True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-03-17
nr Ths fnllnuinr inr0rastinr account

OF the and.Lecompton Democratic meet
ing, held in Columbus on the 10th inst,
is copied from the Ohio State Journal,
Read il:
Anti-LecomptOn Meeting at Columbus.
The meeting being fully organized, the
Hon. Frederick P. Stanton ofTennessee,
late Secretary Of the Territory ofKansas,
and acting Governor during the absence
of Governor Walker, addressed the con-
yention. Mr.. Stanton is a fine looking
gentleman in the prime of lille. He was
a member Of Congress from the Memphis
district for ten years. There is no pre-.
tense about him. His bearing is that Of
a candid, conscientious, intelligent gen.
tlemsn. His speech had nothing Of the
spread eagle about it, nor glitlering gen.
eralities. He came here 10 speak to
thinking men upon great national sub
jecl. of which it may be said with exact
truth, that 'all of which he saw and part
of which he was" He told us that he
was southern man; that by birth, edu.
cation and habit, he had been Ia favor of
making Kansas slave State if it could
be done honorably, and with the free
consent Of the people; but not otherwise.
He was requested by the President to
60 to the Territory with Mr.. Walker, and
endeavor to allay the strife and end the
difficulties which there existed. He went
against his will. and at the sacrifice Of
professional business. He and Governor
Walker had long interviews with the
President before the left Washington, and
they were fully authorized, both verbally
and in writing, to say to the people of
Kansas that they should be protected in
their rights, and that when constitution
should be formed, before i! should be sent
to Congress it should be submitted 10
them for their approval or rejection. The
army of the United States was placed at
their disposal. Governor Walkers in.
augural message, in which these promises
were solemnly made, was written in
Washington, and was submitted to the
inspection and supervision of the President
and was by him approved. So there
could be no pretext for the President to
say that he did not fully comprehend its
scope and approve Of its doctrines.
Mr.. Stanton frankly admitted that he
went to the Territory strongly pref judiced
against the free State men. He thought
them factous; he believed they purposely
misrepresented the state of things there.
He had not been long there before he
began 10 alter his previously expressed
opinions. The truth came upon him in
a manner that he could not avoid seeing
and feeling it. He found that the free
State men had been exasperated almost
to madness, by the frauds and expressions
thai had been practiced on them by the
bod er Missourians, the Office holders and
the General Government. They had no
faith in the promises which he made to
them that they should have fair play
When he told them that Governor Walk
er and himself had been sent there by the
President for that purpose, and were de-
termined to see it done, they replied that
such promises had been made to them
before, but had never been kept. They
did not question the good intentions of
himself aud Governor Walker, but they
could not carry them out The truth Of
wha. they said has been fully vindca-
ted.
Mr.. Stanton spoke three hours. He
gave a detailed history of matters in Kan
sas, OF the frauds practiced upon the peo-
pie, of the duplcity practiced by the
Government, and of the wrongs there
made manifest. Never have we heard
such story of wrongs and expressions
Never was there such history spoken
as he spoke-of free people wronged
by their rulers. He wholly exonorated
the Free State men from blame. On the
contrary, he said that had the facts been
reversed; had the pro-slavery party been
in the position oflhe Free State men, had
they have had triumphant ard legal
majority, as the Free State men have bad
and the Free Stale men had attempted to
practice such villainies upon them, as had
been practiced upon the Free State men,
not man Of them wOuld be left uliue in
the Territory.
1t was great speech, great in lis OBJ.
ject, great in its facts, great in the man
ner in which they were treated. 1t come
upon one like the solemn organ sounds
of Cathedral music, Ii was statesman.
a scholar, and a gentleman speaking
against wrong doing, and for Liberty and
justice. When we say that the speaker
fully sustained every allegation made by
Governor Chase and the Republicans
during the late memorable campaign in
Ohio, we only give shadow to the sub
stance. The story of Kansas has never
yet been told by Republicans. True they
knew it, but they were afraid 10 tell it all,
lest the whole would be regarded as
Justification. Never did we feel more
proud of our position, never did we feel
more honored from The consciousness Of
our connection as humble soldier in the
Republican army, and for speaking for
the right, for truth and for Gods Justice,
than we felt when listening to the tragic
ephic of the honorable gentleman.
We shall often recur 10 this speech.
We could from mere memory write it all
out, SO deep is tie impression it has made
upon our heart. 1t is the knowledge that
one is fighting for great principles, for
the OverturniDg and the demolition Of ty.
rants and tyranny, that elevates the
politics of the day into the highest order
Of patriotism. We felt, when listening TO
the speech, thankful that we had been
permitted, in the providence Of God, to