The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1857-08-06
Letter from w. v. Way, Esq.
STEAMER MINNEHAHA,
Missouri RIVER, July 10, 1857.

tial promise made you
The chief Characteristic of the steamers on
this river high chargcs, good dinners and sloc
Increment
have spent about week in Kansas.
landed at the mouth of the Kansas River, went
back about 80 miles into the country, and re-
turned to the Missouri river at Laavenworth.
about 40 miles above the mouth Of Kansas riv-
er. visited Lawrence, Tecumseh Topeca, Le-
compton, and many other towns of less note
was present during the sitting of the Free State
Convention at Topaca on the 10 July. The
convention was large and embraced the talent
and sentiment of the Territory.
| think it would compare favorably for talent
and respectaoility with any political conven-
ton ever saw assembled in Ohio or elsewhere.
Ihld favorable opportunity to become ac-
quatnted with many of the members. l have
also become acquainted with many of the pro-
slavery party, and from their own mouths heard |
the political grievances of both parties. Not
withstandng the political difficulties, Kansas
is bound to be some By and by.
Squatter Sovereignty here, is Young America
grown into manhood
Uncle Sam, as good father should do by his
=, grown up sons set Off Kansas for his children
; to settle. H, told them to take possession of
!, the country and appropriate to themselves l60
o acres of land each and pay him therefor 1920.
y He told them to make their own laws and gov
C ern themselves in their own way, provided they
!. should not make any regulations inconsistent
it with the family regulations of the old homestead
About three years ago the sons ftom the North
and tn, South started on their expedition to
take possession OF the country.
The Missourians, being the nearest to the
country. got into possession of certain portions
of it first, and being desirous to establish there
in certain institution which was disagreeable
5. to the sous from the North, told the Northern
IS men that if they wanted TO settle in the Ter
,n rtory they must keep mum on the slavery quas-
n ion
u. The Northern man said they had common
right to settle in the Territory and that they
meant to be governed just as Uncle Sam had told
them. That if it were the wishes of MAORI.
ty of settlers that slavery should be instituted
they would acquiesce; but that at the samt
time they had as good a right to prevent the in.
troduction of slavery as the Southern men OF
mt therefore exercise their right to gass on the sub
as ect much they pleased, Therefore, dis
o. sensions sprung up batween them. The Mis-
er sourians, in the beginning of the controversy be
ing the most numerous, threatened the North
pn ern men that if they did not cease harpng on
slavery they would drive them out of the Ter
ritory and keep them out They swure they
would BE- dOd darHea if the cussed Abolitionist
of Massachusetts, or any other abolition stat
la should settle in Kansas any hOw, unless thel
o,, , would agree at the start to say nothing abou
ew slavery and leave that matter to themselves
iu' The Massachusetts, men said they were not ab
olilionists; that there was no slavery IN Kansa
to abolish but that they were only restriction
lists and wished to prevent slavery from b,in
established there. They said that leetLG of tn
. blood Of the settlers at Plymouth Rock and o
the sojers Of the Revolutionary war was yet lei
in their veins, and that they would be g0L idrae
if they did not spill it right down here in tn
prairie before they would be deprived of III
Liberty of speech or be driven out of Uncl
Sans Territory They said that their dads ha
told them, when they boys, that the
shoull read the Bible, keep the commandments
DO- go to meeting every Sunday, (not fish and hun
as bad boys did, and above all, maintain tn
rights achieved by the Revolutionary war; an
. they would be gol darned if they didn't Their
upon the Mssourans pitched in. They nevt
having been brought up to read the Bible c
. practice so christian a habit as to go TO churct
Do had no compunctions about the proprety
; their conduct while the Massachusetts, me-
avoided fight as much as possible, becaus
they considered the Mssourans and themselvt
all brethren in Uncle Sans family, and tha
they ought 10 make complaint to him to setll
the matter for them.
They saw that Uncle Sam had large poIiC
force at Fort Leavenworth near by, whose bl
siness it was to keep the peace and prevent fan
lily quarrels as well as foreign invasons. The
sent an agent to Washington to represent the
= situation and get the assistance of the Polit
force at Lsavenworh to restrain the aggression
of the Mssourans. But before the agent cou
get access to Uncle Sam, to implore him to r
t strain their Offending brethren whom they d
nouuc,d as Border Ruliilns, from persecuiil
thsm-the Missourians, through the assistance
ES his counsellors would give him whisk'y
drink with morphine in it. You know tn
u Uncle Sam drinks great deal of whiskey. |
keeps an officer called bottle holder al a gre
salary whose business it is to hand him t
bottle when he wants to drink.
His oounselors have got this bottle holder
D the interest of the Missourians, an& as no Wis
ors approach him without his taking dri
with them, this bottle holder, every time t
iLL Free State agent goes to Washington drugs b
gent with Uncle Sans whiskey aud he becomes so S
pid that nothing can be done with him, The F
ii be State men whom the Missouiians call abe
ts: tionits, have tried and tried to get their grr