The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-02-19
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A few Of the citizens OF Lawrence,
under the name of 1--WE the people of
Kansas" are asking the General Govern
ment to appropriate $4,000 70 pay
them for imaginary losses sustained
during the war of '56. This memorial
contains long and doleful account of
the burning of houses. sacking of towns,
robbipg of persons, and plundering of
fields, etc., etc.. by which these free,
white, American-boFn citizens of this
great and glo@ious Commonwealth suf-
fered the loss of untold millions, and
for which the Government or its agents
were directly responsible. These dear,
patriotic people have fixed mp .tsoft
entreaty" to ''The honorable the Senate
and House OF Representatives in Con-.
gress assembled"-sprinklingi 1t with
little Quantrell raid here and there, and
splicing it with mixture OF Star Span
and coating the whole with the Ghost of
Jim Lane-by which they expect to
prevail on Congress to grant them $780,
0O0-only five hundred thousand dollars.
The Lawrence Tribune states that the
sufferings of the people of Kansas du-
ring the troubles of '56 were more Sc
we're than during the war. We were
one of the early settlers of Kansas and
know something in regard to this state
ment. OF course there were instances
of extreme suffering in the early set
Element of this State. but IL is a noto-
rious fact that the people who came to
Kansas in early times from the North
ern States, were young men who came
here for the express purpose of getting
into trouble. Eastern Aid Societies
were anxious to have this State settled
up, and offered considerable encourage
ment, in the way of money, Sharpe's
rifles and Colts revolvers, to adventur-
Gus spirits, to come here and root out
the shareholders who were trying to
plant slavery here. These young men
of Northern birth were successful in
destroying slavery in the State, and be-
ing the first settlers they had the choice
of locations and nearly every one of
them are now rich and for them, at this
late day of civilization and progress to
ask the General Government to give
them this enormous amount of money
is preposterous.
If the General Government attempts
to pay any of these losses-cither i'm
aginary or real-sustained by loyal men
during the late rebellion or any former
war, the nation will at once become
bankrupt. 1t seems as though all the
claims from Adam down to the present
generation-the sum total that has been
required to sustain the kingdoms,
thrones, principalities and powers,
through countless generations, and the
suffering of all people through all time
seem at once to assume cash value
in greenbacks, and this mountain OF
claims is rolled upon our treasury by q
greedy mob that will not be appeased
without the very life-bloOd of the ma
ton. This proposition, backed by mon
eyed mer of Lawrence, and that town
having Senator and Representative in
Congress, the probabilities are that il
will meet with a favorable reception by
Congress, while the people will have to
bear the burden. If this money should
be appropriated by Congress, who would
get it7 Not those who actually needed
it-not the poor farmer or mechanic
who lost his property-but the pali-
ticians-the rich men--the men who
rushed into this State in early times to
get the offices and make their living of
of the public-Inen that came into
the State poor and have made fortunes
by swindling the poor.