The Van Buren press., 1869-08-17
From the Seat of War

| design laying before your readers afew
items relating TO the FISHER and SHANoN
difficulty. 1t it not my purpose, at pres
ent, to enter upon a general delineation
of the acts connected with the past histo
ry of this bloody affair. At some future
time, however, should it be thought ad
yisable, the writer may lay before the
public an account in detail, of the acts
and actors involved in this worse than
feudal struggle My present object is to
vindicate the people from the false aspor-
sions of some In relation to their action
in this affair.
1t is well known to every resident Of
this section, that there is not, nor has
there at any time been, anything of po-
litical nature connected with this difficult
ty. 1t is strictly personal, growing out
Of a gambling scrape, famed and kept
alive by the potentagency Of" bust head"
whisky. 1t is not true, as has been rep
resented, that the seeming indifference of
the people, with regard to this matter,
grew out Of hatred toward the Goyern-
ment officials, or their dislike TO the pow
ers that be. Their seeming apathy, if
such it may be called, found its origin in
a Cause the very opposite Of that above
named; and the individual who ciyculs-
ted this unfounded rumor, did it with one
of two objects in view, /. G.. either to
manufacture political eapital with which,
to control northern elections, or to share
in the spoils that would arise from the
flooding Of the country with brigade or
two of those delectable peace preservers,
known under the name Of State Militia
Now, the real cause Of the peoples un
willingness to have anything to do with
this matter, is alone attributable to the
conduct Of those who had the manage
ment of this matter in hand. 1t is u fact
patent, that the officials of this county
were frequent visitors at the house Of the
FIsHERs during their residence in the Ma
ton; and rumor has it, that they then
and there met the gang whom they had
been striving to apprchcnd. OF the truth
of this, we cannot affirm positively; but
one thing VIC can affirm, which is, that
they lid arrest several Of the lady mem
bers Of the family, escorting them public
10 to and from town, and in such man
ner, too as to lead many to conclude that
they acted more like friends than enc
mics to the FISHERS. And the conduct
ofcertain other officials, operating in this
business, has been little if any better
On a certain occasion, when the nnabI-
tants Of Evansville were informed that
the despcradocs were surrounded at their
home in the Nation, many Of them were
summoned, and responded promptly ;,
but upon arriving, found they had been
notified of their danger, and had gone
Upon hearing this, the Marshal entered
the house, and with the party there as
sembled engaged in social dance, after
wards declaring that he had been utterly
deceived with respect to the real charac
ter Of the FISHERS.
Now, we ask, was conduct such as this
not sufficient to lead the people to doubt
not only the efficiency, but even the hon.
esty, of these men; and to produce dis
trust and hesitancy upon their part
"Givc the Devil his due" is an old
and time honored maxim, and all we ask
for the people Of this region is that jus.
tice be done them. They shonld not
he stigmatized rs friends Of the FISHERS,
or enemies Of the Government, simply
because they are somewhat tardy in NOV.
ing in this matter, Fear Of the FIsuERs
upon the one hand, and want of conf
dcnce on the other, accounts for it all.
More anon. OCCASIONAL.