The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-01-31
Letter from Rev. Pardee Butler.
ocEAsA. ATcHIsos Co., KIT
January 10, 1857.

g. W. BRows, Esq.-DEAR SIR -
Enclosed I send you club of ten
subscribers. This is the first fruits |
of what we intend to do or you. I |
called and paid year in advance. just
before your press was thrown into the
river. You have very kindly sent me |
your paper since you RESUMED its pub
lication but your pecuniary obliga-
tions to me were all cancelled when
the posse of Sheriff Jones destroyed
your press. Please enter nay name
again.
I congratulate you that we have
peace in Kansas. There are thousands
Of men living in the free States who
would gladly come here, but who will
never do SO while Border Ruffanism
is rife in this Territory. Above al
most everything else we need peace.
/ We need peace SO We may improve our
claims, build homes, plant shubbeIy,
rear cities and construct internal ina
proyements. We need to show what
kansas is in the hands of intelligent,
energetic and enterprising men. We
have no time to fight. 1t is poor
business well followed though under
certain circumstances men must fight.
But we shall not need to fight. Give
us three years of peace, and we shall
have such an influx of free State men
from the North and from the South
as will settle this question forever.
/ congratulate you for the temper
with which you have been able to bear
the great wrongs you have suffered.
There are two extremes into which
men fall, and we have had both in
Kansas. One class left the country
in a panic, and helplessly and hope
lessly despondent, filed the States
with their tales of woe, reported that
the Territory was lost to Freedom,
and that the people of Kansas were as
much cowed and terror stricken as
themselves. Another class, exasper-
ated by cruel wrongs, resolved to re-
taliate in kind. The Border Rufians
stole horses, and they would steal
horses the other party lived by pill
lage and robbery, and they would live
| by the same means. By both these
classes we have been greatly injured.
By the first class, men have been pre-
vented from coming to Kansas by
the last class, free State men have
been made to be regarded as band
of robbers. and freebooters. Much
praise is then due to you, that while
your heart is not embittered By your
great wrongs, yet you bate not one
jot ef heart or hope, but press right
on"
j Indeed the citizens of Kansas gen
orally have displayed much magma.
! nimity and forbearance under most
cruel provocatiens. The Free State
men of this Territory can boast that
until Lawrence had been twice invad-
ed by foreign foe, intent On murder
ing the people or driving them out Of
the country, not one man had been
murdered by them, nor had single
pro-slayery family been molestsd Oh
driven off their claim. The infamy
the unspeakable infsmy, of having in
} itiated these atrocious proceeding
| must belong in all coming time to thc
; pro-slavery party. But even they ar
e beginning to learn that all this won
pay. Even the town of Atchison
which, after the type of its notoriou
: namesake, has been pre-eminent il
i Border Ruffianism, is becoming quie
e place. The writer, who has been twic
g mobbed and driven out of Atehisol
! with threats that his life should b
3 taken ii he returned, is now able t
e visit the town with perfect security.
n We viii then. sir, like Paul at tn
n Appii Forum, thank God and tax
e courage" We viii show these me-
i who have so deeply wronged US, tha
i we can be friends to them though the
have been enemies to us; that we com
n to bless the country not to curse it
re and that we confer blessing even o
/ themselves in keeping out of Kansa
IT slavery, which has been the deepest
n foulest blot that has ever tarnished tn
d fame or blackened the escuteheon {
y the southern half of this great cor
ID federacy. Very truly and respectful
re ly, | am, Sir,
Il PARDEE BUTLER.
ri