The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-04-01
NEW ENGLAND "RUFFIANS."

There appears a report of a meeting in
one of the morning papers, held on Thurs
day evening, at the North Church in New
Haven, of which the Rev. (save the mark
Mr.. Dutton is pastor. If we could imagine
a set of savage barbarians, who, in various
depredations by land and sea. has efuded
the just vengeance which follows the guilty,
we should suppose, from the report, that
thew had met at the Req. Mr.. Dutton's
church upon the evening IN question:
| Surely any one at distance, who had nev-
er heard of the name of the parties, would
never suspect them of having any claims to
! Christianity or scarcely civilization. All
! the reported stories about the "Border Ruff
fans sink into insignifcance before these
| deacons and deaconesses. The occasion
| Sharpe's Rifles for company of settlers,
| about to start for Kansas ''in the holy cause
of freedom''-i. E. ''nigger freedom" in a
territory where even ''free state men" will
not allow negro to come under any cir
cumstances Henry Ward Beeeher, the
Rev Benedict Arnold of the movement,
made a speech, in which we find the fol-
lowing:
HE said that we are witnessing the deve1-
opment of one of the greatest dramas ever
enacted, of which the aspect now more par
ticularly before the public mind is only one
of the scenes. Just now, while our eyes
are fixed upon yOnder growing State, the
young Kansas, and while we are more espe-
cially interested in its rescue from bondage,
we ought not to forget that victory in Kan
sas is but bud on the tree, one blossom
among the thousand that are afterwards to
bloom.''
From the above, it is very evident that
the designs of these men are revolutionary,
and will not stop short of lighting the torch
of civil war all over the South.
Mr.. Beecher hates the Constitution as
follows: He said, ''a great many people
raise a cry about the Constitution, as if the
two were perfectly Identical; but the truth
is, that it is the Constitution itself that is
the cause Of every division which this vexed
question of Slavery has ever occasioned in
this country. 1t has been the fountain and
father of our troubles, by attempting to
hold together, as reconciled, two opposing
principles, which will not Earmonize nor
agree"
Mr.. Beecher continued, and said II nev-
er knew but one compromise which I
thought was a good one, and that was this:
Gov. Shannon went over to Lawrence and
demanded of Robinson his rifles, that he
and his companions should give up their
Sharpe's rifles. Robinson very coolly fac
ed the insolent Governor and said: well,
Sir, in regard to the rifles, I propose to
compromise; we will keep the weapons
ourselves, but give you the contents p
That compromise, | think, would work ~
Beecher knows that the above is a most
audacious falsehood 4! Robinson never ad-
dressed any such words to Gov. Shannon.
Mr.. Beecher praised Charles Robinson as
a man ''of peculiar fitness for his place.
That is the truth once. The man who
led the infamous gang of desperadoes in
California, who shot the peaceful Mayor of
Sacramento and the Sheriff of the county,
in their endeavors to preserve order, is GER
tainly fit person for the ally of such rene
gades of ministers as Henry Ward Beecher.
After the close of the meeting, all were
invited to contribute Sharpe's rifles, the
first one of which was presented by Pref
Silliman, of Yale College! The pastor of
the church, Mr.. Dutton, presented one of
his members who was going with "a Bible
and Sharpe's rifle" over which there was
great applause. Mr.. Beecher stated that
if twenty-five were raised he would pledge |
twenty-five more from Plymouth Church,
Brooklyn. This made the offers more gen
eral, and soon there were twenty-seven |
raised. One was presented by Mr.. Kill
lam, whereupon Mr.. Beecher could not
resist joke, savage as it was, and said it
was very 'signifcant name in connection
with a Sharpe's rife!''
Such are few of the incidents of this re-
meeting, showing, as it does, not
that these people are crazy, as some sup
pose, but that they are oil the time arguing
from false premises.
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