The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1864-09-03
THE WAR OR THE PLAINS.

Military gentlemen in the West have now
a fair field to explore, which affords them a
fair opportunity to test the extent and pro-
fundity of their genius and strategy. The
war on the Plains is not believed to be an
Indian war alone, by all the people of the
West, by any means. There are the best
reasons to induce and confirm the belief that
the Indians are powerfully backed by the
rebels, who, in vast numbers and with mas
sve trains, have been leaving the Missouri
river for the last six months, under the
pretense of transporting merchandise and
of hunting gold in the Rocky Mountain re-
gions of the far-of Northwest, when in
fact, the whole of it is a war movement,
and rebels in ST. Joseph may have under
stood the work. Who knows how many
thousands Of stands of arms, how many
thousand tons of powder and lead rolled out
of Atchison, st. Joseph. Nebraska CITY,
Omaha and Council Bluff, last spring?
There has never been such vast and rich
laden trains as those which started over the
Plains this season, and it is safe to estimate
that three fourths of all the emigrauts that
went were rebels, or sympath:zers, which
amounts to the same thing. If these emf
igrants were disposed to take munitions of
war as freight, what hindrance had they to
overcome at the time they started, to pre-
vent any extent of business in that line, in
this section? We were then under the mil
itary reign of paw paws, which gave to the
rebels undisputed sway, and all sorts of ia
cilities to carry out any scheme they de-
sired, and the right to do the whole under
the flag of the Union, and besides, use Fed
eral guns and uniforms in the promotion of
their schemes. If large amounts of arms
and other munitions of war were not taken
by those western travellers, it was not be-
cause they had not the means and facilities
for doing so, as all things hereabouts at that
time were in the right trim to insure them
success, in any ed terprise of such character.
The extent of the hostile movements, the
uniformity of them, the bold and daring
cutrages of the Indians, together with other
developments, plainly indicate that the NOV
ing power in all this grand display is seated
at present behind the throne. It looks more
like rebel movement than like an Indian
raid, more like thanking operation of JEFF
Davis, on a grand scale, than likean Indian
| flibustering expedition 10 steal few horses
and kill few border settlers, and we strong
! lY suspect if Union troops ever find the
headquarters of those desperadoee, they will
find in them. if not before, many pale faces
and very likely thousands who would be
known if seen by Missourians; and many
of them would be recognized by citizens
of St. Joseph. and all of them of the por
ton named, whether from Missouri or else
where, would wear in some form, the brand
of treason 10 the United States.
Military men had better look sharp in THU
direction, as storm is most evidently
brewing between here and the Rocky Noun
tains. From ten to twenty thousand gooC
rebel soldiers could be mustered into tha
service, of men who left the Missouri val
ley last spring and early summer to go t.
the west. And as rebels were never yet
since the war commenced, known to leav
a rock unturned when the result promise
favor to them, it must not be presumed the,
will go to sleep in the Mountains west, an
more than they do here or about Richmond
st. Joe Tribune.