Smyrna times., 1897-04-28
For the Smyrna Times

4 vance OF both the South and
North with its Extinction.
For the Smyrna Times
The death of Lyman Trumbul n
Illinois, and Mrs. H. B. Stowe of Con.
nectlcut, prominent actors in the tbo
arena of public events in our dov
; brings to my mind stirring thoughts
and reflections connected with the
past.
The current century is running fuII
and IN few more years will be rolled
IKE scroll and laid away with the
things of the past Young men fre-
quently pass through scenes and CON
hlcts Of greater Importance than SIM
posed to be at the time of their oc-
currence.
My trip out West during the davs Of
Squatter Sovereignty in Kansas Terri.
torlal days 1856 and So, were times that
tried boys souls The Kansas and
Nebraska Bill had passed Nav 1874
which repealed the Willmot proviso
and left the settlement of the question
OF slavery in Kansas and Nebraska TO
the ballot box.
IhIs was a prO-slavery triumph. for
northern people were no matches for
Mlssourians going armed to the polls
to stuff ballot boxes, and if it was be-
heved that SOutherners had failed.
they gave a sign, organized mob and
carried poll-boxes over to a Missouri
town and advertised the results to be
such as gave them victory Abraham
Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas were
the leading spirits out there and
Charles Summer in Congress.
Frank Pierce was president and
Democrats in full control. Free-Stat te
and PrO-Slavery, were the names of
the parties in politics out there. En-
migration flooded into the Territory.
The Free-State party in 1856 ran a full
ticket, with Capitol to be at Topeka.
The PrO-Slavery men ran the same
with Capitol to be at LeCompton, now
gone out of history. Then came the
clash at the polls, tug of war. Both |
parties made application to Congress
Tor recognition. Delegations of lead |
ing men accompanied the petitions
The names of Atchison and Stronofel-
low were host at that time. l hated
them as l did the evil one.
BLEEDING KANSAS.
Word came to the Territory (Leaven-
worth) and Fort Leavenworth were
then principal places of Importance
that President Pierce had ordered
troops out of the fort to go and dis
perse the free State Legislature at
Topeka. I was living at Manhattan.
Two companies were quickly formed;
L Joined one and marched to Topeka.
as the place asked for defenders. That
was the first time 1 ever saw Sharpe's
rifles, a newly patented implement,
breech leaders made at Providence, R.
L. never can forget the scenes and
incidents of that trip. We had 80 or 40
miles to march, but it soon became
go-as-you-please, but don't get left
We tOiled ON and arrived there the
evening of the second day, finding
numerous Companies there for the same
purpose. Instead of infantry we found
a company of cavalry had delivered
their orders to the authorities which
prevented the meeting of the legislature
at that time, but subsequently they did
meet, and under varying degrees of
strife the Free-State cause grew
stronger, their numbers increased but
were denied Statehood until in 1860 !
when the republicans came into power
and Abraham Lincoln was elected ,
President it was admitted into the ;
Union early in 1861. :
The repressive influence of slavery
was felt in every part of the union in !
those days. A race riot was gotten up !
in the streets of Boston as late as 1888 I
and in 1887 Mr.. Lovejoy conducting a
newspaper the observer" in st. !;
Louis for publishing anti-slavery senti-
ments was pursued and shot down in y
his office. -
The memoir of the late Lyman
Trumbul shows that the first stand h
taken by political party and led up to
the nomination and election of Abra- O
ham Lincoln materialized in the legis- 4
lature of Illinois, where Mr.. Trumbel II
was a member of the Senate, and de-
clded first in committee to take
strong and unfinching stand for the :,
abolition of slavery, believing that its :,
aggressive power meant to extend its =
dominion to the Canadian line if it :,
could. "
THE ABOLITION SENTIMENTS. "
Mr.. LOvejoy was warned in st. 81
Louis to cease publishing his paper or il
his life would not be safe. He O.
)ut removed his office over to Alton, ILL.,, CT
he freesoil sentimenstc continuedt though W
n free state, in 1874, it could not be
olerated by the spirit of that city, st. e.
louis, Mo-, so the assassins rode over pl
md shed his bloOdin his printing Of pi
ice. From this occurrence the senti- in
nent caught expression first in Illinois in
hat the Union cannot stand, one half al
rec, and one half slave. Mr.. Lincoln ia
DICED it in his speeches. This de, th
ided stand in the West, as a party was cl
en- years in advance of the silver ia
ounged orators:of Massachusetts,, Wen
.al Phillips, Lloyd Garrison, and &C
Iucretia Mott. Fred Douglass went nc
nto the arena about 1916, given in
alary by the abolition society. th
My previous impression was that the wi
he appearance of Uncle Toms Cabin ca
nd a stand of H. W. Beecher in Ply
noth Church Brooklyn was, the solid pr
eginning OF the Republican move ia
- I,,k ekooI oorrooIa1 baoauca l.,