The Leavenworth weekly times., 1879-06-12
ALetter from Hon. Eli Taayer.

1
prosper. IL. l.. l..
\ Letter from Hon. Eli Tiayer.
The following Is letter received from |
Hoa. Eli. Ihayer by Tie Secretary Of the
State Historical Society:
WORCESTER, Mass, Nay 81, 1879.
.Hy Dear Mr. adams:
| The other day chsnced to fad the en- |
closed Letter from q. W. RrowD, which !
had not seen for years, and which i think |
you would be glad to preserve. The time !
OF its date was very critical time Tor |
Kansas. At the end of 1855 | regarded the |
battle for free Kansas es fought and won.
BY the most careful estimat We had at |
that time, sir Free State voters TO every one |
for a slave state. There were three |
methods, and only three, by which the |
slave state advocates in Kansas and else |
where could contend against US. First, by |
competing in The emigration 10 Kansas; |
second by murder and outrsges sgainsI |
our settlerf; and third by inCiting a |
rebellion on cur part against the L. S |
Government. For the success Of the first |
method there was no chance whatever |
Oar machinery for securing emigration
to Kansas was in perfect order, and wet |
/
tiers where they could put in one
The second method would be still further |
from success for the reason that however |
much the Norlhern States would tolerate |
the sggressiops Of the slave power made |
according 10 law, they were determined |
that no aggressioDs against the law should |
De successful. Hence every outrage OF the |
border ruff ans in Kansas only stimulated |
emigration, and made more firm the deter |
| nina ions that kansa should be free
| There was never fr,e State MARTYR in |
Kansas whose dea b was not good for at |
least one hundred new free state settlers, |
Both of these methods then gave no hope |
The only rem aiming one was to excite a |
| Northern rebellion against the Govern |
| ment. Ia this method there was real d an-
ger 10 our cause and TO our country for its |
sue e7s would have given the slave holder
absolute power for g long time, perhaps |
| for centuries. At tie date OF Browns |
| letter there were large hunters of men in
| the free states who had become very hostile
| to the United States Government on
| account of the manner in which Pierce had
| used il TO support slavery and TO crush
freedom. Hence there were some in
Kansas and many outside Of Kansas who |
| would not hesitate TO come 10 collision with
1
contest. Up to this time there was one
man in Kansas who stood like mountain
OF adsmsnt in the way of northern rebel
lion. By his courage, sagaciiy, prudence
and Influence, he had more than once
prevented collision between the Free
5 ale men and the United S,a.es troops
The slave power well knew what AN
obsia acle he was TO their success, snd they
determined 10 srr.st him and put him
under guard of United States troops. In
accordance with this plan, at the date oi
Browns letter Charles Robinson was pris.
oner at Lscompton guardsd by United
) stss troops.
This prisoners popularity in Kansas and
iU all the free states, was powerful argu |
III ant in itself in favor of a rescue by | !
:Irce. Addef to this was the unparalleled
wrong OF the capture on the charges {
pref-rred against him. Here there was
Imminent peril. Robinson in prison, ard
these WIZ favored Northern rebellion free
and usiI his popularity and his con-
tlict with he troops by attempting res
cue.
On the very day Browns letter was writ |
ten, Col. J. IL. Lam was in Iudiana, ad-
dressiSg a large nfes iirg, for the purpose
Of securing an army to accompany him
through Iowa TO Kansas TO Rescue Robin c
son. Afterwards lie went TO Chicago oD
The same mission. OF course lie did not
propose this openly, tthe rescue) but he !
told il TO many III cJnfdeEce. i was kept
informed Of his progress. felt quite un-
certain sblui The result Of his work. III /.
wss Informed that he would raise an army Q
of from 900 to $4,000 men who would =
march through Iowa and establish posts '
or stations all the way through Nebraska, u
to fail back upon in case a retreat became
necessary. When any deprecated con e
flict with the United States tro pc, Lane u
answer was, The United States troops will 0
not fight me-" In the excitement of the d
time, the utter folly Of that assertion had 7'
no effect upon some, and Lane went on o
raising his army. the rescue was TO b. p
msde as esrly as the last of June. Some ~
time in the summer ore or two OF our ~
colonies crossed Iowa, ION account Of the o.
ruiiisns along the Missouri river in Mis- ts
souri,, and reached Ksrsas. How many ~
men if any, Lane raised ard took with u
him | never knew. However, he reached
the Territory, and in the month OF Sep o.
embsr. | thick, went from Lawrence to J.,
Lecompton with quite an army and T.
demanded Of the civil authorities there he IN
,elea-e Of ali the Free Stale men held as VI
prisoners. II happened that they had all ou
,sen released within day or two, ard the OF
militia had been disbanded and sent home. o.,
But Lsne did not go TO the United States
amp to demand the release of Robinson. or
o make a rescue. No doubt he could have
escued Robinson, If his command were fol
esdy Tor such action But ! suppose they
7ere not ready TO Fl sht against the United r.
.sies troops. Of
Now, sn important question, il who on
revented the threatened collision with the 10
toops? II the Free Stale men had any inn
-sy OF getting at Robinson's views, there in
ould be no doubt how this foolish project h.,
a rescue was thwsrtsd. Perhsps his wi
reyiOus teaching In this regard was Jol
Ifiicieut. 1t is worth while however, 10 ,as
.tile this question beyond a doubt for mi,
ere the last danger to the freedom OF Ksn- con
Is pissed away. Governor Robinson, and {
erhaps others, can settle The matter and r.
ave the record plain. se,,
After the liberation of Robinson, which .f,.
on q Iceuileu, mere ss no Iur,ner danger tior
Northern rebellion begun to leave the ".
errtory. The most disappointed of all No,
as John Brown, who failing to mske a Of :
orthern REBELLION against the United in.
stes, determined to be that rebellion him. W.
If, snd We all know the result. 1t was Ho,
5 way Of committing suicide for his dis Mol
roiutment in kansas .ar,
Very truly yours, Hal
~ Ell iHAfER Fox
G. Adams, Secretary h. S. H. Society,
Topeka, Kansas. ~.
In looking over old papers sometimes Hen
d some referring more CT less to the N,
rly history OF Kansas. l will preserve Wil
fnd, and in some wsy get them to you, .r5
that you may decide what ones, if any, IN
, worth preserving. Ii l had bsen as s,o,,
,er in preserve all the papers relative to sons
hsn-ss contest ss / was 10 secur, the -,
nmph OF the Free State cause should be s,s ,
e 10 give You hundreds Of important, NJ.
ers, where low only give units. Jobr
l. L. Woul
wife,
""se,s "ee""ae Fl
3UsroN June The Greenb,ckers held mile
erand meeting tits afternoon. 10000 I,nd
'ple we're present. The plstform was Y,