The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1861-10-25
A Speech from General Jim Lane.

AT "a meeting called in Leavenworth last
Wednesday evening, the 9th, to urge the
separate Military Department of Kansas,
and some other reforms for the better de.
fence of the border, Gen. James Il. Lane
made an elaborate and characteristic speech
in defence of the Kansas Brigade. He
said
Two months ago the Kansas Brigade
was organized. l was put at the head OF it,
with the respect, the confidence, aye, the
love of every man in that command. Every
day since it entered the field it has been
actively engaged for the protection of Kan.
sas and the Government. 1t has not been
whipped, it has not surrendered. Why is
it that these creatures at the Fort sneer at
it They abuse the Kansas Brigade be-
cause it has not surrendered to the enemy.
They sneer at the Kansas Brigade because
we have pever engaged the enemy
without whipping them like the devil.
Go to Nevada where so of the Kansas bri-
gade met and defeated 200 rebels; 60 to
Balls Mill, where 130 Kansas men whipa
ped $50 traitors; 60 to Dry Wood, where
400 men under Montgomery for two hours
fought 1000 of the enemy and drove them
back from your soil; go to Papinsvile,
where 200 of our men conquered 1900 re-
bels, killed five of their captains, and drove
them back to their den. 60 to Morristown,
the death bed of our gallant johnson, where
400 of the Kansas brigade drove 600 trail
tors from their entertainments. Go to Os-
ceola, one of the strongest natural points in
Southern Missouri, where, after eighty
miles march through the enemy's country,
we met a greatly superior force, beat it, and
took and destroyed more than million
dollars worth of property. Go to these
fields, and tell me why the Kansas brigade
is sneered at.
Our sin is, that we have never been whip
ped. That brigade is conspired against.
This last Sabbath was desecrated by con-
spiracy at the Fort between Robinson and
Prince to destroy the Kansas Brigade.
Charles Robinson and Capt. Prince con-
spired to destroy it. They were guilty Of
treason baser than that of Price. Great
cheering1 have come here to talk plainly
to you. fCries of That's right" Let US
have it."l What is the charge they make
against the Kansas Brigade? We are jay
hawkers!
But they say we steal slaves-great God!
Lieut.. Col. Blunt, of Montgomery's regi-
ment, has just returned from the interior of
Missouri, and they tell me he came back
with more slaves than white men. I"Good,"
"Good," and cheers. Secessionists got no
slaves from the Kansas Brigade. When a
Union man comes to my camp to recover
slaves, l tell him to look upon the camp as
naked ground. Resort to the same
measures that you would il were not here"
If he fails to recover his slaves we give him
certi6ca cas- voucher to the Govern
ment that such man lost such slave by
the march of the Kansas Brigade.
Slavery disappears before my brigade
Applause. l guess that's true. Renew.
ed applause.] But it disappears on the
principle have laid down. l venture to
say that if were to tell Montgomery or
Blunt or Stewart or Williams or Bowles,
"you shan't take those slaves" the reply
would be-" slaves are men, and you shan't
make me niger catcher for traitors" I"
| Great cheering.
Is there man here who would act as
slave catcher for Price? wonder if that
dirty dog Prince would do it? We march
to crush out treason and let slavery take
care of itself. If they don't want slavery
to p rish let them lay down their arms-or
do the other thing-keep Lanes Brigade
out of Missouri. Rapturous applause.
In my opinion this war will never be sue
cessfully carried out go long as an army
marches through slave States as boat goes
through flock of ducks. They fly up on its
approach and nestle down as soon as it has
passed. The boat is safe so are the ducks.
When you march through aState you must
so march that traitors will feel the horrors OF
war. Take the Union men by the hand,
but lay waste the property of traitors. Why
is so much sympathy shown for traitors
and none for Union men? Hundreds and
hundreds of Union men have followed the
Kansas brigade to escape the clutches OF
traitors. Not word of sympathy for
such men, but let STAKEHOLDER lose nig-
] ner and the very air resounds with cries for