.

NHnsds. IL is Impossible 10 dcpiCt
their real condition, or to detail their
sullerings with words One must
bc an eye witness, to feel and realize
it; vet every ono has some idea, from
books, or other sources, of the diff
culIles, that the pioneer of civillza-
ton has To encounter, in the forest
or on the prairie, even in peaceable,
and comparatively safe times. The
farmer and mechanic goes forth and
stakes out his claim, erects little
cabin, breaks the sod and puts in
small quantity of seed during the
first season. There is the settler far
away from all those conve-
niences that we all deem TO be so
necessary IN our towns and villages;
perhaps he is miles away from any
store or neighbors. If his crop fails
and his little store OF money is ex-
haustcd, he must meet with priva-
tons that VIC could hardly endure.
Starvation aud grim want stare him
Ia the face. What shall he do if
he braves IL out, and the returning
year brings success, we commend
aud praise his endurance, aud won
der that there should be such men.
and women. How, then, shall we
regard those really heroic men. and
women, who, for two or three long
years, have not only brayed the great
est prlvation and want OF the from
tier life, but have been constantly on
the alert, defending themselves from
"a brutal and yindlctve enemy; when
women put their children to bed at
night in fear, and dare not follow
them; when the men lie in the corn
fields, for the protection Of the
wives and daughters Of their neigh
bors from a foe as relentless as death.
There are hundreds of New Eng
land families that have been driven
from their claims to the towns by
lear,-and who shall attempt TO de-
scribe this fear, for the extension OF
which the leaders Of the Rudians
have been so indefaugablc The
women aud children have been the
medium through which they have
cudeavorod to drive away the free
stale men, keeping them ia constant
alarm, proving around by night,
numbering a man here aud robblng
another there, rayishing women and
burning houses; by notices TO quit
and threats in case of disobedience,
they have produced fear that acts
more iorcibly upon the brave settlers
than the fear of the rifle or bowie
knife, for it reaches him through
these whom he loves. 1t has not
been the policy of the leading Buf-
fans to meet these men with the
rife, because, as they say, il would
make too much noise 10 wipe them
out or murder them at once. These
families, driven from their homes TO
the towns, have, in order to live. ex-
pended oil their money, and sold one
Thing after another Cor bread until
all Us gone, and they arc now hungry
and chilled Tor want Of the most
common articles of food and cloth
ing. Every one Is aware that those
people under such circumstances are
very liable to become victims OF the
western malavia, the fever and ague.
while those who are warmly clothed
can with ordinary care escape it en-
urely. Although we have all slept
IN the open mir, there has not been
among all the free state men who
have been under arms this summer
a single case Of fever and ague where
the Individual was warmly clothed.
and had used common care. have
had every opportunity for ascertain
ing whether or moi it was a healthy
region, and it is the testimony Of al
most every settler that | have CON
yersed with, that it was unusually
healthy in fact did not hear of
funeral Of a single individual that
had died with disease during the
whole summer,-and another sin
gular fact is, ! never heard a per-
sou cough while was in the ter
utory
AT least two thirds of the free
state families must perish this winter
or leave the territory, if food and
clothing arc not sent Immediately.
Now it is a fact that as long as these
people are sustained, Slavery can
never gain permanent foot-hold.
Those who are plotting against them
understand this fact; hence their ex.
traordinary exertions 10 siarye and
drive them Off Eastern men are
naturally so hostile to slavery and
all its denominations that they will
resist it to the death The free
citizen Of the North, however luke
warm he may be on the subject Of
abolition, cannot come in contact
with slavery elsewhere, without
feeling lis degrading influence, aud
he has too long considered himself
a man, 10 suffer tamely the loss Of
position in the social scale, to which
the sayeholding arislocracy would
and do consign him. Every man
of ordinary information knows that
throughout all the Slave States, the
man who earns his bread by the
sweat of his brow is considered aud
treated as being inferior to the
slave himself The sons of New
England now in Kansas will never
submit TO this, consequently you see
hem taking the stand that they will
not vote where they must pledge
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