The Leavenworth weekly times., 1879-07-03
EARLY TIMES.
History OF the Days That Tried MEMS
SOui--JOhn brown. Jame. d. Lane
and Charles RObinsOn-Letrer From
Col. Il. j. Hinton.

SOui--JOhm Brown. James II. Lane |
and Charles RObinsOn-l.etrer From
Col. X. J. Hinton.
OFFICE OF NV YORK MAIL
June 26, 1870.
Ny DEAR Col. ANTHONY Il have Just |
received letter from Eli Thsyer to F. G.
Adams Secretary OF the State Historical
Society, published in The TINES. Iwant
sufficient space to correct few points:
Gen. sne's memory cannot he cham
Pioned by me; the circumstance. proceed |
ing his death prevent that on my part.
But Mr.. Thayer mistates his |
tory and misre presents 1.-The spir.
it of the occasion. G. W. Brown, the
finding Of an old letter from whom seems
to he the occasion for Mr.. Thsyer's writing,
is bad authority, unless all p.ejudices and
tergiversations be discounted now.
First. As to Lanes desire to raise a re.
bellion against the United States Let me
say that there il not one Of those who at the
time would not have hesitated at a collision
with the United Ststes-perhaps in nv
humble place | might have been 20 CLASH
fied-whO will not he "a surprised "a am
at such purpose being slggested as part OF
Gen. Lanes policy. On the contrary Lane,
while aiming to serve the Free State peo-
pie and drive out the Border Ruf-
fans was systematic and strenuous
in his efforts to avoid al
collision with the United States authori-
ties. He entered Kansas in disguise, and in
advance Of the Northern colOnists who,
from Massachusetts, illinois, Wisconsin and
Iowa, had marched overland from Iowa
City to Nebraska, there rendezvoused and
thence moved down to the Kansas river
Mr. Thsddeus Hy att, Thomas Wentworth
Higginson, Horace White, perhaps +. B.
Sanborn, can tell the facts. / was there,
part Of that movement, and the last thing
any of us capable OF judging would have
accused Lane of doing. was to aid in rails
ing rebellion against the General Govern
ment. Lane left Kansas as suddenly and
almost as secretly az he entered the Terri
tory, and for the very pur-
pose OF avoiding collision
with the Federal authority. 1t was known
or believed that Governor Geary would not
have hesitsted to arrest him. Had the at
tempt been made the armed Free State men
would not have permitted it without resist
snce. Mr.. Thsyer ought to have known
probably he did know but has forgotten
that Lane was practically put under
bonds by the Kansas National Com
mittee, before he wss allowed to receive
any money or Other aid, not to come into
conf with the Federal authority.
Second. Again, Mr.. Thayer eIsegerates
the danger Of what he terms "a Northern
Il uhot " Gov (,rir Of ha
only prominent political man ever heard
of as even suggesting it. Vide his letter in
the winter of 1861, | think, shout keep
ing the Missouri river open. InKap.as, It
was intensely aggrsvating, to say the least,
to zee the army of the United States used
to shield the Border Rufiians from such
punishment a. we would have given them.
l have seen United States troops brought
into Lawrence TO arrest Lane and others
| never heard any one speak OF resisting.
Lane or others threatened got out of
the way, and the "boys" like myself
laughed at Il e fun. About the only thing
even men like myself ever did or talked OF
doing, az to Federal authority, WAS to vio-
late the Fugitive Slave Law. The Border
Ruffians Used to try and get up cases.
There were men found in Lawrence
mean epoubh to betray the
fu ,itive. Some of us were hot enough
| with the passionate fire of Justice. to declare
our intention to show fight If this was done
and then. again. We were prudeut enoryb 10
get the fugitive off when night enabled us
| to do so.
| Third. Lane never went to Lecompton
| to demand from the Federal authorities the
release of any prisoners. We were resis,ino
the execution of the bogus laws. Mr..
| Thayer certa nly Understood the distipc
ton. The march to Lecompton was a re-
| connoisspce in force intended to alarm the
| border ruffisn mind. The five or six gen.
tlemen held in the camp of Lieutenant
| Colonel Phillip ST. George Cooke L.
might have been released because of that
demonstration. | doubt il. but il so II
was a result creditable to Lanes strategy.
| for the movement WA not made at the l..
is. camp, or authorities, a. Mr.. Thaver
seems to wish his statement should infer
bu, against the Headquarters of border ruf-
isnism at Lecomp,on. The u. s. camp
was from two to two and a half miles from
Lecompton. The troops came down and
deployed themselves between Iecomptop
and our forces.
Fourth-Mr. Thayer's last paragraph il
somewhat grstu Qua. John Beown did
not leave Kansas ''tbe most disappointed of
all" the men in buckram whom Mr. Thay-
er seems TO think "went TO Kansas to ex-
cite Northern rebellion That there
were young men, passionate enthusiasts.
perhaps | msy saw, who went TO Kansas
prepared to resisr Injustice from any source
is true, and as one of them, thank God
even at thi. late day that such was the case
But | never met one person. and nv ac