The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-12-14
Montgomery and Kansas.

The difficulties in Southern Kansas are at
an end, and arrests are made without dlfhcul-
ty, the United States troops making them
selves useful as sheriii's posse. The re-
ports of outrages by Montgomery have add
ed something 70 Southern evaporation, and
have satisfied the rest Of the country that 1t
is the presidents duty to remove at once the
incompetent Judge Williams, who has raised
an unnecessary alarm for purposes of mis-
chief. He is as unpopular as Judge as he
is malicious as politician. a recent letter
from Fort Scott says
Montgomery has had no thought of break
ing up his court, sacking the towns on the
border, invading Missouri, or in any manner
interfering with her slaves. has received no
money or arms from Boston, or anywhere
else in the East yet this strong pro slavery
and partisan Judge, under the influence OF
his frightened imagination, and knowing the
excitement on the secession movement, would
throw firebrandS, arrows and death, would
fan the flame, widen the breach, and plunge
the country into inevitable ruin. if he could.
The courts of this imhecile old fosy are a
mockery of justice. God pity the people
that he is sent to rule over. The lawyers
know his weak points and unmitigated ego
tisms, and stroke him on the back, and Aat,er
him, and the one that can 90 it the best
gains his case, whether he has justice on his
side or not. Wyandot county used to be in
Guided in his district, but suffering under tn.
calling yoke of his imbecility, and the great
uncertainty of seeing justice administered III
his court, they pctltloned and lobbled tht
legislature, and got transferred to Judgt
Pettit's district-a tirStrate Judge, and hope
Lincoln will keep him in as long as we are in
territorial vassalage; also the same of Judge
Elmore but this old fogy Williams is the
! L. S. Presumption law, which is the greatest
of all nuisances. Williams court puts me in
mind of the rich old farmer ont West. whose
daughters all married drunken, worthless
husbands. He said the Devil owed him a
great debt, and had paid him al! off in sous
in-law. Buchanan owed South Kansas a
great debt, and has paid it off in district
Judge"
A letter from Montgomery himself to a
friend in Boston seems to give an honest ac-
count of his late proceedings. and the mo-
tives that induced them. He does not writ,
like NOTORIOUS outlaw" as MIR Buchanan
calls him, and however We may blame him
for taking the law into his own hands, VT
are compelled to yeldto him a higher respec;
than the Judge who fled at the terror of his
name. Montgomery writes, November Goth ana
2lst:
"Since my last, which gave an account of
the death of More, the boys have made !.
drive against some kidrappers in the North
part OF the county. They set out on Sa;ur-
day the 18th. learned last night that the,
had caught a noted border ruIiian named
Scott, and that they had tried and hung hin,
at nine O'Clock on Sunday morning. Scot
had been concerned in all the border raids
into Kansas. He had done his share OF the
dirty work of Missouri in the first bogus leg
islature, had been twice expelled the country.
and had as often returned. For some time
past his house had heen the rendezvous ioi
kidnappers and assas>i:.s from the border
State. In the winter of 1859. after tie sec
ond expulsion of the border ruiIians, coun-
~ meeting, duly advertised and largely at
tended. composed mostly Of democrats ahc
conservative men, Bob Mitchell himself IL
mong them. passed Il series of resolution,
Sustaining tie Jay-hawhers and couGemnii.s
to perpetual Punishment those violent mr,
who had been iorc!osy expelled. The rc>o-
lutions passed unanimUu>l \, even Bob Miir..-
eli voting in the affirmative. In fact, it was
plain to the common Sense Of every RAJ
that If had been necessary to d,irt t!!cm out
it was necessary to keep them out. Sue
were their habits and the violence of then
character, that it were vain TO think OF liz
ing with them on rcaceable terms. The,
feel sore over the loss Of their power il
Southern Kansas The execution of join
Brown encouraged them greatly. They mime
diaIely revived their blue lodges, and havin.
a promise of assistance from their brethren
in Missouri. they began the work Of murder
under the specoa> plea of eXlerninatiry
thieves. Striking in the dark. and keepiu.
their uames and numbers concealed. the,
hoped to stampede the whole anii-slayer,
force of the territory. OF the existence OF
this dark lantern fraternity We Lave inco,l-
,estable evidence. We are il possession no
onl. of their plans. but even their pri,at.
signals. ana as in the Case OF Moore, We hay,
evidence sufficient to warrant handling se,-
eral of them indi, !ually.
An extra session of the |. S. court was L;
have been held in Fort Scott this week. BE-
ginning yesterday. learned last evening
that the federal authorities. including tie
Judge, had fed, and that there is to be Ia,
court. y force of troops, some four or fly,
hundred strorg.is now in this vicinity. " ha'
their business is,remains to be seen. If the,
intend to dragoon us, they will have lively
time of it,"
Almost Fabulous.