The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-03-26
Written expressly for the HERALD OF FREEDOM
Copyright secured according to law.
THE JAY-HAWKER;
A TALE OF
SOUTHERN KANSAS.
BY P. P. FOWLER.
CHAPTER I.

Every dSC noS PtOuuOOu lIo uuObd vi
those who regard, and those who disre-
gard and trample upon the rights of hu-
man kind. Pirates, buccaneers, free
booters, fllibusters, Jack Cades, John A.
Murills and their sympathizers, abound
more or less in every part of the world
The land as we'll as the ocean, swarms
with lawless hordes of men who seek no
other path than to prey upon the substance
Of the peaceful and prosperous portion of
the community. And it is no strange
thing TO see man change his condition
from being oppressed to an oppressor,
from a slave to an enslaver, from
fawning place-seeker to a tyrant. 1t
would be strange indeed if Kansas should
be an exception to the rest of the world.
The great French butcher, Barere, a
prominent member of the "committee of
public safety" in France, was at first a
monarchist, then Jealous opposer Of
monarchy his voice sent "the Austrian
woman" as he called Maria Antoinette,
to the scaffold; he was subsequently a
supporter of Bonaparte, again trimmer to
monarchy, again to Bonaparte, clamorous
for liberty, trimming his sail to every
breeze, in every case whitening curse to
his species, his hands bsptised in blood,
and his heart fostering with crime-even
he, had his supporters, his admirers; those
who fawned, flattered, applauded; those
who were servile, cringing sycophants for
place and favor at the red hand of the
great felon. And even his biographer, as
grand climax to such servility, would
draw veil of oblivion over, not his errors,
but his many crimes, and make the world
believe that Barere added to what seems
to US his immortal infamy, the mean and
immense hypocrisy Of protesting the
Christian religion.
"If such things are done in tho green
tree, what may be done in the dry" Ig-
norance may be induced to believe that
to call down fire from Heaven to consume
our enemies, is legitimate way to get rid
Of them; and if this is so, it may not be
improbabletha men may be involved, in a
complicated plot, for the perpetration oi
that against which their better natures
would revolt, if they could rip open the
secrecy which hides from them the rea
motive by which the leaders are moved
Were the consequences of which W.
complain confined solely to the first few
movers of the mischief, it would be al
most idle to expatiate upon it !; but i
does not stop there, it reaches abroad t
others, itinvolves the innocent and spreads
terror and desolation abroad among tn,
masses, whose hearts are unframed to plum
der, whose only chance of exemption
from want and suffering is that they MAJ
pursue their various avocations in securit,
and peace.
So now, gentle reader, the moment j
rapidly approaching wherein we shall en-
ter directly upon the work of unfolding
tale. It is admitted that the tale does no
commence after the manner of tales i
general. 1t is neither bushy nor bob
tale, neither perpendicular nor horizontal
it does not whisk about in all possibl
directions, neither is it interminable;
aims to be full Of sense and sensibility, t
bea straight forward, gracefully presente
tale, and just long enough to do justice t
the subject.
1t cannot reasonably be supposed tbs
a tale should be wholly made up of low
nor yet that it should be composed of ra
pine, mingled up with now and then
murder.
1t might with more or less good sens
and propriety be little mixed, exhibi
ing some beams of silvery light anon
the shadows which come too often an
abide too long upon our path.
Wesincerely hope that by-gone shadow
may remain "by-gones," and that no moi
darkness may eclipse the bright unfoldir
OF this our fair Territory, unrivalled as
Is In native grace and beauty.
The early troubles which arose in Il
Territory, the result of outside and III
lawful pressure upon the rights of Il
settlers, are known and understood by q
Ihe world has long since sat in judgmel
upon them, and its verdict cannot well
set aside. There is, there can be no e,
cuse, no palliative for the frauds and i
Fasions connected with the first settl
@sns Of the Territory. Even 80. Il