The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-10-14
TFrom the Kansas Herald of Freedom
Kansas Correspondence for Eastern
Journals go

Kansas Correspondence for Eastern
Journals. M
Journalistic correspondence some years
since was SO thoroughly -systematized at
Washington that public men, seeking
fame, found it necessary to conciliate these
manufacturers of public opinion in order
to secure the object Of their ambition. 1t
was not necessary that the asprant should
have real merit in order to- secure their
Endorsement nor were absolute imperfec
tioEs necessary to bring the letter-writers
down upon him. Corruption and black
mail underlay the whole structure. Very
few of them wrote with the view to the
dissemination of simple truth Party ag
grandzement frequently required misrep-
Presentation, and money stimulated the
effort. ae>=-.. ..t...,.,...,.- ,-.... .--.-.
d similar state offacts exists. in Kan
sas with regard to newspaper correspon-
dents. Very few of the multitude of
4 'our pondents, y now in Kansas, con
tent themselves with an impartial recital
fef events. The object does not seem to
be to afford accurate informa.iom to East
ern readers of the actual state, Of things;
but every demonstration which take place,
and many imaginative ones, are herald
ed as outrages or glorious demonstration
by one set of writer's, and rice rersa
iby another; 1t is amusing to resident
Of Kansas, well acquainted with the Terri
tory and its people, to pick up two East
ern journals, and see sthe difference of
statement as to single transaction, and
the wide departure of both from the truth.
We have been much amused at different
versions of an actual occurrence present.
. ed by two prominent New York journals
Mone of them containing letter eulogi-
zing Governor Walker, at least one half
of which was absolute falsehood The
other undertook to "write him down. and
it contained about the, same proportion
of fiction. 4 Each contained about enough
truth to swear by, and both seemed to- be
; written to show that an immense. amount
4" Of trouble was about, being inaugurated
Indeed, if implicit reliance Were placed
upon the representations, of correspon.
dents in this behalf, no quiet man would
+ have emigrated. to the Territory for the
past six months. ass-ss saa,I re.+ ISL. al
" Now, we are willing, without murmur
to accord to- every zone the privilege o
writing whatever may suit his taste, an(
having the same published in any pape
to. which he may be able to find access
But We do protest against the persisten
!. effort of "own" and special correspon
dents" to create the impression in the mind
of Eastern readers, that we are alway
on the,ey of some tremendous outbreak
some hostile demonstration from som
J. source or other--that the settlers alway
sleep upon their arms, and everybody is O.
t the qai rive for descent from some quar-
ter or other. Such is the burden Of Kan
$, sas correspondence, and the legitimate ei
feet is to keep away from the Territor
:. the very best class of emigration. a..,
For the past eighteen months Kansa
he has been as quiet and orderly as an
other Territory in the Union. No ma
:; ter what brought about this state of thing
4. suffice it that it exists. Certainly th
At best way to preserve it is not to create
i in the minds of emigrants an opinion thu
s. it caunot and will not continue So .-.
We have n ersonal pique to crafty
d; thus speaking of correspondents The
4 have treated uswith uniform kindness, fc
f.. which We are duly thankful. But we d
hope they will entirely lay aside the
/. 'tempest-in,a-teapot' proclivities, an
give their Eastern readers naked facts, an
k; facts alone. Ifthey have friends who a!
=; hungry for fame, they should endeavor t
secure the good wishes of such friends
some other manner than by the sacrift
of the material interests of the Territory