Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-03-11
Correspondence of the Cleveland Leader.
The Curse Of Slavery in Western Missouri.


INDEPENDENCE, Mo, Feb Il, 1856.
| Last Sunday morning arrived at this Iniser-
able town, and have ever since, TO use a Yankee
phraze been making observations" The loca-
ton of the town is admirable, and nothing, save
the evil genius of slavery, prevents it from ia
king its place among the first business places
/ in the West. 1t possesses natural advantages
equal TO those of Davenport, or keokuk, or Bur
/ lington and how does it compare with those
cities? As Charleston compares with New
York 1t makes ones heart sick to see so many
privileges thrown away on so indolent and
worthless population. The place is not now
what it would be under the rule of the red men
who formerly owned it. Public opinion would
be rs liberal, and law would be as much re-
speeted.
The town contains more than a dozen grog
shops, and an equal number of half-staryed
lawyers, and nearly hundred drunken DULLES,
who glory in their ragged filthiness, and spend
the day in a sort Of sleepy stupor, and the night
amid riot and blasphemy There are a few re-
spectacle people here, Who if they dare, would
openly denounce Atchison and ali his followers;
but the larger portion of the men are ignorant
lazy and drunken. And yet the tone Of public
morals 1t Independenccis NOT lower than at any
town in its vicinity.
We are in tic midst CT terrible excitement );
! should say of another excitement, for these un-
happy people have been continually excited
since the passage of the Nebraska Bill. They
say they VIII invade Kansas next spring. and
drive the last Abolitionist cut OF it. Active
preparations going on in all the border coun-
ties, and large uccess;ons Of men, arms, and
money, are expected from the Southern States.
They expect to raise ten thousand men well
equipped, and all intent on destroying The Van
KEGS, as they call the Free State men. I have
no doubt that they can raise half the nun Ger !;
but they viii be drunken, disorderly, undisci-
pinned, brutal ra9ble, well prepared 20 murder
and rob defenceless people; 6ut 10 match for
a body Of Intelligent and determined mca.-
They have neither couEage, enterprise, nor mon
ey and reg ioG arms and munitions Of war, on
the contributions Of the planters Of the South.
| Large sums of money have already been for
wafded to the committees Of vigilance in this
and other towns and much of ii has been
squ2ndercd. = vigilance committee demands
aid, five thousand dollars are forwarded TO i
al the rowdies and loaiers in the place learn
that there IS money On hand, aud they become
outrageously patriotic, and offer their services
Immediately. Their names are Al cacc enrolled,
and they are taken into a pay, to use military
expression, and fed and treated al the expense Of
tie committee. As . natural conseqE ence, large
Numbers Of The recruits are rogydes, and most Of
the committeeman are owners Of dogcer es.-
When the money becomes scarce, they hold
meeting haze grand drunk; call upon some
noisy dcmagogue for speech pass furious res
oIutions; threaten to burn Lawrence perhaps
beat some Peacibie citizen who is unfortunate
enough 10 own q good suit Of clothes, and then
make an appeal to the South for aid In this
way, rs have been inforlaed, more than TWEEN
ty--i"e thousand dollars have been already
squaudered at Weston.
I IS these lawless yaEabonds that tar and
feather preachers, and rail-ride men whose dia-
lect be.rays . New England nativity They feel
tina. they must DO something for the caus2 or
be suspected Of Iukewarnncss ard so they
swear and swagger, and abuse deieuseless styan-
gers. Other men, lazy ans dszipatei like them
selves, and tired Of the restraints Of law, swell
their ranks, and add not only 10 the general
disorder, bat the general expense, Of these dcns
cfdrunken wrl.cLes, Yesterday lad e con
ver7a,ion with an educated Sou;he.net { resi- /
Dent Of Nacomb, Georgia, vino assured ne that +
he had given twelve hundred dollars, for arrts
for the Border RufIiauS, and tIat he had no
doubt il had ali been expended for corn w1is'zey I
He was very indignant, and said he hoped that .
tie Aboltionists would conquer Missouri, and .
drive the ignorant herd 7 used his own wori,) .
ont Of ii He seemed to be hearth broken and .
discouraged, aad was going home, BE said, 10 .
tell the people Of Georgia that tie cause was
utterly hopeless, unless they should DO their
own lighting, instead Of hiring Missourians to
do it for them. lie thought there was no hope
Of saving tie Union, and wished to see It dis /
solved immediately /