The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-08-23


another Democrat, who was sent TO Kan
sas~ in the belief that he would prove a
more willing Instrument. The catastro-
phe was completed by tn e indignant re-
fusal of that eminent statesman TO do the
work which had disgrsted and disheart-
ened both his heroic predecessors. No
true Pennsylvania can read this letter Of
Gen. Geary without recalling the whole
history Of Buchanan $ administration. and
without feeling a new sense of gratitude
that the citizen who, nearly ten years
ago, thought and wrote in this way, is
shortly to assume the Executive chair of
this great State:
.'ExEcUTIvE DEPARTMENT,
"LECoMProN, KANSAS TERRITORY,
February u, 1857.
"HoN. JAMES BUCHANAN-Dedr Sir
No apology is needed for my again ad-
dressing you. notwiths landing my last
letter was written only two days ago. In
that I informed you, at considerable
length, of the condition of affairs in this
territory, of certain outraees that have
recently been committed, of the character
of the men, mostly Government officials,
by whom these outrageS were instigated,
and that my situation aud usefulness here
would depend mainly upon the support OF
the General Government In my e0deavOrs
to maintain the peace and promote the
welfare of the Territory. Siuce then new
developements have occurred justifying
all | then wrote, and of which II Is impor
tant you should be apprised.
From reliable sources information has
been received that new plans are being
formed, not onl J to assassinate myself aud
certain me.nbers of my household, but to
create breach Of the peace, which threat
ems to be far more serious than the OUT
RACES that have been suppressed, and
which have for their ultimate. aim nothing
short of the dissolution of the Union in
case of the failure of the unjust aud inla-
nous attempts that are being made to force
tine institution Of slavery upon the unwil-
ling people of this Territory.
''Having positive assurance of the
truth of such reports, which have reached
me from sundry sources, and being salts
fed that the danger was imminent, and
that prompt action was needed to avert it,,
[ at once addressed 4 comm uni cation to
General Persifer T Smith, at Fort Leav-
enworth, apprising him of the facts, and
asking him to send to my assistance two
companies of cavalry. made this request
in accordance with uErevoked instructions
from the President, 'to maintain order
and quiet in the Territory of Kansas, and
if disturbance occur th erein 10 bring to
punishment the offenders and with the
firm belief that the assurances recei7ed by
me from the same high source, that in
carrying out these Instructions would be
aided by such military force as l might
require.
This belief was not in the least shaker
by rumors that were rife throughout Lee
compton and vicinity, that the agitators
of the pending disturbances were boasting
of, and gl1rifying in, information they
assumed to have received from Washing
ton, shat it was the intention of tie Sec.
rotary of War, Jefferson Davis, to with
draw from me all military aid and protec-
tion, and thus leave me at the mercy of
the assassins who were plotting my des-
truction and that of the country.
Judge, then, of my astonishmeEt upon
receiving from General Smith, in reply to
my requiSition for troops, letter confirm
ing the worst of these bold and Infamous
rumors. In that letter he not only re-
fuses to furnish the troops required, but
cooly informs me that am to be depriv-
ed of tie few men that were detailed TO
guard the executive building, aDd the
public records and other property belong
ing 10 the Governor. He says: 'All the
forces here have been designated by th e
Secretary of War, aud are under orders
for other service more distant, and even
the companies near you will have to be
called
"There can, therefore, no longer be any
room to doubt, if there were any before,
the truth of the statements made to me
by parties of unquestionable respectability
aud veracity, that the riotous men with
whom L am surrounded, an6 who have
already created so much mischief and
perpetrated so many and such heinous
crimes, have all along had the counte.
nance, encouragement and support OF
JEFF. Davis, and others high in authority
that these high officials anticipate with
satisfaction, not only new disturbances in
this Territory, but a dissolution of the
Union itself by forcible means at no faI
distant period and that the seizure of the
United States arms at Liberty, Missouri
by the rufhans who invaded Kansas in
September last, was done with their sane.
ton and approval, and was but a nrelim.
mary step to similar atrocious and trea.
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