The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-07-16

sailants alleging and many believing that
they acted under authority of the United
States Marshal or the Territorial laws.
A mutual guerrilla warfare ensued. Bands
of armed men possessed and secured the
Territory from May till September. All
law was abolished. Settlers who particle
pated least and discountenanced the pro-
ceedings, suffered the most loss. A re-
lentless plundering and warfare was kept
up in many localities. Robberies were
not always confined to political opponents.
Hundreds of families were plundered, and
other hundreds were compelled to leave
their homes and seek safety in flight,
abandoning their all. The roads were
possessed and guarded by guerillas. The
mails were stopped and robbed. Commu-
nication with the Northern and Eastern
States was principally cut off. The United
States troops interposed for the establish
ment of law and order. In August, hun
dreds Of armed men came in from Iowa
and Nebraska, and actively took the field,
according to their sympathies. Alleged
guerrilla parties were BY them attacked
and dispersed. Again neighboring
State interfered. A defenceless town was
attacked and entirely burned. Sept. 1st,
the largest city in the Territory witnessed
the expulsion of many of her citizens, the
sacrifice Of their property and the she'd
ding of blood. Desperation aud revenge
induced more active retaliation. Again
a neighboring state interviewed, and an
army of $500 men was organized, and
marched forty miles into the Territory. to
expel or exterminate opponents. Gov
ernor Geary, by diplomacy, diverted them
from their purpose. They were disband-
ed and retired from the Territory, COM
hitting murders. robberies and outrages.
But the Governor finally restored peace.
Soon after the Governors proclamation
against armed bands was published, hun
dreds of Adventures retired from the Ter
ritory, in the directions whence they
came, taking with them the results Of
their expeditions. These facts are in ev-
idence in many cases now on file before
US.
From all our investigations, We are con-
ident that the entire loss and destruction
of property during the warfare, from Nov.
l, 1855, till Dec l, 1856, INCLUDING the
fitting out of the several armed expedi-
tions, and the private losses incurred on
both sides, could not have been less than
two millions of dollars, ($2.000,O0O)
We believe that at least one half of that
amount was directly sustained by and fell
upon actual citizens of Kansas-the bona
fide settlers. This opinion is formed LIST.
From the amount of losses claimed before
US, (and which we have no doubt were
actual losses and expenses to the indiyid-
uals, but large proportion of which we
could not allow under the act Of Feb Z,
1850 2nd. From the amounts proven
up before the former Commissioner, and
which have not been presented to US for
adjustment. Sd. From the number of
settlers who were driven away from the
Territory and have never returned, being
spirit broken and discouraged by the
scenes of 1856.
Although not within our province, we
may be excused for stating, that from
the most reliable information that we
have been able to gather, by the secret
warfare of the guerrilla system, and in
well known encounters, the number of
lives sacrificed in Kansas during the pc
rod mentioned probably exceeded rather
than fell short of two hundred. Many
affairs in which life was sacrificed (on
either side) were kept secret, and tho par
ticulars are only known to the partici-
pants. The guerrillas, from motives of
policy, seldom made known the result of
their operations. But the number of
missing persons, and the letters of inquiry
for individuals addressed so frequently
from all parts of the Union 10 citizens of
Kansas, have a meaning and significance
not to be mistaken.
; That the excitement in the Eastern and
Southern States in 1856 was instigated
,, and kept up by garbled and exaggerated
accounts of Kansas affairs, published in
the Eastern and Southern newspapers, is
true, most true but the half of what was
+, done by either party was never chroni-
cled Is it then to be wondered at. that
hundreds of honest and peaceable settlers,
who deemed the outrages and robberies
. perpetrated upon them to have been
aimed at them individually, on account of
: their political but really unobtruded SEN
, timents, should feel dangerous degree
2 of bitterness towards those who had de-
prived them Of the comforts of life and
blasted their early prospects in the Ter.
ritory? May we not look at the Ievela-
tons now made in philosophical light,
} and by presenting to the country, in the
most practical shape, we'll established
! facts and their results, contribute our mite
to the science Of political economy and
r public policy? The facts stated, develope
the dangerous tendencies that still exist,
to great extent, in the public mind, and
, must convince the most skeptical that
real peace, friendship, cordiality and
t neighborly sympathy will never have
, full sway over the hearts of those az.
grieved, so long as their wrongs and suf-
ferings remain unredressed. The old
!. fires are liable to be reliShted at any mo-
ment. Old antipathies will! override all
l political issues, however important. In
: many instances, however, Free State men
3 have voluntarily come up and testified to
/ important facts in favor of pro-slavery
: men, and pro-slavery men have done the
like for their former opponents in others,
political or sectional difficulties have be en-
, candidly explained and mutually traced
+ to their origin, without prejudice to the
, honor or principles of either partisan
and in others again, men have risen above
the mere demands of party strife and
party influence, and sought to promote
! the future welfare and aggrandizement OF
+ the Territory, shoulder to shoulder, by
securing, as far as possible, indemnity to
those who were the victims of circum-
! stances that the people of the Territory
I could not control, but which the General
Government was in honor and in duty
bound to protect them against. by main
tanning inviolate the purity of the ballot
, box on the one side and the rights of
, n-o,,nrtr nn thu ofhnr To arnh nam