The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-02-03
THE BIRTHDAY OF KANSAS,
Kansas City Journal, Jan. %.

Kansas City Journal, Jan. %.
|TODAY is the thirtyseighth an.
niversary of the admission OF
/ Kansas to the Union. Dur
ing these thirty eight years the world
has made greater progress than dur
ing any like period since the days OF
the Garden of Eden. During these
thirty eight years the United States
has made greater progress than any
other country on the face of the
globe, and it is the boast of the
loyal Kansan that at the same time
his state has made greater progress
than any other state in the Union.
Whether or not this latter statement
is susceptible of proof is not mat
ter for discussion here, On this her
natal day Kansas is entitled to the
floor, and if, like the. trombone
player in the country band, over
loud she blows her horn, no one
will gainsay her the privilege.
Kansas differs from most of the
Western states in the fact that she
was born of principle. And more
than that, she was born at a time
when this principle seemed not able
to bear a lusty child, but rather
ready to die in hopeless striving.
In 1854 the Wing party had gone to
its grave, killed by Knownothingism.
In 1854 the Republican party was
still an embryo. In 1852 or two
years earlier, the Democrats had
swept the country. AS presage to
the death of all antagonsm to that
great party, the giant leaders of the
opposition, Henry Clay and Daniel
Webster, had been gathered to their
fathers. In the November follow
ing Winfield Scott, running as the
nominee of the Wing party, received
but forty-two votes of college of
200, and was defeated by Franklin
Pierce, the Democrat. Speaking of
this time a contemporaneous writer
said "All the West was Democrat
ic; all New England but Massachu-
sets and Vermont, all the Middle
states including Ohio and New York,
and every Southern state but Ken
lucky and Tennessee. Both houses
of congress, the supreme court of
the United States, the army and
navy, the press, the social aristoc-
racy, and, in large degree, the
church, were dependents, tributaries,
echoes and defenders of slavery
and the Democratic party"
Surely the times did not appear
suspicious for the cause of freedom.
No one was hopeful enough to see
the marvellous upheaval which lay
before the American people. But
mighty forces were at work. Those
with keen nerves might have felt the
shock and tremble of a coming
storm. 1t came quickly and was re-
sistless in its fury. In two years
the Kansas-Nebraska bill became a
law, and from that hour the fate OF
slavery was sealed. Kansas became
the skirmish ground for The first
armed conflicts between the armies
of freedom and of bondage. Where
other territories gained their popula
ton from among those who desired
to follow the walks of peace, Kan.
sas gained hers from among the
splendid fanatics who were ready tc
fight and die in the cause of prin
ciple. Thus Kansas was born o.
principle and was rockedain the era
die of liberty, and sucked on The
milk of lions.
1t would be fruitless to attempt to
give in figures the story of the mar
velous growth of our sister state
In a speech delivered before the Ole
Settlers Association in Lawrence il
1870, Col. John w. Forney said
81 shall not attempt to give to you
who have participated in this growth
the detail of it. Its grandeur is toe
grand to be marred by the pen of thu
statistician. But if l had been com
handed to choose one spot upor
the globe upon which to illustrate
human development under the inhu
ence of absolute liberty, | coulC
have chosen no spot upon Gods
footstool so interesting as Kansas
We wanted to see each other, and
know how have longed to look in
to your eyes and take you all by tht
hand. 1t is twenty-five years since
we began to be familiar with oul
names; twenty-five years since many
now present first saw the light
twenty-five years during which We
have seen thousands laid away il
the silent chambers of the dead
This is not long time, friends; no
much longer since that graceful tre'
began to grow, not much longe'