Year: 1877

RADICAL ana C009eTvauves


The ST. Joseph Herald, in an article on the
election of Col. Plumb to the Senate. says:


OF tie early Territorial editors Plumb and Sol Md
ler were the keenest and we well remember the I'M
precision their paper made upon rs fiumo WAS 'nn
very radical, and Miller conservative.


These terms Radical and Conservative can Dc
made to cover wide scope; and q man who is
called Conservative in one latitude, may be .
Radical in another, and rice rersa


We supported Salmon P. Chase for Governor
of Ohio. IN 1855, aud were then called Radical
We did not support Fremont for President in
la6s. f.om the fast we believed he was s'fraud-
and we have never changed our opinion of him.
Then we were called conservative But in the
anne wear. we supported Lewis d. Campbell for
Congress, against vallandigham, aud were kadi-
cal 30 far If we should support Campbell for Con-
eress today, we should deserve the title OF Cop
perhead or Rebel. We opposed Marcus J. Parrott
for the Legislature in Ohio, and were Radical;
we supported him for Congress in Kansas, and were
still Radical. II will be seen, from this, that 1t
sometimes takes nice lodging and quick move
meuts to be either consistent Radical or Con-
sersative at all times.


Before coming to Kansas, we were very strong
ly under the impression that many of the Border
Rufian outrages were manufactured or exagger-
ated, for political effect IN the East We had
been Q jealous political partisan ever since we
were old enough to take an interest in politics,
and long before we could vote. We remember
that, when Q slave woman was arrested in Gin
cinnati, and ent her baby's throat, in order to
prevent its being taken back with her to slavery,
we condemned her act as murder. In doing SO,
for
act, that the child might have had other oppor-
tunities ef escape, in after years, and that, long
before it was old enough to feel the evils of slav
cry, there might be no slavery-for we always
had feeling that the day wonld come when
slavery in the United States would cease to ex-
ist But We have Q distinct recollection, that
local poiiticisn, who was a Radical denounced us
In Q publie speech, for this expression Of opin-
ion, - havisg feeling, and possessing the dispo-
sities q o sslave-driver. Yet, in less than seven
years from the time that woman killed her child,
slavery wss abolished and in less than four
years after that man denounced us, he was sup
porting for Congress C. L. Vallandigham, the
leading northern champion of slavery.


But we are wandering from the subject. In
removing to Kansas, we made up our mind that
we would try to let politics entirely alone, and
attsnd strictly to business-that we should vote
for Free State men and measures, but not bring it
into our columns. We carried out this programme
faithfully for one week-perhaps two-sheu
we sailed in, and have been sailing in ever SINCE
Tho FIRST day we were in Kansas, one of the Pro-
Slavery proprietors of the town of White Cloud
came over to see us. He was a very pleasant
spoken man, who afterwards went into the
rebellion, and came out Of it in about as
peaked q condition as men ever get. He took
MS ont to see the surroundings of the town site !;
aud when he got US on the very loftiest height in
the vicinity, he sat down to give us advice. We
have often wondered why these disinterested
fellows, who want to give people good advice,
always take them upon the highest ground they
can find. We recollect that we thought, at the
time, of certain political friend of his who had
taken person to the top of high mountain, to
"seep him. This man give us very fatherly sd-
vice sbout not mixing In politics. He said he
supposed our sympathies were on the Free State
side, but we would find it to be to our interest
to let politics alone. A portion of Buford's gang
had spent the Winter in that vicinity, and were
lurking around. When our printing material
landed, o couple of these fellows stood on the





to throw an outfit like that into the river at
Lawrence. Well have to watch this concern,
and il it goes to preaching Aboltionism, We'll
fx it the same way" In fact, there was nothing
but politics in Kansas, at that time, and keep
ing out of politics, was equivalent to being moth
ing


At that time, the Radicals among the Free
State men were opposed to recognizing the au-
thority of the opposing party, or any of its acts
But as all the officers of the Territory, appointed
by the Government, were of that party, this was
equivalent to refusing to recognize the authority
ofthcGovernment. The Radical party had adopted
the Topeka Constitution, without an enabling
act or other authority from Congress, and insist
ed upon setting up State Government on that,
and nothing else. Organizations were kept up,
and special elections held, and resistance was de-
clared against anything to the contrary. While
we had no objection to the Topeka Constitution,
we felt pretty sure that not only would it never
be accepted by Congress, but that persistence
in this course would result to the disadvantage
of the Free State cause. We took decided ground
in opposition this policy, and have never had
occasion to feel that We did wrong Although
oppressed and swindled, the Free State party
were no moro justified in resisting the authority
of the General Government than the Southern
Rebels were afterwards.


When We came to Kansas, the Radicals were
opposed to voting. They held that it would be
recognizing the laws of the Border Rufian party.
Their policy was to stand aloof from elections,
but to keep sending mp their protests-sometimes
in the shape of petitions, and sometimes by
holding special elections of their own. What were
called the Conservatives, argued that the on
~ way in which the Free State men could gain
the ascendency, was to meet the Pro-Slavery
party at the bsllot-box, at the regular elections
recognized by law. The contest on this PROPOSE
tion was fierce, and those who favored voting
were denounced as traitors, and truckers to the
Border Rufians. In some places ballot boxes
were destroyed by the Radicals" to prevent the
people from recognizing Pro-Slavery rule by
voting. But the conservative" policy finally
prevailed, and the first election at which both
parties squarely met each other at the polls, was
in the fall of 1857. The Free State party won q
sweeping victory, and maintained the ascenden-
cy from that time forward. Participation in that
election by the Free State party, was the saliva
tion of Kansas. 1t showed the powers at Wash