The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-08-29
JBe 5]aiIg JournaI.
LArEsT FRO7T KANSAS
Free State ANA rsorder IkufFiap Ac'

1
| The Missouri Democrat Of Saturday pub
| fishes the following letter, " which it saws edi
| torially is from the pen of a correspondent
on whose statements we have every reason tC
| rely. He is a southern man, and has beer
| identified in all his principles and sentiment
| with the south. He writes, we confidently be
| lieve in good faith, and with a full knowledge
of the facts which he relates:''
KANSAS TERRIToRY, Aug. IL, 1856.
10 the Editor Of the Missouri Democrat:
Great excitement now prevails in every part
Of our unfortunate territory. There has been
a compact entered into by the Atchison and
Stringfellow men of the border counties of5BIis-
souri, and those in Kansas Territory, to keep
up excitement for the ayowed purpose Of pre-
venting all opposed to them from emigrating
to the territory, and the present and recent
difficulties have been brought about by these
and similar designing, lawless men, most OF
whom are not citizens of Kansas, although
they publish to the world that they are now
residents Of Kansas territory Some four
weeks since party Of southerners, number-
ing in all about one hundred and seventy-fiye
formed themselves into company and started
from the town of Atchison, Leayenworth. and
other points, for the Big Blue river, intending
to drive the settlers from that part of the
country, who were known to be free State
men. The above company, armed and fur
nished with provisions, ammunition, and teams
of conveyance by their friends in Missouri,
took up their line OF march, having previously
declared that their intention was to take pos.
session of Manhattan city and the country in
that vicinity; and on arriy ng found the citi-
zens in that part of the territory employed in
building houses, making Improvements, &C.
Shortly after their arrival fight commenced
which resulted in the defeat of the southern
men by the citizens of Riley county Had
these men gone to work, attended to their own
affairs and not have plundered private houses,
stolen horses, and drove actual settlers from
their homes the citizens Of Riley county would
never have made any complaint against them
nor would any violence have occurred. Only
Il few days elapsed until another company oil
pro slavery men to the number of one hundred
and eighteen, toJk possession of the town ofI
Franklin, fortified themselves, and called upon
every man in the town to join them Or leave
their homes. The free State men being thus
to abandon their property it was
soon taken by these law and order men. It |
being impossible for the free State men to get
redress from the one sided courts of Kansas
Territory, they with some OF their friends re-
turned, and asked permission to peaeeably en-
Joy the privilege of their rights and property.
The answer was, you are abolitionists and
must clear the territory, and at the same time
wherever they made their appearance, they'll
were fired at by some of the party who called
law and order men.
Then it was, and not till then, that the free
State men determined to return or die in the |
attempt. The fight which ensued, and Of which |
you have, no doubt, heard, then took place, and
which lasted about three hours, in which the
invaders Rere beaten and some of them shot,
while the rest fled, having lost their arms and
cannon. The free State men had it in their !
power to have taken the lives of all those per-
sons who had collected in Frandlin but their
object was to get possession Of their homes, so (
that their wives and children cou'd have thosei
places Of shelter which their industry had pro-
vided for them. Since the report has been cir
culated that Robinson, Brown and others were
to be released, arrangements have been making
by their enemies to get the prisoners from the
guards and hang them. Men who occupy
prominent positions, boldly proclaim that if
Robinson, Brown and others are released, that
they will be shot down. The fight at Lecomp- I
ton was begun by men who went to the capl- I
tai, to use their own language, to have fight, I
and not permit a free State man to come to Le- /
compton. For weeks the pro slavery party I
have been moving the Southern emigation into
Douglas county for the purpose Of routing the I
free State men. There are now several hun
dred men from the South, supported by the
nulifers, and instructed by their masters, to
keep up excitement. Whea man comes TO
Kansas. and refuses to act with the pro-slayery
party, his name s placed upon the list OF those
who are to be disposed Of We have no law
nere-no government. The strong arm OF this
once powerful republic has failed to protect
the peaceable citizens of this territory 1t
would appear that orders have been issued by
that the free State men OF this ter
ritory are to be slaughtered and robbed OF
their property. Hundreds of armed men from
the South are focking into our territory, to
drive US from our homes and to murder every
one who refuses 20 obey their orders. Viii
the government at Washington fail to give us
that protection to which free people are en-
titled Death would be preferable to the con-
tinuation of the bloody administration OF Kan
sas territory. We ask equal privileges, and
nothing more-When our homes are invaded,
our lives threatened, our friends all murdered,
our wives insulted, what course must we take?
If the government will not protect us, and we
receive no other assistance, we will sell our
lives as dearly as possible. | have not time to
give you all the facts relative to the affairs IN
our territory. l was born and educated in
slave State, and am sure that the conservative
men of the South would promptly refuse to
endorse the cruel action of the law breakers
in Kansas. I wish to see a majority OF the
actual citizens of this territory decide at the
ballot box, whether is be slave or a Tree
State, and not force men 20 leave the territory !
at the point of the bayonet just before the
election. We are determined, lnasmuch as the
70 tN. Il. ~ n M
lives to the last. There can be no doubt ut
Il -: .l,;oct of the rnrn very rartv Is to |