The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-04-18
The Kansas Question.

We publish elsewhere in to-day's paper
vpder the head Of kansas Items" extracts
from Kansas and other papers, showing the
almost incredible progress and prosperity OF
that territory. California in ls49 and 1850
scarcely equalled it. The emigration must
amount to five or six thousand souls week.
Cities are springine into existence as II oy
magic; farms are being opened by hundreds
mills, manufacturing establishments, of'eg
a. railroads. banks, and all the means and
snpl;.nces of civilization, BUSINESS, and
eommerce,-in older States the slow growth
az wears of patient management and foil,
hurst into existence here as if by superna-
turai power. At this rate Kansas in year
will have 4 quarter of million Of people,
enough to entitle her to two or three mem-
bers of Congress.
In view of such elements Of material
greatness, is it not most lamentabe that this
fair land should be cursed by political feuds
and difficulties which, in spite Of all its I'M
surpassed natural advantages, may yet rend
Il with civil broils and drench its plains with
Cd must be the prayer of every honest man;
but We confess the sky in that quarter is
sufficiently lowering to give just cause for
alarm.
To understand what foundation there is
for such fears, let us look at the present po-
sision Of parties in that territory. First we
have the Stringfellow and Atchison party,
the regular ''border ruitians," who desire to
cram slavery down the threats Of the people
at all hazards, whether the majority will or
nos. This party, though confessedly insg-
nihcant in numbers, succeeded, through the
first "border ruffian" legislature, in getting
most of the local Offices, and therefore
yields more power than it is entitled to in
proportion to its numbers. Secondly, we
have the Topeka, or out-andc abolition
party, of which Gov. Robinson is the Off
eal head, and "Msssa Greeley" as Bennett !
calls him, the tail. This party is about .
equally fanatical, violent, and regardless Of
decency and the restraints of law as the .
other, and in actual numbers probably
stronger. For the prosperity, peace, and
good order OF the territory this party has lit
tie concern. Its main object is to keep open
the sectional agit alton with view of opera
ting upon the elections in the northern
States. They are, therefore, not only will
ing but anxious that Kansas shall adopt a
recognizing slavery, or, what
would be still better, that the question could
be kept open till after 1860 In either case,
they think the Sane effect would be pro-
duced.
And thirdly we have a party, much more
Numerous it is believed than either OF the
others, composed of men from the north and
south, who have come to the territory with
The intention of making it their permanen, ,
home These may be called the "mode- ,
'ate,' or genuine LAW and order party .
This is the party that stood by Gov. Geary a
Turing his brief administration in that terri 5
.ory; that focked around him during the T
oherrard trouble; and that in the meeting |
which was held at that time, passed resolu- ,
lions sustaining the Governors course.
The great question now pending in the
:onsti. utional convention, and the formation :
Of state constitution The Stringfelow ,
party will OF course spare no means, how :
.ver INSCRIPTIONS, TO carry majority OF I
his convention The Topeka party, secret c
y praying for their success, in view of their c
llterior objects, have decided no: to 20 to :
he polls, SO that the '.border ruffiaus-' can t
rave free sway; while the moderate party c
will strive earnestly to have fair and ho- t
lest election, and will labor for the adoption Z
II such . constitution as shall honestly re t
iect the views, and promote the true into 1
-ests, Of the mass Of the b1na .ri,ie citizens /
If the territory t
1t 10 therefore, in our view, inquest ona- !
,angs the question of permanent peace or O
uture endless trouble in the territory OF c
Kansas That the Topeka party have it in
heir power 10 insure the success OF this p
'arty, by uniting with them, there can be ii
10 doubt. Certainly the law of the last b
Kansas legislature, by which the constitu- !;
ional convention is called, throws no obsta- +
les in their way. All admit that the law it. 5
elf is iair-the only complaint is, that its 5
xecution is mainly in the hands of the c
border ruflians," who vii! pcrvsrt its pro {
'isions. But need this be the cases. The c
aw provides for a registration of all the bona L
ids settlers in the territory on the lst of
April; that after this registration is made Il
shall be printed and posted up, and time is r
iven until the first of May to correct the il
SITS. AL test oa;hs and other odious provi- il
ions Of the former election law are abolish Il
d, and the most stringent provisions are fr
,ade for the punishment of fraudulent h
otes, or for violent attempts to restrain any V
1nd fide settler from voting at the election
June. We have the most solemn assur- Fl
noes from Washington that Gov. Walker tc
oes to Kansas with determined purpose Ia
, enforce fair and homes. obedience to the S:
rovisions of this law. If he is candid in p
lis profession, and the free state men are o.
oncst in their confident claim of having p
lch a vast numerical! strength in the terri :
nv, what is there to prevent the Topeka a,
nd moderate free state men from taking the =,
.ins Of government into their own hands 4, VI
nee, and no, only establishing the peace of L
ne country upon lasting basis, but also tc
,akins it a free state a
But the Topeka" men have sullerly said n
No. Let violence rage--we have other OBJ d
cts in view more dear 10 us than the pacif- II
ation or Kansas" And the same in effect
, the language Of the border ruffians. The I,
NO thus combined, there is abundance of o