The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1857-07-23
X A \ s A S
speeial Correspondence Of \. y. Tribune


Special Correspondence Of \. Y. Tribune.
LAWRENCE, X. T., July IL, ls57.
A formidable military expedition has
been planned by the Var Department
Its avowed Interior object is Utah. Itis
to concentrate in Kansas. Col Sumner
with force of nearly 200 men, is ont
toward Platte River, in advance of ,As
rest. Major Sedgwick, With several hun.
dred more, is portt.h at the great bend OF
the Arkansas River. Meanwhile, ether
troops are concentrating at LeayenWorth
and a heavy force is destined TO ms.ch
westward by the 10th int. In all prob.
bility, it will be the lst of August bclQrs
they get fairly started.
Such are the aspects of the case That
present themselves, but there is something
IN all its features worthy of serious atten,
ton. As to the relative merits of mil.
itary expedition against Utah | have
nothing to say. Let me direct attention
TO another point. Toward the close OF The
Summer, when the grass is withering and
drying up, when the streams are dry and
the plains scorched and arid, large ni
itary forge proposes to undertake amarch
that will require nearl y three months.
During the whole of that time yhis IA
tiguing march would be carried on at
great distance from the base OF supplies.
Allowing that they encounter no delay, or
are not hindercd by being obliged to keep
the Indians in check, they would arrive
in Utah about the lst of November
Their horses and teams would be cxhaus-
ted, if many Of them did not perish On
the way, The grass will be gone. There
will be no pasturagc nor needed proven
der. They will be cnclrcled by black
mountain ranges Grain Toy the horses,
food and clothing for the men, ammuni-
tion-all Of the immense supplies that
such force require, must be conveyed
over Il drcary, SNOW covered waste III VIM
ter. OF course every rational man will
see the utter folly of such an cnterprlse.
Nor dg think the War Department Sc
riously contemplates anything of the kind
| think the excitement about Utah is
made blind to cover something else.
believe the design is TO concentrate
large military force in Kansas this Fall
and Winter. In eorrohoration of this,
learn that at Fort Riley, the contracts for
cutting hay have been given out and for
much larger quantity than ever used
before. This, too, in face of the fact that
there are no troops there IT present. 1t
is the same elsewhere. The same cxten-
Sive preparations are being made to main
tain ii large military force in Kansas the
ensuing Fall aud Winter.
This may not mean anything, but it
looks suspicious. The Pro-Slavery Con
vcntion which will assemble at Lecomp-
ton will fame Constitution, and, be,
lieye, will send it to Congress without
submitting it to the people " fairly" or
! even submitting it at all, The language
recently held by Douglas was significant
of y desire to further legalize what these
men proposed to do. The present atti-
tude Gf Coy, Walker is hostile to the
Free-State men, and has partisan lean
/ ing to the Ruttin party, harculean et-
forts are being made, through intrigue
and corruption, to induce the Free-State
men to ai.,rndon their position under the
/ Topeka Constitution. Is it the design
to break down the peoples Constitution,
so that the other can ho accepted when
/ it is out of the way? 1t looks very
much Us # this was tho design, and
as if the consQntration of a military force I
in Kansas at. such time was foreshad
owing some contemplated villany, After
all that has been done, we may we'll view
all such suspicious circumstances with
distrust.