New-York daily tribune., 1858-02-06
KANSAS.
BORDER RUFFIANISM.

Hbss been hoped that Border R0fhanism WAS
,sfnpst-that never again would it be heard OF,
..ves, a historical record, aud that 90 misty and
,,cerypba that il could at any time be ,poDged out
=, the awful sibema abolition lies! :" 10 fact,
nsny of the recent emgahts TO parts of The Terri
ssry not lately blessed by such manifestations are
already becoming skeptical. An enterprising busi-
ness man goes To WestpOrt, or Kansas City, or
Weston, 10 buy load OF -four, or groceries, or 10
establish business connection, and so luently does
the man Of -four, and coffee, and hardware, talk 70
him, and with such moral saws, that he begins to
think Border Rufianism chmera OF the
brain, or that il was disease on the body
polite coming suddenly, like the measles or
scarlet fever, to a patient who had never be-
fore been subject TO its ravages, and who would
never be affected by them again. Under
such circumstances, il is hard 10 believe that the
soil of Kansas has ever been so prOfusely wetted
with the blood of the martyrs or that Lawrence
and Osawatomie and Leavenworth should ever
have suffered from its rayages. Following out such
a train of skeptical reflections, the conservative
man, especially if he would like to be Demo-
crat" gets TO believe that mienaal bliss and excel
ience shine upon the whole Missouri border and its
colonial dependencies in Kansas. Being charitable,
he for " Democracy sake looks at all the elec
ton frauds that wrested the rod of empire from the
people, through an inverted microscope Even if
fanism, be is ready to believe that the lion of
BOrder-Ruffan Democracy" is about to lie down
with the lamb of suffering Freedom, and that he is
the little child" who viii " lead them" He will
keep the former from tearing the latter limb from
limb; and should the latter attempt one plalntiye
beat because the lions foot is still on its neck he
will rebuke It, and assure it that il is merely ia
natical 4" shrek for Freedom" In this way the
Union will be saved, and active Borde rder-Rufian
Democracy" will merge into the much more re-
spectacle Democracy" that merely cOnnves at 1t.
Now, all of these conservative speculations may
be quite creditabe to the heart but are by no means
70 fattering TO the judgment. Active numbering
and burning Border Rufiianism in Kansas is indeed
under cloud; il is there for its own safety, but
whenever you get peep behind the cloud you see
it. Occasionally it still steps out to follow its
wicked instincts, and would do 80 often, but - De-
mocracy" has half persuaded Rutfianlsm that 1t
can accomplish its purposes better than itself can
But RuffiaDisn is the same, yesterday, to-day, and
forever We have not heard tho last of it, either.
1t has neither relinqushed its wickedness nor
its crimes. 1 have had further evidence of
Its active existence. l learn that one Free
State resident Of Westport, Mo, was lately
driven from that place. That even Free-State
men in business are at present narrowly watched
when they go through it, and that it is not altogether
safe for any one there just about this time to, take
very strong ground for "Kansas Free State" l
learn that there was meeting of MssOurians at
Shawnee lately, of a threatening, warke order.
do not think they will come up again to fight. 1t
would not be very safe project. think that
Border Ruffians felt sure of Kansas; they chafe,
and are highly irate at any rebeOus manifestations
of the Free-State people The attempt to arrest
those guilty of late election frauds is considered an
unwarrantabe interference with Border Rutfianlsm.
But it is elsewhere that the same old Border
Rufianism begins to manifest itself. learn from
a gentleman who has just arrived from the Cherokee
ii, hat th1. Drn- laV
Borderers from Arkansas and Missouri are busily
but quietly at work to take possession OF that coun-
try. This is, of course, cOnnived at by the whole
tribe of Government officials and agents. These
truders are already seeking out the best locations,
and under pretense Of hiring land from the Indians,
and working it for them are making settlements
that will ultimately hold the most valuable natural
points of that territory. So systematic does this
appear to be that fear that the whole movement ha
been instigated and encouragedfrom W ashlDgt0n L
would also stqte that the utmost jealousy exist
among these Pro-Slaycry invaders against any man
who is suspected Of being from Kansas. Should
Free State men 20 they would be nomnally us well
as really ntruders, as the agents would cOnnye at
no special favors for them. Those who are thus
quietly going on the Indian territory, and taking
these treacberOus and unfair steps 70 secure 1t to
Slavery and slaveOwners, seem to be apprehenslve
of emigration from Kansas, and determined 10 stop
il by violence, should FreeStSte emigration come
from tneIc vi du! quhIVi.
Nor is that all. At the very time when Free
State men deem the Kansas struggle nearly over
some of the leading Border Ruffians are making
calculations for securing ArizOnia to Slavery. al
luded to this in a recent letter heard the names
of dozen persons, members or officers of the Mis-
sOuri- Kansas Legislature bogus officers under it,
who expect Kansas to be safe in the hands OF the
Calhoun Government, backed by the U. S. Army
20 that they can start for Arizona in May or june
Several of these have spoken freely of their enter
prise, and have even threatened to "kill any AbO-
htionst they could find there. One of them said:
1--WE will not let the AbOlitonists get the start OF
"us in Arizonia; we will shoot them as they
"come." Thus it will be seen that Border Ruff
ansm with one empire held but loosely IN their
grasp, slipping from it, are bold enough and per-
severiDg enough, to look out for more conquests.
Nor have we seen the last of the Border Ruffan
spirit The Border Ruffan is q social and political
monster produced by the crime Of Slavery and es-
sential to its existence and perpetuation. Intem-
perance, gambling, bunted moral sense, and an
utter ignorance of the good that is in republican
liberty are its essentials. II grows and fourshes
under the influence Of the Slave Power, and is
ready to do its bidding even to the most hornd
erimes Border Rufiansm is under check IN Kan.
sas but Border Ruffanism is not dead.
A ONE-YEAR-0LD TOWN.
TIE Quiadaro Chindoran, in On article on the
rapid growth of that town, states That Quindaro was
epe year old the first day Of January, 1853. Twelve