Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-12-23
missionary Life i'm Kansas.

II 81.
We feel well repaid for having attended the
lecture Of Rev. 8. s. Snyder, upon the above
subject, in the United Brethren Church, last
night. His lecture was confined exclusively
to narration of his own experience in that
Territory as missionary. Arriving at West.
port in the Fall of '49, he pushed as far into
the interior as Lawrence, where he located,
Here he was inducted into the science oi
frontier life in all its branches cutting his
own. timber, rafting it, erecting his own rude
domicil, making every article Of household
furniture, and resting upon the sod, within
that hut, after it was finished, with nothing
but prairie grass for bed-cover or pillow. Here
he prosecuted his labors of love-under great
hardships and inconvenience, to be sure, but
with measure of success. But more serious
events fastened in that vicinity. The settlers
were disturbed in their peaceful occupation
by bands of ruffians, who overran the country,
pillaging and numbering Mr.. Snyder was
not exempt, by virtue Of his office, from the
danger of violence. Returning, upon certain
occasion, from Osawatomie, where he had
filled an appointment, he was twice ordered
to halt and render an account OF himself to
armed men, and finally fell in with rutfian
Of the bascst sort, an old man, who, after
eliciting sundry facts in relation more partlc-
ularly to Mr.. -Snyder's destination, actually
planted heavy revolver against his breast,
and. with terrible oaths, threatened instantly
to blow him through. Mr.. S. begged for his
life, and succeeded in getting out OF harms
reach. The villain himself was, as Mr.. 5.
subsequently ascertained, the same day appre-
hended by a band of free-State men, and only
saved from hanging by the interposition OF
one more humane than the rest Some time
after, the same individual was murdered by a
man upon whom he had before inflicted
wounds thought to have been mortal
Mr.. S. was an eyewitness to the sacking of
Lawrence, (Spring of '56,) by an army of
ruffians, under the leadership of that infamous
wretch, Sheriff Jones. Though not shadow
of opposition was offered by the free-State
men, the town was subjected to the horrors
of a cannonade, the blazing torch of incendiar-
ism, and unrestrained pillage. Mr.. S. was
present-rife in hand, dire necessity at
the second investment of Lawrence. The
ruffians numbered $500, drawn out on the
adjacent hills, and executing careful recon-
noisance. Old John Brown was present with
the free-State men upon this occasion,
inspiring all hearts with courage. Mounting
the ramparts of one of the forts, he quietly
gazed in the direction Of the foe, and remarked
to those within: "There will be no fight here,
gentlemen; they always were towards, and
they are towards still'-then detailing few
scouts to fire upon them with ''long- shooters" "
(Sharpe's rifles under shelter of the grass,
dozen shots decided the issue Of the day. Two
or three ruftians dropped, and the army of
$500 scampered away as fast as their horses
could carry. them. No wonder that Brown
became infatuated with fighting this kind Of
men, and that he soon graduated under such
tuition!
The troubles in Lawrence and Kansas were
finally quieted under the wise mediation Of
Gov. Geary. During their continuance =
according to Mr.. Snyder's account-murder,
arson, pillage and all manner of outrage were
the order of the day, perpetrated upon harm
less, industrious settlers, by "Union-loving'
men of the South, without any other provo
cation than that of entertaining sentiments
adverse to slavery.
Such are some of the facts that might be
offered as an offset to the fearful laudations of
Southern character, by the oyer-zea!ous
s.Union- savers of this city. Mr.. S. will
pardon us, as public journalist, for making
this suggestion, on our own responsibility,
though in opposition to his expressed~ish.
The conclusion forces itself, involuntarlly,
aftd listening to the simple narrative of facts,
as connected with the pious labors Of an inof
fensive missionary in tie Territory of Kansas,
that the spirit Of revolt and rapine originated
with the South in it's maddened zeal for
extending the institution of slavery, and that
for such purpose nothing of hellish atrocity
is regarded as +" reasonable, fanatcal, or
incendiary," by men of the Boo Hoo stamp
Won't some one get up meeting to sympa-
thize with Mr. Snyder, and others, for the
murderous wrongs they suffered in Kansas !?
F The lecture was fairly attended, and has no
doubt brought an encouraging sum into the
treasury Of the Sabbath School, for the benefit
of which it was undertaken. Daily, 18Th.
REPUBL1cANIsM THE REMEDY FOR THE
Sr .uHpx Ac1rArIoN "A large slave owner