The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-03
The Death of Senator James H. Lane,

BRIEF telegraphic despatch published in yes
terday's afternoon papers announced the tragic
termination of the mortal career of the indivi-
dual whose name stands at the heal of this
article. Jim LANE,n as he was familiarly
called, was one of the most singular characters
that has ever figured in American politics. He
was the son OF an Indiana politician, and EN-.
braced his fathers profession at an early day.
Figuring some in the local politics of his native
State, ana participating in the Mexican war.
where he held the rank of Colonel, he was
finally elected to the House of Representatives,
holding at nealry the same time, as he used to
delight to tell the three Offices OF Lieutenant
Governor OF his State, elector at large fol-
Indiana, and member of Congress. The Con-
gress of which be was a member was
that notorious body which, under the
lead of STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS, repealed
the Missouri Compromise and passed the
Kansas-Nebraska bill-LANE, in common with
the other Democratic members, voting Tor it.
The tremendous popular reaction which followed
that infamous measure reached even to Indiana,
and left LANES political barque stranded high
and dry upon the banSs of defeat. The excite
ment attending the early settlement of Kansas
followed. Ii was something that suited LANES
temperament, and he pulled up stakes" in
Indiana and went to Kansas. He always said
himself that he went there at the instance of
Senator DOUGLAS and other prominent gentle.
men, to organize the Democratic party. Law.
renee was the political headquarters of the
Territory, and thther LANE made his way. His
fist tep was to call Democratic Convention, and
as he could get other place for holding it, he
| called it to meet on the banks of The Kansas
river. From this circumstance it passed into
| the local history of Kansas, under the name
| of the "Sandbank Convention" Unexpected
difficulties met our Democratic missionary
| upon the very threshold of his labors. Those
were stern days in Kansas, and there
was no room for the petty devices of ordinary
| politicians. The Free State men would have
nothing to DO with LANE, because he avowed
himself Democrat; the proslavery men would
| have nothing to do with him because he would
not come out and openly avo W himself in favor
of making Kansas slave State. so between
the two, he found himself without occupation,
and his Democratic Convention proved failure
But he was not the man to stand idle in the
midst of great events. HIS quick eye compre-
hended at glance the true state of affairs, I'D
natural sympathy with the men of his own
section, who were then suffering great outrages
| dt NuS hdiNS VI tuC SluNS power, luipelleu Nun
TO an open and hearty espousal of the free State
cause. His talents fitted him for the
leadership to which his ambition urged
him. Ready of speech, impetuous, rough,
daring, experienced in military affairs, a
man of the people, never forgetting a face he
had once seen or a name he had once heard, he
soon acquired great influence over the masses,
and became one of the chief actors in the stormy
and eventful scenes which ensued in Kansas.
His military reputation, acquired in the Mexican
war, gave him almost uncontested supremacy
in that line of operations. There was one man
in Kansas, however, who never took any stock
in LANE, militarily, politically or otherwise
that was old JOHN BROWN. Between the reck
less, deceitful, profane politician and tina
earnest, honest, odfearing man there were nj
elements in common. Brown was both braV'
and able and many of the most successful Free
State fights were under his leadership.