The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1861-02-21

controversy With regard to Kansas, and
i there was for time state of virtual
civil war prevailing therein four to six
years ago, whereof the enlbers have hard
yet died out, and there is now great
and very general destitution there. The
border raids and the famine have barely
this connection; had there teen no at
tempt to force Slavery into Kansas by
fraud, terror and violence. it is quite
probable that her people would have had
more means, more food stored up, and
been better able to bear up under their
present Affections than they are. But
the visitation of God which is now chast-
ening them has no relation to Govern
ment or Politics. It is caused simply
land solely by the fact that throughout
most of the settled portion of the new
State, no rain of consequence fell during
the last Spring and Summcr-yery little
from October, 50, to October, 1860 Of
course, there are indolcnt, improyident
settlers in Kansas as elsewhere, but
these are suffering in the main no worse
than their energetic, industrious neigh
hors. In fact, had the tillers of Kansas
kept theirseed out of the ground aud their
hands In their pocke.s throughout SCI,
they would probably have been in quite as
good a position in the average, as they now
are. Some of them planted and sowed
from thirty to eighty acres each yet did not
harvest enough to keep cow through
the Winter; many secured miserable
fragment Of crop of wormy corn, which,
for want of grass, they have fed to their
animals, and thereby lost those animals
by disease. Texas and most Of the Calf
States were severe. sufferers by the in
tense, prctracted drouth of last Summer !;
but their Cotton, Cane, &C., stand drouth
much better than Grain crops, so that
their loss is but partial but Kansas
grows as yet little else than Grain and
Grass, and her loss is nearly total Had
the prairies but yielded an average bur-
den of wild grasses, SO that cattle could
have been carried through to next June
without loss, and not one blade of any
thing planted or sown ever appeared
above the surface, the people of Kansas
would have been less afflicted, less desti-
tutc than they are to-day.
A number have died already of famine
and the diseases thereby engendered j,
thousands more would have died but for
the .benefactions already transmitted
thousands must yet pesish if the contri.
buttons of the benevolent are not con-
tinued and nc'eased. AS yet, nothing
has been done compared. with the extent
and urgency of the need. OF the 100,-
900 people included within the State
limits of Kansas, perhapsa fifth have fled
from starvation to temporary Shelter with
friends and relatives in the older States.
intending to return to their cabins and
quarter-sections in the Spring !; perhaps
twice as many have resources which viii
enable them to worry through; while
the remaining forty thousand, unable to
get away, destitute of food and means,
must be relieved or must starve Which
shall it be ? The acts rather than words
of the people Of the older States must
speedily determine.
The amount actually needed to rescue
these forty, thousand unfortunates from
the jaws of imminent death is not less
than 81 900, COO, whereof not more than
100000 has yet been contributed, and
this mainly in Griin by Illinois and
Iowa. From the Slave States scarcely
anything has been or will be realized $
but why the Democratic press and peo-
pie of the Free States should stubbornlyl
hold back, we cannot imagine. The rela-
tive strength of the two great parties In
Kansas is about four Republicans to three
Democrats, and any one can Judge as.
well as we whether majority of the two
fifths OF the geople Of Kansas who must
be saved from starvation by charity is
not quite as likely to be Democratic as
Republican. If it be paltry to revive
party distinctions in view of such COM
mon and fearful calamity, let the blame
fall where it ought. TO every observer
it is plain, that the Democrats as party
with noble exceptions, of course-ar arel
not only Withholding contributions for
Kansas, but are discouraging the move
ment for her comprehensive relief One
of them starts aud others circulate the
manifestly villainous lie that provisions
are distributed 10 Republicans only, when
in fact all who come are served alike and
no questions asked regarding politics.
Gen. Harney officially starts and thou
sands eagerly circulate the atrocious In
sinuatlon that moneys contributed to the
relief of the starving have been per-
verted to the purchase Of arms and mu-
nitions for Montgomey's bands when in
fact nothing like arms has been distri-
buted or bought. and but very little even
of provisions has yet been sent to Bour.
bon and Linn Counties, where alone