The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-04-25
Correspon3ence Of the Guardian.
ATCHIsoN, APRIL Is, 1869.

tOfTtSUDVIGH tt " ttC cdHI dHiH
ATCHIsoN, APRIL Is, 1869.
FRIEND Rich:
Last evening, the largest audience
ever addressed in the City Of Atchson
was addressed by Gen. JAS. Ii. LANE,
upon the Claim Bond Swindle." The
Claim Bond Swindle, probably need
not tell you, is this: The law making
power under the Wyandotte constitution,
passed law, or an act, providing for the
payment of the claims of those who re.
ceived damages by the loss OF property
through the kansas War" These
bonds are to be paid by the people of
Kansas, and they amount to 1913, 800,
and are to be paid in New York in 1855,
bearing interest at ten per cent, paid an
nually. This amount, with interest, is 10
be raised by a tax, and has the relation
Of a State debt. This law, il appears,
was passed by Republican legislature,
yet few Republicans voting against it.,
and a Jeac democrats, all, however, there
was in either House. This law has gone
into effect, and the first annual interest
has been paid already. Now, then, the
Republicans opposed to it have earnestly
taken the matter in hand, and are deter
mined that the people of Kansas shall not
shoulder and bear this unjust burden
shall, when the tax collector comes along,
repudiate this "infamous Claim Bond
Swindle." What the consequences will
be providing they succeed. cannot see !;
but that they will succeed is almost GER
tain.
JIM LANE, then, is the man who is at
the head OF this praiseworthy movement,
and last night was the first time in the
history of Kansas, that jim LANE has
been permitted to address an audience in
the city of Atchison And last night
he called together the largest crowd ever
assembled in Atchison, probably, upon
any occasion. What change in public
sentiment |! In the opening of his speech
he gave signs, as plain as the subject
would permit, that he fully appreciated
the position he was permitted to occupy.
The Gen. is man of no very striking
appearance, externally, but the blows
from the internal are tremendous. He
is tie man to whom the people Of Kansas
may and wU look for a happy and glo-
rious future. Amidst his speech, some
one cried out Jenkins q Jenkins
All" saik the Gen., "you talk now to
suit me-" And he very feelngly re-
quested the citizens of Atchison to grant
him the privilege Of referring to that
" melancholy event OF his life" He did
shoot Jenkins, but no man who heard
that scrap of history, and has any jus
tee or common sense, will ever cry Out
Jenkins" to him again. No, no, twas
an acL under the Enthusiastically being
acquitted by two grand juries as acting
for the preservation of himself and fam
lily, under the most aggravated proyoca
tons and personal danger-that the PEG
pie OF Kansas, instead Of reprobating him,
should in their humanity forgive him for
committing. :" lie mourned the act but
twas done. But" said he, Mr.. Chase,
do not let any democrat fling that into
my teeth after you have raised General
Jackson to the highest position in the
world Immediately after he shot Dickin-
son when he was unarmed."
Upon the close Of his speech upon the
Claim Bond Swindle, he made some hap
Ply remarks on the geographical position
Of Kansas. Midway from North to South,
from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast, all
commerce from west TO east, from east to
west, must pass through her borders
He spoke, too, of the fertility of its soil,
and the superiority over other prairie
states; we have no a0aste lands, all are
susceptible of cultivation of the mild
ness Of the climate, of which words were
inadequate to praise. All pointed to-
the future of Kansas as being the bright
est star in the galaxy of States. lie then
referred to the present freedom OF Kan
sas. Oh, how his soul glowed with fire
from Off the altar Of Freedom ! What
glorious thought, what a cheering. hap
Ply reflection for this old political solder,
after spending years Of trial and danger,
years of aggravating uncertainty through
the most gloomy war recorded in polili
cal history-years spent in toll, privation
and suffering of himself and family to
accomplish the great thought of his life
TO stand up here oday and see all his
tolls rewarded-stand up here to-day on
to him heretofore forbidden ground, in
the midst Of his most bitter foes-stand
up here and exclaim +" Kansas is Free %
KANSAS IS FREE - And if govern
ment had only protected the ballot box,
Kansas would not now have a dark page
in her history"
At the close of his speech, G. o.
Chase, G. NJ Click and other leading
Democrats in this place was called upon
the stand and for once the opposing par
ties struck hands to repel the common
enemy. They found a money platform
upon which they could unite in harmo-
ny, with one only object, to excel in de
nouneing the +" Claim Bond Swindle,"
while the far-seeing LANE. for thus strik
ing lin the nick of time, is to reap the
fruits OF this coalition.
Col. w. B. Kip, formerly Of Indepen-
dence, has been elected County Assessor