The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-05-15
The Kansas Meeting.

We publish in another column the proceed
ings of the public meeting on Monday night
last The meeting was large and attentive
and the Address of Col Baker was earnest
able and impressive. The Colonel is q true West
ern orator. Easy and self possessed, with
fine Imagination and fluent utterancc, he pos.
sesses rich fund of anecdote, humor and pa
thos, which enchnin the attention of an audi.
ence and enlist its sympathies. In his advocacy
of the Southern cause in Kansas, he exhibits q
perfect familiarity with the whole subject and
pours fourth facts, arguments and illustrations,
with easy facility. He has been to Kansas !;
has examined the country, conversed with its
leading men, studied the character of the peo-
pic, and watched the operation of the antago-
nistic principles, which ore there contending
for supremacy He has returned with high
estimate of the fertility of the country and its
adaptation to slave labor; and with high hopes
of the success of the pro-slavery party, if the
South will be but true to herself and render
timely assistance. Kansas is the Key to our
position; the great gate, whose hinges are in
Missouri, and its bolts in the Businesses Of the
Rocky Mountai Once in. our hands, it gives
security to slavery in Missouri, whilst it is, itself
protected OIL the Northwest by mountain bar
rier and desert wastes. We shall not attempt
q synopsis of the address, which occupied about
two hours in the delivery. and was interrupted
by frequent applause, but would refer to the
report of the Secretary of the meeting, for nm
elaborate notice of its scope and general char.
acter.
We cannot conclude this notice more appro-
priately than by publishing the following
earnest appeal of Col Baker, contained in the
following letter addressed to the True Caro-
linian:
Cx1oxvrLIn, 9. c., April "a, 1857.
am very much obliged to you for your
mate, which find in the True Carolinian of
the 2sd inst. ain indeed happy to find in
You cordial ally in the great work of arous-
ing our country to the discharge Of her duty.
We shall never appreciate the magnitude Of
the disaster which we shall sustain by the loss
ofKansas until 1t is lost, and the immense pow
or which the possession of that country will
transfer, has passed into the hands of our enc.
mics. We are now on that tide in our politi-
cal affairs which, when at the 1hood, leads on to
fortune. We have bright chances for success
Many things favor us-Tmany accidents which
never may again. If We succeed, it is a vic
tory fruitful Of all that We can desire as q peo-
pie. 1t procures for us security, repose, and
that finality which we vainly hoped would
be the result Of our magnificent sacrifices in
1850. FIVE ore defeated, then gone forever
is our equality. We bequeath to our children
the gloomy heritage ofa declining country.
Our enemies grow daily stronger, and VIC
weaker, until at last, driven back to the
swamps and the guilt, our children will have to
fight the battle, with the certainty Of defeat
which we would now fight with tho certainty
Of triumph. =. ~ ;ss5t;,, ),
Your friend and old school. .mate:s:sa -
ALPHEUS;BAKER