The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-05-02
Lister From Eli mayer TO the n
York Herald.
WoRcrsTER. Mass Ma


WoRcEsTER, Mass, March 10 ,57
MR. BxsSETT-Dear Sir: thank Won "a,
your lucid and able analysis of the plans and
purposes of the North American Homestead
Company, as gwen IN the HEnALp of Feb
ruary q aud Of March 1e.
You have shown 4 true Conception of The
project, and it seems TO me an accurate ap4
preciatioh of its power and lis probable re.
suits.
l assure Yoa that it is our purpose TO be
strictly business organization
We shall abide by The laws, State and Ma.
tional.
We shall adhere with wonderful tenacity
10 the Constitution and the Union.
Ne shall purchase large tracts of land at
slave State prices; shall give away 10 actual
settlers. abont one-fourth; shaH sell absas
ofle-forfih at cost, and the remainder al freq
s,ate fFiees-thas probably doubling our
money ON each operation
There is no chance for specuiasion except
In slave counties, and eveninthem oniyin pro-
portion 10 the extent OF slavery. For exam
pie: There viii be no inducement for as to
buy land In Hancock, Brooke, Marshall or
Ohio counties, in Western Virginia, fer In
those counties it is worth from $50 to $2T
per acre. These counties, ssd the bdlk sf
the others in Western Virginia, are essen<
tsally free. Our chances would be much
better in Dinwiddie, Southampton. Aeco--
mac, and other exhausted easteTn countiess
where we can obtain land for from s. to So
per acre-sueh being the average price in
those localities where the slaves are q MAJ
iority of the population. Now these lands
are more desirable than those of the coun--
ties first named, and by planting on them
free white colonies we can make them more
valuable. 1t is toe much, therefore, for our
Virginia neighbors to expect of human na--
iure-and especially of Yankee human pa.-
ture-thai We should forego any saeh chencs-
as this of securing sure and ample divideads,,
especially when this can be done in a man.
ner perfectly legal and constitutional.
But very many Of the people of yirginia
actually desire the proposed friendly inva-
sion of the Old Dominion by this renovating
army of free white labor. can show you
that even shareholders are on our side, and
that, too, in large numbers.
some have already offered TO take stock
to the extent of their ability in the proposed
company. Kentucky and Maryland are al
ready looking with envy on the sublime
destiny of Virginia, and are inviting the
same invigorating agency of free labor to
their own borders
Missouri, also. has sent delegation for
the purpose of securing a colony of one hun
dred Yankees to build town upon good
landing on the Missouri river. These ap-
plications, together with the tone of q largo
portion of the Southern press, make it man.
ifest that the proposed movement will be
admirably sustained, and our colonies treated
with kindness and respect. But if, on the
contrary, portion of the people of Virginia,
in defiance of their own interests and of our
rights, should so far stultify themselves as to
| follow the lead of ultra disunionists and Sc
cession fire-eaters in committing 0utrages
against the lives and property of peaceful
settlers, then they must be met by the con-
stitution and the laws; and should these fail
to give protection, popular sovereignty must
| be invoved for the Old Dominion, as ii has
been for Kansas. We shall not be iniimida.
ted. We are not that kind of people when
| good dividends are at stake. In defiance Of
danger we send our whale-ships TO the
! Northern Ocean for money. We send our
missionaries among cannibais for principle.
We have de6ed all perils, even in sending
the Gospel TO the heathen without the in
element of pecuniary gain; but with that
inducement the Gospel of Freedom twill
have free course, will run and be glori6ed."
We have been charged with participating
in the slave trade, contrary to law, for "flihy
lucre." If this be SO, we should probably
participate in making slave States free for
The same ''fiIihy iucre."
There is not a kidnapper in the country
who will not quit his business of catching
negroes in Africa for the Cuba market, when
il shall have been demonstrated that he cen
make 10 per cent. more in making Virginia
free Stale.
These men are no such bigots in their
profession to adhere In II when lucrative
business, protected by law, can be had IN
profitable traffic.
There is no use,. then. in talking about
hanging or shooting our eolonists, or The
members of our company. If half OF US
were hung OF shot, the rest would press on
towards The shining dollars, even though
they should rush
r -