Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-02-27
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

news and correspondence.
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP
TIE FRUIT OF Mr.. STATIONS Acr.-We
have more than once of late explained that Mr.
Stanton, in his apparent eagerness to subserve
the purposes Of the Topekaites, put his foot
in it' in calling the Topekaite Legislature of
Kansas together before their legal existence
began, in order to defeat the legalization of the
Lscompton Constitution explaining, at the
same time, the fact that, in the face of his Mr..
stanton'S pledge to the Secretary of State that
they would do nothing but direct vote to be
taken on the Lecompton Constitution, (which
they had no shadow of right under the law to
do, by the by,) they had passed ordinances
giving Jim Lanes band of rufian outlaws an
apparent justification for and right to perpe-
trate outrages at their will upon any peaceable
citizens they might fancy to assaiI The letter
We republish below shows that they have no,
been slow to avail themselves of the nominal
authority to do so, which Mr. F. p Stanton has
thus conferred on them The Judge Williams
mentioned in it is Judge Williams of the United
States Court Of the Territory, formerly of Iowa
who il well known to perhaps half of Congress
a. being as peaceable man and a gentleman
Of as high character as any other man in the
United States. He is also leading Free-State
Democrat Of the Territory. Matters have come
to pretty pass, truly, when the families of
such men are turned neck and heels out of
their homes by the precious lambs for whose
right to ride rough-shod over the Territory
Asssrs Douglas, Stuart, Broderick, Harris &
% are contending shoulder to shoulder with
Asssrs Hale, Wilson, Lovejoy, Giddings 4 Co.:
LKcoMProS, X. T, Feb. Is, 1853.
Editor Of the Star:
DKAR Sir Having Just been placed in possess
sion Of some facts in relation TO Kansas affairs
which may be OF some interest TO YOU, lose no
man arrived here last night direct from Fort
Scott (Mr Clark, bTotheT-iR-la law to Mr. Ran
som) who brings the details of some serious and
alarming transactions In that neigh borhood The
town Of Fort Scott il now In the hands of abont
two hundred of Lanes ragamufins and is al
most deserted by the respectable citizens, with
others General Clark and family the family of
Judge Williams, and large number of others,
have been forced to quit the Territory for safety
have Just seen letters from Gov. Ransom and
Judge Williams which give full detail OF one
OF the most aggravated and unbearable acts of
outrage and disgraceful lawlessness ever enacted
In Kansas or anywhere else. We are impatient.
~, and with much apprehension. awaiting fur
ther news from that quarter. At the same time
that these outrages are being committed we are
In almost daily receipt of accounts of like pro-
ceedings In various parts Of the Territory From
nearly all quarters we hear of the same Infamous
persecution which these hell hounds seem to de-
light In; There Is no telling where the matter
Will end, as fOrbearance NAV cease to he a virtue
not only on the part of some Of our friends in
Kansas, but with our neighbo on the border.
The Legislature has ad journed leaving nearly
every OIL which they had PASSED, of a general
nature, in the hands Of Gov. Denver bnt mot
passed In the lega time for their contamination
into laws. 4
Public LANDS IN MIssoURI.-A regulation
OF the General Land Office provides that in
specified time after the public lands in any
district shall be reduced by sale or grant to a
quantity less than loo, 900 acres. the local land
Office for that district shall be abolished. and
the land remaining undisposed of shall be at
taehed to the nearest adjacent district, to be
under control Of the Office therein established
In pursuance with this provision of the law the
Secretary Of the Interior was recently on the
point Of abolishing certain land Offices in the
state Of Missouri. As the effect of this measure
would, however, result injuriously to the peo-
PIE OF that State who reside in the vicinity of
the diminished districts, on account of the re-
moteneSs of the land Offices to which the dis
tricts would be attached, from the lands, the
Missouri delegation have induced the Secre-
tary to delay action in the premises for short
time, and meanwhile they intend introducing
bill into Congress for such a modification of
the law as will exempt some of the Missouri
lands from the rule. What renders this law q
source Of peculiar inconvenience in Missouri,
We are informed, is that the reduced districts
lie in the northern part of the State, while the
districts to which they would necessarily be
attached are located in the southern or western
part of the State. The estimate of the ouan-
tity Of public lands yet remaining unsold in
the several districts in Missouri, as derived
from official statements, is as follows: