Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-11-28
Politics and ProyIden,InI ArId,tv.

Politics and PrOvidentiRI AridIty.
There are some pretty mean men in the
world. About the meanest are those who
are appealing to political virulence to defeat
the efforts of the humane to relieve the sufs
ferings in Kansas. The atrocities of the re-
igious feuds of the dark ages were mild,
compared with the barbarity of the partisan
sentiment which rejoices over the starvation
and banishment of the settlers of new ter
ritory, because partisan tinkering has failed
to make them answer its purposes. A speci-
men of these Border-rufians is allowed by
the Ohio Statesman to use that journal anon
| ymously, to defeat the call of Governor Dem
nison for contributions on Thanksgiving
day. BE affects to think that the Governor
has erroneous impressions on the subject of
starvation here" which he proposes to cor
rect. Writing from Leavenworth, which is
outside the district of the drouth, he denies
the statement that they are threatened with
famine, or that all their crops have failed, or
that "their prospective destitution is with
out parallel in the history of the country"
He admits great deal of want, but charges
it partly on the Scripture promise-we
quote-"We are assured by authority that
never fails that the poor we shall always
have with us" and partly on the counties in
the drouth district deyoting themselves too
much to politics.
The ear-marks of the old whee-horse of
the Ohio Democracy, who was turned out to
grass in Kansas, stick out in this Scripture
quotation. No body else has that loose way
of rushing into the Scriptures, as an incon-
siderate horse rusheth into the battle. The
Scripture is the unmistakable neigh of the
old wheel-horse, and the spirit is his, for he
has already made representations at WASH
ington intended to prevent any contributions
for the relief of the Kansas people. 1t is a
pleasing sight to see the Governor of Ter
ritory using all his influence to prevent his
people from being relieved from starvation.
The devout old steed turns prophet, as an
other animal did in ancient times, and shows
that the drouth was sent on the counties
most active in politics; that is, we suppose,
most active in popular-sovereignty or free
State politics, for Leavenworth was the hot
bed of Border rufian agitation'and incendi-
arism and of all the Administration tricks
for expressing the Kansas settlers.
But this very letter, in spite of its viii
lainous intent, admits and proves state of
destitution which any person who thinks of
the matter must know can not but result in
great distress and in actual starvation, un-
less relief is furnished from abroad 1t was
known from the first that the eastern
counties had been favored with rain and
full crops. But in q large section of the
Territory every crop failed. The Leayen-
worth rufian 1--WE can call him nothing less,
for he means to kill, as far as his influence
to stop the supply of food can go,) pro-
nounces the statement false that "all their
crops have failed" because they have crops
at Leavenworth; and then he tells of their
mammoth potatoes, to show how productive
the season has been. He says:
kansas will average near half a crop,
the drouth notwithstanding. 1t, however,
Is unequally distributed. Many farmers have
literally nothing" :.
This, allowing for the exaggeration of
wretch who is bent on starving thousands of
inhabitants, is the true picture of the case.
A small section of the Territory has good
crops. The rest has 'literally nothingV
Every crop has failed. He takes the crops of
the northwest section, multiplies them, and
then averages them over the whole Terri
tory, and calls it near half a crop. Perhaps
itmay be a fifth or sixth of crop. When a
man sets out with villainous purpose, his
estimates are entitled to allowance. 1t is
just as satisfactory to the destitute emil
grants, as it would be to take the crops of
Missouri, Illinois, Iowa and Kansas add all
together, and average them. 1t would show
an average crop for Kansas; but would that
fill the bellies Of the farmers, hundreds of
miles in the wilderness, and. their children
and cattle, who have literally nothing2"
In order to prove how trifing the destitu.
ton is, the writer shows how few have left
he Territory. He says:
'Of these think very exaggerated esti-
mate, of those who have Left, and are to
leave, is 10000. OF these most have gone
only to winter their stock / only speak of
the portion of Territory have seen myself
Only $4,000 settlers driven out Of a
Territory by stayationl But this is an
exaggerated statement We know which
way this writer is exaggeratingi but wswiH
take his estimate and fall a quarter, for ex-
aggeration. Then we have $1,000 settlers
driven by starvation out of the portion of
the Territory which he has seen himself and
he shows that his observation has been
chiefly devoted To IeaVenvvorth and that
portion which the drouth did not reach.
On this basis we might calculate that
thirty, forty, or fifty thousand inhabitants
have been driven from the Territory by
want. But he says most Of these have gone
to winter their cattle. A mere triAe Gone
where2 Where is it that ffee winter
quarters are furnished Tor emigrants and