The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-04-05
EARLY POLITICAL HEAD
CENTERS OF KANSAS.
1AtRees1Ing Personal and Ge-
4&F4PmIcAI ARemsnLsce1-
) 3 X ees. from ahe PEN OF
80 nm Old RkAmnan

with thirty Immigrants, about the
fret days of August, 1854, located
q "Boston" or yankee" settlement
on the banks of the Ksw river, fol
lowed in Two weeks thereafter by
second and larger company, led by
DR.. Cnarlrs Robinson aud Samuel
g. Phmeroy, they not only establish
ed nucleus from which Free Safe
settlements radiated in all dIrec-
Lions,-A sort of political Mecca, a.
whose shrine the incoming pilgrims
worshipped before they fought; q
centre of aggressive action and a
stronghold for common Defense
but they also made the historic city
of lawrence the political centre of
the Territory, into whose lap fell all
thefich fruit of our first develop
ment and organization never yield
ing its supremacy until long after
the organization of the State, aud
until q system of railroads had
crushed beneath their ruthless
wheels the local pride and senti-
mental attachments of our earlier
struggles. In those early days,
nearly every prominent Free State
man was either an actual resident OF
common centre so much so and so
often that he could consistently
claim to be. BranseOmb, Robinson,
Pomeroy, Smith, Speer, Wood, Bah
cock, DeitZler and q host of others,
whose names have become idenu-
fed with all or many of the excit-
ing struggles resulting in the rescue
of Kansas from "the blighting curse
of the sum OF all yillainies," lived
at this Thermopylae of Freedom.
Marcus j. PARROT, while spending
much of his time at Lawrence, was
q resident Of Lesvenworth, and was
the first Free State delegate to Con-
gress from this Territory, delega-
ton which fell to him through the
timidity and fears of leading men,
who thought their chances for the
Senate would be lessened by the
determination of class of distract
Ing local questions as delegate.
Parrot was born with silver spoon
in his mouth, man of fine educa-
ton, finished address and scholas-
tic tastes, but careless and indolent,
and Onty flaming into brilliancy
when stirred by political ambition.
Lane, who possessed more politi-
cal ssgacity when ascending the up
grade, and less after he reached the
summit, than any other of the pub
lie men of Kansas, early saw the
advantages of q residence in Law
renee as basis of political action,
abandoned Doniphan county to a
bevy of youngsters-that survived
him and for time almost controlled
the destinies of the young common
wealth-And moved to the Head
Center.
The Committee of Safety and of
Correspondence the various mass
meetings with their resolutions in
the heroic strain the movements
that eliminated In the Topeka Con-
stitutional Convention, and the
adoption as q Free State ultimatum
of an instrument that, with q few
EXCEPTIONS, was the most admirable
statement of organic limitations
that ever emanated from any class
of men since the formation of this
government, were all inspired, di-
rected and controlled by the master
spirits that congregated at Law
renee.
Later when the Free State men
decided to participate Ia the Terri
torial elections, aud attempt to con-
troll all the machiner y of the legis-
lative and county organizations, and
did so, the presiding officers OF both
Legislative bodies were selected
from Lawrence; and that city was
designated with great uuanimity as
the place at which all sessions OF
the Territorial Legislature were
thereafter to be held. And, at last,
when the sturdy northern pine had
taken root and become firmly i'm
Dedded alongside the cotton plant,
and Free Kansas became State in
the Union, the first Governor, the
first member of Congress, and one
of the first Senators were taken
from Lawrence. When Gen. Lane
died in-July, 1866. he was succeeded
In the Senate by Maj. E. G. Ross, q
resident of Lawrence, who occupied
that position until the 4th day Of
March, 1871. Conway was succeed
ed In the House by Carter Wilder
of LeaVenworth, who in two short
years gave way to Sidney Clarke, OF
Lawrence. He for six years, from
March, 1865, to March, 1871, was
sour sole Representatives" During
Lanes and Clarke'a term, Lawrenc &C
had several of the most important
Federal appointments, but since
Clarke's retirement it had lost its
prestige both in the Legislature and
in State Conventions and, for eeY-
eral years, was without a represent
alive in either the State or Nation.
al governments, until two years age
the Hon. Dudley G. Haskell wal
elected to Congress from the Sec
ond District. OF course, the con
.centration at this point of 80 many
strong and active minds, all Arriving
for the master and leadership, pro
rduced that Inevitable personal strifi
and "irrepressible conflict" that i
always generated by clashing polit
ical ambition and has made Law
renee the scene of so many exciting
contests.
There was one of the early Massachu
sets men who quickly foresaw tn
dangers of these personal conflicts, an,
very wisely concluded that he woul
seek another location and would iden
tify himself with the settlements alonI
the Missouri river, because they in tn
very nature of things, would be tn
more populous, and would WELD tn
most political power when the Stat
was organized. hence Oamuel
Pomeroy located at Atchisons then
pro-slavery center, with no prominen
Free State men near, rather than LeaV
enworth, where he would be brough
intro rivalry with Psrrott, Anthony
Adams, Tom Ewing. johnson and 9th
ers, who were fast obtaining proml
nence In the affairs of the territory
lie not only located there, but he dl
more,-he undertook to reconstruct IN
sentiment of that town and locality
and make It Free State, and he sue
.ceeded; but In this work he had pow
erful support, his chief ally being a
enthusiastic young Pennsylvania
whose banner has for twenty yea
:fioated in q triumphant breeze, an
has given q sound, healthy and vigol
,ous tone to the sentiments of Norther
Kansas, while its power has been e.
erclsed for good In all parts of Il
State. That banner was nailed TO q
masthead: 1t has hoated through tweI
ty years of Internal strife, throug
droTth and DOyorGV. through robelhiO