The Freemen's Champion from Prairie City, Kansas • 1

21 jt mm V5 Volume 1---Mbcr 28: flUIRIE CITY, KAXZAS, THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 1858. Per Annum'' one or the ether party must lesvo Suicide of Love. In one o'f tKe mornin'or journals, re Native A party of Potawatl'jos, consisting of braves, pappooses, appeared in' our visfe'ets yesterday, decked ill all thc finery And filth, bee'tin'g upon a clrrfrn' made out of a keg, with parchment stretched oven the end, a'nd trimmed off with inmimera'ble fittfe belli." They were The Land Sales. Washihgton, D. May 19, 1858.

To the Edi'tob of tue Herald of Fueedom The undersigned, who were appointed by the Topeka" Settlers' Mass Convention to' visit the East for the purpose of procuring a postponement of the Land Sales, or the means of enabling tho settlers to pay for their claims previois to 6aid bee: leave to give, through your Jlje Ffoehjeii's Glfohipioif 18 PUDLISHEO EVERY THUBSDA At PRAIRIE CITY, KANZAS, By S. PROUTY. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: One copy one year, $2 00 Three copies one year, 5 00 Ten 15 00 fPaymcnt required in all cases in ad-fance. All papers discontinued at the time for which payment is received. TERMS OF ADVERTISING First insertion, per line, 10 cts, ESch subsequent insertion, per lino, ft; (CTAdvance payment will be required for Advertisements from a distance.

Moneys, properly registered with postmasters, may bo forwarded by mail at our risk." From the Journal of May Mountain and Prairie Trains and Commerce. is It is estimated by our warehouse and commission merchants, that including the wagons loading1 for the Utaht Expedion, destined for Salt Lako, and the various Forts in the mountains, there will be ten thousrnd full loaded and fully equipped wagons leave Kanzas City this season cross the plains none of i. make a shorter trip than six' hundred miles, arid many of them to go full eleven hundred miles. A wagon that takes merchandise over the plains and into tho mountains, is by no means, such 5 wagon as people unaccustomed to prairie countries are in the habit of seeing. They are not double wagons," or "lumber wagons," or "farm wagons," or "Chicago wagons," or Concord wagons" they are "prairie wagon's," or "schooners," as tho boys call them, and as novel a sight to an Eastern man, as any Yankee institution is' to a frontiersman, or as tho railroad will be to most of the Jackson co'u'nty people wheti it gets here.

A wagon weighs about lour thousand pounds, the pole, or tongue, is thirteen feet long, and with all the "fixings" about it is as heavy as a light buggy. One of the hind wheels weighs three hundred pounds and is sixty-four inches in diameter the tire is four inches wide, the hub twelve inches through and eighteen inches deep, and the spokes are as large as a middle sized bed post. Any one can conceive what au axle-tree for euch a wheel must be. The body is three feet eight inches wide, the country. (.

Fflw. if unv. of the noonle of tho i i i Territory outside of these two coun ties have taken part in the it is well known that they can and will take care of themselves, and that tbev have done this is pretty evident. Last lhursday I spent in Kanzas City. At the public table at the hotel, a man was giviiig what he intended should be an aniusing account of the 'last words' of the men shot in the raVitie." tt had the effect intended, for as each one's case was repeated; there was i rear of laughter, led off bj Titus arid his crew.

This may be put down as another 'Kanzas but it is the simple Correspondence of the Evening Post.) Platform of the Washington. City Republicans. Washisoton, May 17, 18d8. The Republicans of this city held a meeting on Saturday evening and formed themselves into an association, with a view td action at the approaching municipal election, and for the distribution of political documents during the coming year. They adopted tKe folic wing declaration of principles I.

The Federal Government has no power over the system of slavery within the States i but within its own exclusive jurisdiction it has the power and ought to exert it, to secure life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to all men. There should be neither slavery nor iiivoluntaiy servitude, except for the punishment of crime, in any of the territories of the United States. 3. The people are the rightful source of all political power; and all officers should; so far as practicable, be chosen by a direct Vote of the people. 4.

Candidates for political offices should be of undoubted integrity and sobriety, and pledged to support the principles of this platform by all lawful and constitutional means. Mr. Seward was present; and made an elaborate Anti-Slavery speech, which was very well received by the association, many of whoiri are Southern men. Sketch of the Late Gen; Smith. Geii.

Persifer F. Smith Wf a native of Chester county, and was fifty-hine years of age. When, a yourig man he Emigrated to Louisiana, and studied law in New Orleans. He served in the Florida war from 1836 to 1842, having command of the Louisiana volunteers. In '46ewas appointed Colonel of the rifle regiment then raised.

He had command of a brigade duriig the Mexicafi war, and won noted distinction at the battles of Monterey, Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo. At Contreras he commanded a brigade bf Gen. Twiggs' and finding himself the senior officer on the field, he Assumed the chief comroar-d, and won that celebrated victory, displaying throughout the contest the highest qualities of a military leader. Subsequently he was present at Cherubusco, Molina PJel Rev, Chapultapec and City of Mexico, adding new wreaths in each engagement to his Contreras laurals. During the Mexican campaign he' contracted that disease (diarrhoea) which at length proved fatal to him.

Gen. Smith was an able and popular officer, and he died as a soldier should die in harness; It is to be hoped that Congress will not neglect to show its appreciation of his character and services, by making suitable provision for his family. Mo. HeWl. Kanzas against the World.

T. D. Thacher, of the Lawrence Republican, writing June 1st, from Ilornellsville, N. where he is at present sojourning, says There is no country between New York and Kanzas, 'that I have ever seen, which can for a moment compare for beauty with our own most lovely Territory. Neither did I iny where see the crops looking as well as they do in Kanzas this season.

Illinois stands number one for wrieat usually, but she must yield the palm to Kanzas. Indiana is not to' he mentionod during the same day with Kanzas. I find everything in this State at least four weeks behind Kanzas as to forwardness of season. Fruit trees are now just in full bloom. Farmers have been trying for the last two weeks to plant corn, but have hardiy been able for the.incessant rains." 'JtST StriVb to cutivate harmony.

there was a painful description of a i suicide com mitted by a young Grerraari h'usbaW fth'd father, upon UK-grave' of his newly-buried wife, who had died in giving birth to a son. He had inclosed the grave-lot with a tasteful fence, and b'rnaifierited it profusely with flowers and ho was iu the habit of visiting' it every day. At length he visited it for the last shot himself through tho head, falling lengthwise upon his wife's grave. Among iho inscript- ions which he liid written with a pencil in Oermdn upon Uie white raarbl of the grave-stone, were these sen: tences How soon are the ties of Love sundered I heart is all too sad therefore, 0 Deatli 1 fulfill my fate, and soon uHito me to her, and to Love's eternal rest It is at the g-ave alone that man learns the true value of Love 1 "I depart from the sweet habit of existence!" As wa read last touching and beautiful sentence, we bethought us of th'o following passage from the diary o'f a lovely arid gifted lady, now nq lotfger of the world. How well slie appreciated the sweet habit of existence," may be inferred from the following "There is never a day upon wh'ich I do hot open my eyes at morning, with an instant thankfulness that i am alive upon God's earth' that 1 sliall belib'ld tlie blessed faces of my familiar affection i that my full heart is beating i that these veins are warm arid glowing with the cheerful tide of lifo 1 I looked out tliis morriiiig upon trees stripped of tlieii: folidge their summer dew and song upon sere places amidst the grass, and sul- enness over the waters, and the brood ing sorrow of a wet November day pervading earth and air.

Yet my spirit, nowise hindered, spread her untouched pinions, and I blessed th' that saw and sees me living How to Stop the Western Tor aadoei. Scarcely a rear Dasses in which JL sows portions of the Western States, especially the prairie States, do not suffer from the disastrous effects of whirlwinds or tornadoes. The greai tornado of the last week is the most severe one which has visited the Welit in many years. Its whole track is niarked with ruins. Half a dozen considerable towiis and vilWes hnv suffered severely; iand the total loss will not fall far snort of half a million dollars.

Saddest rlf all. iK the loss of more triad score of lives. The best ineaiis o'f stoDDincr thesa tornadoes, and cd'rifininar their d- structive course to' the limits of a mile or two irk width arid length, is to plant ndtherous gro'ves of forest trees all over the level n'rairie lands, near the thickly settled towns or sections ot western Estates, mils cannot be created, but forests rhav be. to an in definite extent, and with compara tively little trouble or expense. This is tHe great lack in tho prairie States, and for many other considerations besides that oi securing protection from high winds, the LeS-islaturts and town authorities would do well to give this subject more attention than trrey have hitherto.

iv. Y. Post. Two in Heftven. You have two children," said t.

"I have was the reply-two on two in Heaven." There spoke the mother! Still hers, only gdne before I Still remembered, loved arid cherished, bv tne hearth and at the board their places not yet filled; even though their suc cessors draw hie lrom the same breast where their dying heads were in1 Heaven P' Safely housed front storm and tem pest. No sickness there, nor droop- nig ireau, nor iaaing eye, nor weary feet. By green pastures, terrded by the good Shepherd, linger the little' lambs of the heavenly I wo in' lleaiven r' Earth Eternity nearer. Invisible chords drawing the" material soirl Still small voices" ever whisper Come 1" to" the' world-weary spirit. Mother of angels 1 Wallc softly r' Holy eyes watch thy footsteps CKer-ub forms bend to listen.

Keep thy spirit free from earth-taiiit so shah thou go to them, though they mav nt return to Ihee. JQT Don't slandef fir xfijV followed around by theiusual number intention to give a series of war dances, and other interesting ceremonies. We observed two of those red men of tho forest; two' chiefs, around on Secon'd street; One was mounted in all of his savage and l'do speudor on a bare-backed Knd the other was on foot. They were going around on a mission of shopping, begging, and probably stealing, though ot course they were making great professions ot honesty bul of this latter quality we fear they possess but little, as their race have degenerated to that extent that they will rna'ke any promise to suit the occasion', or to get a drink of whisky. At all presence forcibly brought to mind the following anecdote, which is said to have occurred in our sister State, Illinois, and is told of a relation! of theirs.

It is said that so file ears ago a noted warrior of the Pot-awdtoiiiie tribe presented himself to the Indian agent at Chicago, as one of the chiet men of his village, observing, with the customary sim plicity of tho Indian, that he was a very good man, and a good American, and coiicliided with a request lor a dram of whisky, lhe agent replied that it was not his practice to give whiskey to good men that good in en never drauk whioky, not even if it were voluntarily oilered that it was bad Indiatis who demanded whisky. "Then," replied the Indian, quickly, in broken English, me ras cal 1" St. Juxeph Journal. 4a Home Jtfewspapeis. Stick, then, ye sturdy yeomanry and tillers of the soil, to your newspapers.

No matter if you are poor remember that there are none so poor as the ignorant, except it be the depraved and they too often go together. Stick to our own local paper, though it may not be so large or imposing as the New York weeklies, but remember that it is the advertiser of your neighborhood and daily business, and tells you what is going on around you, instead of a theusand miles away. If it is not on nice paper, and as good as you wish to have, pay up your subscriptions well and get your neighbors to do the same, and rely on if, the natural pride of the publisher will prompt hirii to improve it as fast as possible'. In hard times like tttese, that call for rigid economy, looli carefully ardund you before you stop you papers, and see if you cannot find soj ie othSBx-penditure or waste of true, to the amourit of a few dollars, you had better lop off first; loqk close and careful, and if it becomes inevitable to shut up the windows of intelligence between yourself, your family and the world, why then do it, and retire into voluntary exile, perhaps upon your hundreds ol acres, poor only in spirit and iniiigination. Rely upon it, by supporting your home paper, both yourself and your children will be niscr and happier.

Wisconsin Farmer. Iowa Immigration to Missouri. At least fifty wagons from Iowa, all accompanied with their families, anil not' only their household effects, but also their farming implements, have crossed at our ferry this week, on their way to the Neos'p and Osage Valleys, ami also to tne onth- West ern counlies of the Stated We learn from these immigrants that the roads from here to Iowa are crowded with a similar immigratidn that afeeavy tide of immigration from that istate is on the move to the above localities, and that all wagons are obliged to make cts great speed as possible, in order to keep away front the crowd, and to 6btain good grass and water at the Stopping places. Kanzas City ffournal of Commerce'. jy Henry Ward Beacher, in his "Lile Thoughts," says "The Eible Society is sending its Bibles all over the world to Ureeriland ami the Morea, td Arabia and Egypt but it dares not send them to our own peo pie.

The colporter who should luave a Bible in a slave's cabin, would go to Heaven from the lowest limb of the tint tree." or and ftppeared very much to attract such jmarftid attention; We ftre informed, tfiat is their jourricl, a synopsis of what action they have thus fur taken. On' arriving at Washington, they ascertained frem the President and Secretary of the Interior, that promises of temporary postponement had already been made to Mr. Purrott, and that tire arrival of the Committee was awaited with some interest. After a courteous heariilg of these officers, the Committee wa informed that the policy of the Administration' required these sales to be made during the present yeir, but that some montlis' delay would be granted if desired. The Comniittee requested a postponement of one yeaf, but without success and finally received the promise of the Secretary that the sales should be delayed till tho 1st and 15th days of November next.

This promise may undoubtedly be relied upon, The Committee have now turned their attention entirely to the work of procuring a sufficient loan fund at reasonable rates of interest, to enable the settlers to secure their lands without tod great a sacrifice, and will report as soon as any deliuite resdlthas been reached only saying, in the meantime, that the omens are full of hope. All our friends-- Republicans and Demociats expect the people of KanZas to bury Lecbmpton Constitution so deep with their ballots, that no traces shall rcmairi but its memory. We acknowledge many obligations to Mr! Parrott for his ready and pa tient assistance, without which we should have labored under serious disadvantages. KOBEUT MOlillUW. C.

H. BllANSCOMB. J. M. WING HELL.

Kansas Adapted to Wheat. Issac M. Roberts, who resides two miles west of Big Springs, states that a rear ago last autumn he sowed a field df soma forty acres of wheat. In July last ho harvested a sniall crop, owing to the dry season, and to its being sowed upon the sod. About the first of October last, he plowed under the stubble of near fif teen acres, leaving the lurrows as made by the plow.

A heavy crop of wheat niade its appearance, both on the stubble and Jalloib ground, though no seed was sown upon either, save such as fell in the hdrvest of last year. During the year the cattle had free access to" the field; and grazed upon it until sometime' in the last oi" March, when the field gave such positive indications of a good harvest, that the cattle turned from it. No attention was paid to the soil, But now Mr. R. assures us, that the stalk is froidfi three to four feet high b-n the stubble ground, and some five feet high on the fallow is thick set, ahd covers the entire ground, and gives promise of an early harvest with at least thirty bushels to the acre'.

Everywhere in JSanzas we hear la-vorable accounts of the whedt crop. The fact is established, that this Ter ritory is pre-eminently adapted to the growing of whe'at, and to that our agriculturists should turn their immediate attention. Herald of Freedom. Ethan Allen has been stolen. Perhaps his skeleton even now graces the dissecting room of some surgical vandal.

At all events, it-is not in his grave. A ihdrough search to the depth of some six or eight feet has been made in all parts of the family lot at Burlington, where his tombstone stood, and not the least sign of Human remains can be found; In consequence of this remarkable disnnvRr. or rather failure to dis cover th6' laying of the corner stone Sf the codteuiplated monument to his honor has been indefinitely postp'6'ncd, and there Is great excitement lit aur-Hngton. S3t The Harpers profess to4 steer rlpar of nolities in their verv excel- lent weekly, but wo see that they have put in tneir last nnmoer tne picture of William H. English.

We cannot doubt but that their object is to create prejudice against the bill. However, we have no right te complain. -Louisville Journal. LIBERTY OR DEATH." PMIRIE CITY, JUNE 24, 1858. Capt.

Montgomery. The following description of Capt. Montgomery, who lias of late obtained an undue notoriety in Kanzas matters, is from the pen of a former resident of Lawrence a correspondent of the New York Evening Post "In conversation he talks mildly, in a calm, even voice, using tue language of a cultivated, educated gentleman. His antecedents are unexceptionable he was always a Free State man, although1 comiug from a Slave State, where he was noted as a good citizen, and for his mild, even In his daily conduct, he maintains the same character now; but when in action and under lire, he 'displays a daring fearlessness, untiring perseverance, and an indomitable energy, that has given hiui the leadership in this border warfare. His diction, courage and acknowledged 'aTHiityhavo gained him what lie will continue 1o receive the confidence and support of the people in the southern tiers of counties.

Montgomery's enrolled corripany numbers from four to five hundred men, all of whom are old residents of the Territory, and are, consequently, familiar with the peculiar nldde of fighting pursued by Border Ruffians. Some are desperate men, arid could their histories be told, you would not won-'der that they followed thejr Border Ruffian persecutors td the bitter end. There are two boys irl that company whose dying father charged theni to revenge his cowardly murder. Five bullets entered his bddy as he stepped from the door-sill td extend the hospitalities of his cabin to his murderers. Others have been robbed at their liomes and on the highway, akd not one of them but has suffered Borne outrage or indignity from those villains headed by Brock ettj Hamilton and Titus.

Notwithstanding every incentive to retaliate actuates these men to demand blood for blood, yet "Montgomery is able to control and 'direct them. He truly tempers justice with mercy, and he has always protected women and children from haim, and has never shed blood except in conflict or self-defence'. On the-morning of last Thursday I saw a man who had just left Montgomery's party, and who had been with him since the allair with the u. Ho gave me a recital of their doings from that time up: to the day when they took dossession of West Point, which town was searched for the Moneka assassins. N6 innocent men had been robbed, no women outraged.

They had, however, cleared Lynn and Bourbon counties of every pro-slavery man who had been 'directly of indirecly concerned in any persecution of Free State settlers. It will be asked, Is not this, to a certain extent, following the of the enemy, and is it right? To either of these inquiries I answer: For two years past, Fort Scott has teen the headquarters of a desperate "gang of wretches, who, under the lead of this Brockett, Clark and Hamilton, and acting in concert with the pro-slavery setllers and kindred spirits in the State of Misso ri, have carried out a persistent couise of outrage and crime ripon Free State squatters, This was the history of last summer, and It was the history of last spring, up to the tirde when Brockett killed an innocent man in Iris own bed, before hit wife and children. Then the people rose up and said, We will not endure tikis any longer thirteen feet long at the bottom and eighteen feet long at the top, with' bows extending above tho bed three feet high, and also extending fore arid' aft of the bed two feet and a half, sd that the top of tho wagons, measuring over the bows, is eighteen feet long height of wagon fro til bottom of wheels to top of bows is ten feet. These bows are covered with three wagon sheets, made of the best quality of duck, and cost about 30. These details will give one an idea of a prairie wagon, which always car-lies from fifty-five to sixty hundred pounds of frieght, and transports it never less than six hundred mile's.

Now for the team; The team or the motive pow'er of these cumbrous dtid ugly wagons, consitss of six yoke of oxen, or "steers," as they are called by old freighters; or five spaii of mules. A driver with a ragged flannel shirt, a pair of bricjbkin, "jeans" or store" pants, Willi pockets made or breaking out alriiost any where, a pair of brtfganp, an old hat and whip, the st.ck of which is generally a hickory sapling ten or fifteen teet long, the lasli about the same length triads out of undressed raw hide, an inch and a half thick in the belly," the whole weighing five pounds and a half, and when brought upon tlie aforesaid steer, crack, crack, crack, it goes with reports loud as a navy pistol. Such are, in brief, the details of one of these mountain wagons, ten thousand of which will leave Kanzas City for the forts and trading posts in the mountains this season. A wagon and team hitched up and ready for travel is about one hundred feet long, and they travel on the average about one huridred feet apart. Now if all these wagons were to leave in one train, they would stretch out over the prairie three hundred and sevhity-nine miles! Some team, that.

When corraled," or encamped, they would make an encampment of over one hundred and fifty thousand head of stock, about twenty theusand and five hundred men no women and if in the mountains they would probably be surrounded by ten thousand Ingins." The wagons would contain 6ixty-five million pounds of merchandise, wcVth in Kanzas City tweri-ty million dollars, and in the mountains, twenty-four iriillions and a half. Here, then, are the figures of the great com'merce of the prairies, which is centered in Karizas City, as we compute it when gathered together in one grand encampment Men, 20,500 Wagons, 10,000 Cattle aM mules; 150,000 Lbs of merchandise, 65,000,000 Value of merchandise in the mountains, $24,500,000 Opposition ig sometimes more the result oJ envy than a settled conviction of propriety. iK? the young laugh at the old they laugh at themselves.