Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-08-20
M,yu,r,,y.K.T r.. July 9th, 1858.


Editor of TAe Oxford Demouoi-Dear
Sir--In an Eastern Journal which have
received from the mail to-day, notice the
following article taken from the Democratic
Advocate, purporting to give Prof. Smyths
views Of matters in - Bio,diag Kda,a'."
r,om the Demoel attic Advocate.
wu.r pRor. Sxrru or BowDorS CoLLroE
NOW THINKS or +" BLEEpIS0 KANSAS" We
suppo.e that everybody Is aware that Prof.
Smytb Of Bowdoln College. has long been
one Of the most jealous AbOlitionists in
Maine. Certainly no one wa. more inter
e.ted in the election Of Col. Fremont than
he. or was more fervcntly exercised in 1886
about the =" wrongs Of Bleeding Kansas. y"
hut Of late the Professor has been on tour
through Kansas aud Missouri; has seen the
Border Rufians rs they are. and has come
home y wiser man. From letter written us
by n member of the Senior Class IN Bowdoin
College, one who himself soted for Fremont,
We venture 10 make the following extract
Prof. Smyth, who has been making a
tour throughout Kansas and Missouri. has
come home quite pleased with the affairs OF
the West. In speech made before the
class, he advanced a remark which no doubt
was true. coming from strong abolition
source. namoly the outrages committed In
Kansas have been most shamofully exagger.
ated by the press and the people Of the
North. and that while he was in Missouri
he never was treated better or In more
gcntlemanly manner in his life. lie could
assert his opinion there as freely aud with
as little danger as here, showing that things
are no, quite Us bad as represented and
grccdily believed In ,hcse parts"
Thi. article OF tho Advocate, like hun
drcls Of Others, is invented no doubt, TO De.
eeive its crcdulous readers, trying to gloss
over the devllish outraecs tina, have been
perpetraied by +" borderrutians" aud their
eOadju,Or,, Buchanan's willing tools. This
report bears some resemblance to one eircu'
lated in Maine before certain fall election
BY a famous Dcmocra, formerly IRON Nor
way, who asserted. as have boen told, that
I"had written him that the troubles in
Kansas were not 90 bad as had been repre-
scn,ed by the Eastern pipers." The facts
were, wrote him that Eve did not here
lin the Big Blue region OF Kansas expert.
encc the troubles and trials that the people
did on the Missouri borisrs''-or to that
import
| had the pleasure Of an introduction to
Prof Smy,h on tho day Of his arrival In
Manhattan. and after acquaintance, while
stopping here, am pleased 10 know that he
has high opinion Of this beautiful coun'
try. and also was treated, as he highly de-
serves, with marked respect by Mi'-ourian'
a. we'll a, by Eastern men. ! can now cay
myself. lin M, A. u. 1855 y that have
been a. we'll treated in Missouri and Kansas
by SHAREHOLDERS and the mos, rated " border
ruihan.," Us any man need b.. and l have
often thought and made the remark that
this elias. Of persons who figured 20 prom''
nen,ly in the Kansas troubles Of 'j5 to 80
really We'd with each other. by kindness and
psli,cncss 10 FREQ state men and women Of
standing and character, 10 redeem themselves
from the odium that Is attached 10 thelr
names. Let i, be under.toOd by all reason
able men tha, the " border ruiIan' OF to-
day Is different person from the " border
ruiTian" Of '55 and '5G-that stranger
would not think him 10 he the same person
that he really was. There is marked and
prominent, change Of public opinion nov
going on in Missouri. Men who in -
would no, harbor an abolitCnis, on theft
premises. will now give them their bc., fare
and coincide in the samO view. Of public and
domestic policy.
PROT. Smy,h is no, acquainted and haI
no, probably been introduced, to many o
/ the prominent actors Of '5j 10 81, frou
whom 10 learn tho real state OF Affairs snC
scntimen, in those rated years.
have boon close reader. observer anC
participation in the scenes OF thesc years IL
! Kansas. aud have not noticed the account
OIL any outrage committed here as published
IN any Eastern paper tia, has all beer
exaggerated, aud they generally fall shor
Of the truth. Any little affair like ,h,
above extract Of the saying Of Prof Smyti
and similar ones, are made the most Of b,
designing. bunker. Demoerutic editors. I,
patch up a bad and sinking cause.
Very respectfully,
A. rnnnnNntr