The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1863-09-12
WHAT WE MUST DO.


On Monday last this community was
thrown into an excitement over rumors in
regard to guerilla bands which were said to
be concentrating to the West of this, for the
purpose of sweeping down the Neosho Val
ley, and laying waste the country and muir
dering the people. OF course, just at this
time, the public mind is ready to believe
and circulate such rumors, and the conse-
quence was that the whole country was in
a feverish state of excitement. Several
men came in from the country With their
guns, and the town was put under guard,
and has been kept so every night since
These are indeed times of trouble, and hu-
man life seems to be of no value We lay
down at night not knowing whether we shall
be permitted to enjoy the light of another
day or not. While it is wrong to alarm the
people by circulating groundless reports,
and all persons should be careful not to un-
necessarily excite the public, yet we take
the ground that it is far better to believe
all these rumors and prepare accordingly,
than to be caught mapping. We have a
fearful example of negligence amidst the
same kind of rumors. Let us take warning
If the people are frightened nine times at
rumOrs that prove false, and the tenth time
the cut-throats should come and find US
ready, would we not feel that we had been
paid thousand fold for being thus vigiIant?
The town has been guarded since Monday
night, and it ought to be kept up till winter
sets in. Most of our men are in favor of
this, and will do their duties. But we can
count twenty men, some of them large prop
erty holders in the village, that have neither
enrolled themselves in the militia company
or offered to stand guard single night.
No doubt some of them have good excuses.
But they must come out; and if they don't
come of their own accord, they must be
made to come. There is law on our statue
books that will bring them. Those who are
exempt from militia duty should at once
enroll themselves for guard duty. Is it not
better to stand guard three or four hours a
week than to have our town burned and our
citizens murdered? The people of Lawrence
would have no cause of regret if they had
guarded their town for three years, if by
that means they could have saved it from
the torch and the red handed murderer.
We propose plan something like this /:
Let US fill up our militia company, and get
good arms and ammunition. Then let those
who will not go into the company, enroll
themselves for guard duty and be under
the orders, when on guard, of the officer in
command. In this way we can certainly
raise rs men in the village and immediate
vicinity. Let the company be divided in
to three squads of 25 each, and one of the
three be put on duty every third night.
Let half dozen OF the number be put out
on patrol and relieved every two or three
hours. Lei there be a convenient room
provided where the guard can rest when not
on duty. Let them have their arms by
their sides ready for service at a moment
warning. In this way the town can be
guarded effectually every night till the dan
ger is over, and no one need be hindered
from business in the daytime. We believe
there is not man in town that will not
cheerfully do this light duty. Perhaps
there are a few who think this unuec-
essary. They do not realize that there is
but pistol-shot between them and eternity,
and that the property they have toiled hard
to accumulate can be destroyed in a few
moments. Let not few hold back. This
time for every man to be at his post.
Is there danger? It. must be evident to
every one that there is. We have a blood
thirsty, desperate and bold set of cut-thrOats
to deal with. They will do any thing. They
have threatened this and other towns in this
region, and in every instance, SO far, they
have carried their threats into execution.
They are to be driven from their old haunts,
in Missouri, along with those that have har-
bored them. Some will go into the adjoin-
ing counties of Missouri, and others will
strike for the plains to carry on their helish
work They have been seen already going
west in small companies. They hate the
people of Kansas. They will burn US out
and drive us from our homes if we let them
five do our duty we can keep them from
coming. If We are prepared for them they
will know it, and let us alone.
TREATY WITH THE SAC AND FOX