The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-10-09

people are truly tolerant on that question;
but the moment politics are introduced,
presto, change, and the Spanish inquisi-
ton, figuratively, with its rack, and tor
ture, and frs-brand is introduced to
punish the luckless wight who does not
believe that "the voice of the people is
the voice of God" We have seen it,
not only in our own person, but in that of
all others who reside in the place, who do
not act with the majority. Men whose
heads "are silvered Ger with age" have
been insulted and sileuced among US be-
cause they advocated different line of
political policy from the masses; while
professed Pantheist, who even denies the
existance of God, in the popular accep-
tation of that term, is tolerated and list
ened to night after night, and is frequent
ly spplauded for his remarks. We are
conscious that these ideas will be unpala-
table to some of our readers who borroio the
Herald of Freedom, 50 we return to our
subject.
A warm contest was going on while
we were in johnson county, relative to
the location of the county seat-Gardner
Olathe and Shawnee, each being can
didate for that position, and each
seemed certain of success. Though we
would not have ventured an opinion pri-
or to the vote on this question, no,o we
may be permitted to remark that, prob
ably Olathe has larger vote in its favor
sthan any other point, though we are Of
the opinion that it has not majority
over the other two places. The highest
number of votes, however. will settle the
lquestion. Olathe, from its central and
healthy location, will necessarily occupy
one of the rstpositions in that county.
Eleven miles in a northeast direction,
over very good road, which has been
greatly improved by the construction of a
sort of "csrderoy" bridge, using stone
something after the manner of McAdam-
ised roads, we found Shawnee, which,
we believe, is the most populous town in
the county. 1t is situated thirty-two
miles east of Lawrence, on the Kansa,
City road, and is ten miles from that point
nine miles from Wyandott, aud we sup
pose, six miles from Westport. 1t is To-
Gated on a point known to Californi-
ans and those who travelled over tn c
country in '64, '55 and '56, as Gum
Springs, since which the town has been
projected, and now numbers several hun.
dred inhabitants. The houses are gener
ally neatly built and painted white, Civ
ing to the place, situated as it is on beau
tiful prairie, near timber and water, very
fine appearance as it is approached from
the west or south. They have larg'
and commodious hotel, kept by MI
> HOLMES, gentleman who knows how
, to make his guests feel at home, and oI
whom the travelling public should not fai
to call. Tarrying with friend H. owe
:, night, in the morning We started home
:, ward.
Monticello is the first point worthy o
observation this side of Shawnee, beinj
= seven miles from that place. It is yer.
u we'll located on the high prairie, insurin
d health to its inhabitants. The town wa
o projected by gentlemen from Lesven
% worth, who, as an earnest of their abilit
) to make town at that point, remove
B. thither themselves, and thus far succe:
y has crowned their endeavors. Two goo
l. hotels grace the town site, besides store
II dwellings, &c. Monticello must b
al looked upon as fixed fact.
is De Soto is some distance to the right {
VI the principally travelled road, on th
le banks of the Kansas river. It give
ID promise of being a place by and b.
10 though we apprehend that the location
ie not the most desirable one in the count,
" Lexington, three miles this side of I
AS Soto, is making some progress, thoug
'y rather slow at present. The country
fine around, and, when density populate'
a. the need of e town there will be appl
'F rent, and its prosperity will follow as
u natural consequence.
Eudora is some seven or eight mil
90 west Of Lexington, in Douglas county, al
90 near Blue Jackets, where we divergt
from the Westport road. It's settled al
st, surrounded with large German popul
as ton, who may be complimentsd, just
ID for their intelligence and energy of chs
ng acter.
an Those who visited Kansas from Il
81 East in the fall of 1854, and the spring
ice '55, were in the habit of remarking th
Ike "the best portion of the lands of Kans
we are in the hands of the Shawnee Indisl
raj and years will intervene before their tit
of are wholly extinguished." While ,
We. cannot admit the truth of the remark,
he far as being the best portion of Kansas, ,
me we cheerfully concede that to those ira
5 a elers it was the loveliest country they b
nm ever seen; and we do not wonder that tn
were solicitous of getting possession of
m 1t is everywhere rolling, with numero
on streams skirted with timber, and an en-
of less variety of scenery, almost enchanti
ed the traveller accustomed to the monotol
but of an Illinois prairie.
~. While travelling on the Santa Fe TO
res we were astonished to see the large trai