Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-09-04
LETTER FROM FRANCIS GRAsMUcK.
TEcuMsEH, Kansas Territory, !
Auous 10Th 1877.

| vi II. tTOOON lNs-lt 10 ~ AQOAih- ~
my heart that / cannot forget old
friends, neighbors and acquaintances
| like to see them again; l love them
and love to hear from them, and
therefore 1 continued my papers from
Brookville in Kansas Territory. Fol
several years before | left | felt more
cool toward the Democratic party
than formerly, and / think | had
good reason for it; but while i was
here in this Territory and being here
at the earliest time, and having seen
the beginning and actions of the par
ties ever since, and as i was living in
Missouri for a short time before
moved into the Territory, am iaanil.
lar with the causes and circumstance
of all our difficulties, and when no.
ticed that the Democratic party acted
with the administration, and the ad-
ministration acting with the Border
Ruffians, and the Border Ruffians do
ing every thing out here to disfran.
chise all the Free State settlers, and
if possible to drive us out of the Ter
ritory; to destroy the good feelings o.
this Union; for the purpose to estab.
lish slavery whore it has no business
and all over the land, / could not
help talking and writing about it,
Ny object was to explain our situa-
ton, and set our old Democratic
friends and neighbors right, and on
sound truth, but l believe still yet
that our cause and trouble in Our Ter.
ritory is very little understood by
the people at large in the States.
see that as we'll in private letters as
in newspapers, we were often told
to vote, and to use our large majority
on the ballot box, and we consented
and agreed at our Topeka convention
to do it, and made preparations for it.
Our Governor Walker and diplomat
and political Tallerand said we would
have fair chance, but the Free State
people find now that, out of this bad
pro-slavery officer, no good is to be
expected. The census and apportion-
ment is so badly arranged that we see
the old fraud and cheat repeated eve
rywhere. The census taken by the
Free State government will show ten
Free State men TO one pro-slavery
man, and j believe it is true. Now
what can and what shall be done?-
We have kept our temper now long
enough. We made petition to Con-
gress again and again. We will not
do il any moro. We donow demand
our liberty, and are ready to take it
by all means. Gov. Walker is in
discredit with both parties, and peo-
pie say he is drinking hard. To give
you some idea how our Democratic
Government officers act out here, ]
will give you some facts. Last fall, in
1856, ] was summoned by the United
States Deputy Marshal TO attend the
Court at Tecumseh. l attended the
Court, as every good citizen should
do If / had refused, | would have
been called a rebel and an abolition
ist. found there in Court "a petit
jurymen, of which 21 were pro-slave-
ry, and 3 Free State men. Among
these II slavery menwere several
boys hardly II years Of age, and gen.
orally newly imported by Southern
emigrant aid societies, to prosecute
the Free State prisoners, and when
an important case appeared, the three
Free State Jurymen were generally
challenged out, according TO Demo-
cratic slavery law. | attended
Court nine days, and after the Court
adjourned, i received piece Of paper,
partly printed, rs follows, to-wit;---
"United States Of America, Territory
of Kansas, second Judicial District,
SIS; District Court in and for the sec
ond Judicial District, November
term, A. ID. 1856. hereby certify
that Francis Grasmuck has upon his
oath proved his attendance as Pet
IL Juror on tho part of the United
States at the November term OF said
Court, and Is entitled TO $3.50 for
for his services, at nino days attend
ancc, s2 per day, and two miles tray.
ol 10 and from court, hvo cents por
mile, 10 cents. Total, $3.50. Chas.
Bullock, Clork." Tho new settlers
arc generally poor Of money, and so
am j, and have done my best 10 be
paid for my Court service, but without
effect. l have tried every store In
town, pro-slavcry and Froe State, to
pass of said paper for 20 cents on tho
dollar, and 10 take such provisions
for Il as we are In want OF, but with.
out success. That will show how the
settlers aro swindled aud delayed, and
how tho United States credit stands
no FIR. And now there comes Sccrc.
tary Stanton, right from Washington,
instructed by President Buchanan,
and says 10 ua, you must pay your
taxes, and obey tho bogus laws, and
II you don't, We will collect IL, and
enforce them, &C., &c. with the Uni
tod States dragoona. Shamol shame
on such government, shame on such
q National Democratic party, they
arc M bad ~ the British Parliament
In l77b-76. | will giveyou md your
readers another fact. In the winter
of 1904, ono OF our good neighborn
gave us n young holier calf Ono of
our girls adopted II for her own, and
although oornmoal cost s2.b0 per bush.
el, said calf was % eat one quart n
day NIL winter. Provisions aud mon.
ey were very scarce at the time, ma.
ny people were suffering, the winter
very cold, plenty OF snow, nobody
could 20 10 Missouri after pro, isIons,
Our oornmeal was nearly gone, said
the mother. Tho calf must starve
and die, said ], because we need the
moal for our own preservation, oh,
father, says tho girl, with tears IN her
eyes, will you allow me to givo my
calf n pint OF meal per day. ! hope
wo all will survive this winter !
consented, but not without ioar, And
we would have suffered 20 great ex.
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