The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1857-08-27
buchanan 4sOiG9 Justice LIN
ElhEESszS.
it soon site

/ The claim Of the buchanan men in the
North before tie election, was, that he
you'll secnrc lair play TO the Free State
men Of Kansas. How has this been done
We hasc noticed elsewhere the appoint
ment of Emory, ono Of the worst Of tbs
Border Ruflians, to en important Office,
We here give Doctor Gihon's description
IF another Of these worthless, and Of his
appointment After giving Secretary
! WoodSons celebrated Proclamation OH
page 1872, the Doctor proceeds:
This proclamation, calling for volun-
tecr militia from Missouri and elsewhere
?ut of the territory, exhibits an utter lack
of sound judgment, and came nigh prov
! ing more disastrous to the c9nntry than
! ali the eyrals combined that have yet
transpired. Not satisfied, however, with
the proclamation, which, Of itself, was
su efficiently nlischievous, lie wrote private
letters to parties in Missouri. calling for
men. money and munitions Of war, TO ear
ry aGt hig partisan purposes. This proc
lamation and these letters called together
thousands Of men, mostly from Missouri,
with pas1iuns inInmed to the highest de-
gree, and whose only thought and full de
Termination Was wholesale slaughter and
destruction, From the hour they en-
tered the territory pntil they agaIn passed.
It's bordcrs, their path wa% marked witt.
biood>hed and ruin. There was scarcely
crime ID the vast category CT crimes that
they did not commit with & brutality
scarcely conceivable in beings bearing the
human form. 1t would be disgusting
and sickening to rccapitulate the wanton
atrocities, the Lellish crucltics, pCrpctra-
ted by these bands Of yoiUnttcr militia.
When Governor Gcary appeared among
them at their camp at Franklin, rs will
hereafter be related, and made known
his purpose to di.band them, it was viii!
difficulty tl,at their leaders c7uld restrain
their feuli>h appetiteS and prevent the
Iconsummhtion OF THAR Stacking designs,
! The presence OF the governor there was
most opportune. An hour or two later
the town OF Lawrence would have been
! in ashes every man, woman and child III
f! it. would have been ruthlessly slaughter
ed; aud several thousands Of human
bloodhounds thirsting for vengeance
would have been let loose upon the terri
tory with uncomfortable fury, to lay
waste and dcsoiate whatever came in
their way. Ii is impossible to imagine
the extent Of tie calanities aud horror:
that wr,lld have ensued, The alarm
would have spread beyond the houndsr
les of Kansas TO oyory state and territory
of the Republic; the toosin of war woulo
have sounded from one extremity of the
Union to the other; and as bloody 4 ciTi
strife as the world hiss ever known mus
have been the result. For this act of tn,
secretary, which, but for the timely in
reference Of Governor Geary, would have
been productive of unspeakahIe evils
President BHrhGRnn, rM characterts
tic generosity, has re.cardc2 jh. Wood
sa.t iaitL he qDice Of rcceirer for the Del
lrarc Lond District
! Some time ago ths Warren Le,{ger, il
iustifying Walkers foray against Law
rcn2e said, Hthey, (the Free State mol
''of Kansas have been protected in Al
their Just rights" This does not coz
respond with the opinion OF Doctor Gi
hon who says on page lG2:
Thus it appears that, although crimes
Of the blackest dye were daily aud hourly
being committed, and many of the Grim
inals were arrested and indicted, the only
convictions that could be obtained hy til,
district courts, with three supgem
Judges, and Il United States district at
toruey, in the space of two years, waa aa
for stealing and another for killing
horse three for assuming Office ant
aQme eight or ten for selling liquor with
out license. ..
what became Of the inccndiarics, tn
. robbers, the raviSherS and assassins ?
These were permitted to run st large, t
burn houses and crops; violate and bran,
women; steal horses and cattle; and mur
| der defencelcss men i'll their own home
, OF on the public highways, with impuni
ty Or if they were arrested they wer
immediately set at liberty again, upon
worthless bail, By falthIess judges, or dis
charged because of q Bai!e prase9ai en
! tered by the United States District At
t torney, or acquitted by verdict easil
obtained from packed jury of criminal
like themselves. Supreme Judges an
iizsgiot attorneys had plenty Of leisur
and admirable opportunities to sccur
eomforahle building lots and cligibl
claims, and to grow rapidly rich upo1
: salaries insufficient to meet their dali
3: wants; whilst the worst felons ran a
2 large, laughing to scorn the laws, aud tn
{ holding Of eoNrts we're nothing bette
I than shameless farces, in which all inter
i cs;c4 found abundant sources Of amusl
mCnt