' u " ' "- ... i. ! . '. . i & '. , ; '"I T ; ; . 7 . ' TT7n i- T Tl ' . " ; ; ' - - - BY S. R ROW: ; rOLEARFlELD, PAViAyEDNESDAY; EEBItUAllY lO, 18-58. VOL. MO. 25. .' ft hr. 1 t i Yi Hi 'if . It $ 1 i 'I J'1 LOSS OTT THE DEATH 0? J. S. P. ' And art thou 50110, my darling toy,' . And left nic weeping here ? .. - -:. . 2fo 010219 in mine par is sweet, 5 Sinco no more thy voioo I hoar. Here so moro LI1 kus thy rosy chock, ' . a Nor see thy soft brown eyes, :' " Eat stilt I hopo Iyetmny meet 'oT; ' XI y iorcd one in the skies. ' ' ' ' : Look up, my soul, with eye of faith, And sec thy little ono,. .' With Him, who once so sweetly said, '" Znf little children come. "' ' ' ' '"Oh! thoso precious words are never felt, ' Fraught with so rich a worth, ; ' ' ' Cnttt some parent's cilled to lay ' ' ' A loved form in the earth. 1 CltarJUld,3na. 20,13i3. 1 - A TALE OF THE REVOLUTIOX. i . - . (Concluded from latl week.) . . r -'-t, ,- CUAPIERIV. . : ... ' For some tirao the British Captain rode on ia silence, while the guide strode before on foot, taking up the river route. - About two miles Horn the house ot Steel, the road ran between a high bluff and the Santee, skirting the foot of the hill, and leaving but a few feet between it and Ike stream. This pass exten ded lor neariy a mile, when the blinl abruptly ceused. and a lovely valley, nearly half a mile wide, spiead out from the river. . It was a bright moonlight night, and the able hiils glittered in the silvery rays, ahd the measured tread of the horses lioois sounded out plainly upon the midnight air as the band swept down the hill and entered the black pass. Here all became dark, ihe tall trees which sreff on the side of the blulf eiiectually crecmug the road aud shutting out the moon light, save wheri; hero ud t. ere a straggling ray tell athwart the atU and lit tip for au in stant the dreary road. - Just half .through the pass there i.i a narrower epot than elsewhere, and a ravine comes down from the highlands and cinpti .-s intoihe Sjntee. Ac.ot.s this a rude war had been dug by ex cavating the b.ink, and the road, alter gaming the bcttoui turned down it s though going di rectly into the river. The bottom of this ra vine was as dark as pitch, and ns Laiig.sl'oid and his men followed the pedier down into its depths they lost sight of hint altogether. Ordering a halt, the Captain In lied in a low Toice, calling lor the guide, but no answer came. Again and again did he summon the guide, each time in a louder key, ImLi.i vain ; aud, with a muttered curse upon the stupidity of thff" guide, l.acgsford -tmlered his men to advance. . . ... Scarcely had the body once more began to move, than a loud crash was heard in the ra vine above them ; something came tearing its way through the brush which lined the steep bill side, and a largo stone bounded into the ranks, crushing a horse and rider as it fell. A moment of confusion ensued, amid which Ihe groans of the wounded trooper cold be heard, when a loud voice, which thrilled like molten lead upon the hearts of the British, was heard exclaiming ; "Right, lads givo them the others !"' Aud like the rush of a destructive tornado a large quantity of rocks cune thuudt-ring down tho hill, lauding with fearful accuracy among the excited troopers, and creating sad havoc among the horsemen. 'Sold!" shouted T.angsford, in a voice which rose far above the din and tumult around them, "sold by a pedier! Uetreat in the rear there, and let all lollow as last as possible." "A3'e, sold," thundered a voice in reply, as the Captain ceased, "and the blood of those you have foully murdered during our absence calls loudly for vengeances . Upon them, com rades, ar.d spare not a man !" " "Darned tew darnation if I give quarters tew a darned one," squeaked cut the well kr.cwn tones of the pedier. illurra tor Yan kee Doodle Dandy, aud won't we dew 'cm up ao handy. Shute, bovs and' be darned tew 'em!" ' ' - A volley of rifles followed the last order and a blaze ran along the hill side, while the messengers of death speed without mercy into the troopers, ranks, killing many and creating a terrible tumult and dismay. '. Some few ot those farthest in the rear made a hasty retreat, among whom was jangsford. he having pushed his way back, n lieu ho liit volley ot stones was rolled down upon his men, an I fled as fist as horses speed would carry him back to Steel's accompanied by about a dor.en men. ' , ' Upon reaching the house lie dismounted from his steed and rushed to the door, which bo found was fastened but-a few . knocks bronght apcrson to it who threw it wide opsn, displaying one of his own troopers. The Cap tain entered, followed by the men who esca ped with him, and the door was again secured. This done, Langsford hastened up stairs and . knocked upon the door of Mary Sieel's ro.oni. No answer came, and he knocked more ruddy than before, but in vain; all within was as si lent as tho grave. He shook tho -door, but it was . firmly fastened upon the inside, and lie ordered a man to bring him an as which stood at the stairs. -; With" this lie soon forced an entrance, by splitting the pannels into pieces, "and sprang like a famished tiger into the room. But it was empty the prey had escaped j and cursing like a fiend. Langsford sprang to the pen window, out of which he thrust his bead. As lie did bo, the sharp crack of a rifle was heard, and 6taggering back, the Captain fell VTon the floor, with the blood slowly oozing from a bullet hole ia the centre of bis lore head. ' CHAPTER V. "Te most now retnrn to th rebel lover of .H-ry whom we left bound to the sapling, with t:ie pen-knifa given him by the pedier secured n his mouth. After the departure of Langsford, the three EU:n who had been left to gnard him took their talions not many feet from him, and for a fw moments attentively watched every move rjfnt be made. But the troopers had ridden fcard and far that day, and it was soon proposed Iat two of the party lay down and rest, while the third kept watch for on hour, . when he .ftuould rouse one of the sleepers to take his j.laco. Lots were drawn and the first guard foil upon oneot the three called Lazy John, from a well known propensity be bad of going t sleep without being aware of so doing. - Take care, John, or you will be asleep be far w are," aaid on of tba man aa ha stretch ed himself at lull - length :npon the ground. 1 'Keep your eyes wide open,'' cried the other; as he followed bis companion's examp'e. "Don't see the use of watching a man who's tied fast to a tree, at any rate," muttered John, as he sank upon a log near tho fire. Twenty minutes went by, and the two men J who had stretched themselves upon theground gave undoubted ; signs of being fast asleep. John however, still remained seated opon the log, with his head "nkt. nid. noddiri," and his j body occasionally lurching tj and fro, in a state of drowsiness which was fhe next thing to sleep, but which a slight noise would have thrown o2 and awakene.d him fully. ' It was at this state of affairs that ITarry Bod man, the prisoner, bgan his preparations to escspe. The knife was taken from his month, and the keen blade soon severed the cords whiel fastened him to ; the tree, lie then stAffj5d,down, and drawing oil his boots, tak iitf jle-' in each baud, and noiselessly made iiis way to the" door of tho house.' It was part ly ajar, and on entering ho quickly ascended the stairs,' wnen he paused and drew on his boots, then advanced to the entrance of Mary's apartment .and knocked upon the door. : ..; "Who's there," demrnded the well known voice of Steel. . ; - : 1 ! 1 "Walter, let me in," be answered. The key-turned instantly in tho lock, the door opened, and he glided into the room; .- "How did .you escape V murmured Mary, as he hastened tohersido. "Vou saw the pedier ?" . ' "General Marion he was in this room," she answered. "He furnished me with a knife to cut the cords that bound me, and while all the men left to watch me slept, I took advantago of the opportunity to come into the house. But hark!" . They listened in breathless silence, and could plainly hear the Found of heavy firing up the Sautee, which told the foeraen were engaged. "May go 1 defend tho right" fervently ejac ulated Mary. "Amen !" responded a deep voice out side the window, and three distinct taps were heard upon the pnne. - "Who's there?" demanded Harry Bodman, as hf strode to the spot. "Brady," replied the same voice. "Hoist the window,' Bodman ; you've no time to loose.'' ' ' Harry threw up the sash, and the man out side sprang info the apartment. He was full six feet high, dressed in a hunting shirt of di-ep blue, and carried a long rifle in his hand. For an i:ita:t be gazed around him, and then exclaimed : "You must all leave the house at once." "Has Marion been defeated, then 1" asked Mary in breathless alarm. "No, Miss, but a portion of the flogged Brit ish will maKc this house place of defence, and in a case of that kind von are better out of it." , ' "But we can fasieu them out," said Steele, resolutely. "Xay. betfcrlet them trap themselves in it,"' replied Brady, calmly. "There is a ladJer at I tie window by which yon can go down, and in my opinion tno sooner the better. I hear the British coming already." As he finished speaking, the distant tread of horses feet was heard coming down the road toward the house. "Be it so," replied Steel, passing throngh the window on the ladder. "Let Mary come down first." Tho maiden followed her father, and tho two soon reached the ground. Stand close to the house in the dark shade there," said Brady, speaking to those who were with-him, and at the same time pointing his rifla towards the house. This had scarcely been done before the troopers reached the house, sprang from their horses, and in a few moments the scouts saw the head of Langsford thrust from the window. To level and fire with the elleet already noted, was but the work ot an instant: and as the Captain fell heavily back upon the floor, the tramp of more borxes was heard, and the rebel baud ot Marion galloped to the spot. CHAPTER VI. 1 The noise of barring doors a id securing the first story windows of the dwelling was heard for a few moments after the arrival of the A mericans in front of the house, ant then a!! re lapsed into silence. . Tho men of Marion had dismounted and surrounded the house, but the slude of the night was So gloomy where Bod man, Steel an;l .Mary stood, that they remain ed undiscovered by either friend or foe. Ben Brady, the scout, .still crouched behind the log, with the muzzle of the gun directed toward the window out of which--he had es caped, within the room of which the light was still burning. ..... Suddenly the moon was covered bj'a cloud, and darkness rested, like a pall Uliou every thing around. Then the. voice' of Brady rose gradually on tho air as he exclaimed : "Hist, Bodman come this wiy, and bring the girb and her father with you. Quick, as tr.e moon will soon be out again.'' -': - Bodman grasped Mary by the arm, and gli ded from the shade ol tho house, but had scarcely . proceeded twenty steps when the muzzles of two carbines were thrust out of the window and jrointed toward their fleeing cap tives, whom thev could hear but not see in the gloom, whilo the dusky figures of the troopers who held the guns- were plainly discornable withift the apartment. '.' ' The rilie of Brady was raised in the twink ling of an eye, and three pieces belched forth their contents together. A wild shriek instant ly rang upon the air, and the voice of agony was recognized by every rebel soldier as be longing to Mary Steel. There was an instant of death-like silence, asain broken bv the Wails of the wounded girl, but this time they were drowned by the yells of vengeance which burst from the lips of Ma rlon's men, as like so many blood-hounds, thev rushed to the assault. . "Spare not a man !" shcutcd a well-known musical voice, rising lilgli aoove tne am auu tumult of the conflict. "Death to our p- nressors !'.-- - - "Down with the British on !" and the sound of the heavy blows falling upon every door, was minaled with the sharp craci; ot ri flos and the curses of tho combatants, as the assault progressed. . In the midst of the conflict, and ere an en trance had been gained, Harry Bodman, fol lowed by Ben Brady, suddenly appeared be fore Marion. "A dozen of men !" said the youth hoarsely "For what 7" ., : ' .1 "There is an unguarded way into the cells by tbe spring-house." ; ; , A shout . from Marion brought the requisite number of men around him ; and thev follow. cd Bodmin and Brady to the place of entrance. A. narrow passage led. from tuc spring-house to the cellar, and in a lew minutes the party stood within the building. It was tho work of but an instant for Bodman to find the stairs, up which they carefully ascended to the door ; it was not fastened, and passing through it. they stood in tbe ball which led to tlie-outer door of the building, It was as dark as pitch, and they could not. discover a man, but coulii bear the steps of several besido themselves near the end of tbe ball, where crash after crash came against tbe door, fairly making ev erything creak as tho heavy blows descended ou the panneU. , ... ..... - ; -- "ipllow me up stairs," muttered Bodman in a low tone ; and silently they - groped their way to the second story. ... ... .- As they reached the top of the stairs, the light shouc out from tho room where the' car bines had ' been discharged, and they hurried to the door, . Five troopers stood prepared for conflict within the apartment, while two dead bodies lay stiff upon the floor.. ... - ; To discharge, a volley into, the room which killed every trooper, was the work of a mo ment and, then rushinz forward, Brady thrust a candle itito the window, and uttered a loud well-known shout. It was answered by twen ty men, and in a few moments several of Marion's men had mounted the ladder into the room. The remainder of the contest was of short duration. The British fell to a man, whilo scarcely an American suffered in the strife. The wound received by Mary Steel, turned out not to be mortal ; and shortly after her re covery which happened subsequent to the at- tacii, she became the wife of Harry Bodman; and for many years afterwards, two old tin panniers, surmounted by a black cap, could be seen upon the mantel-piece of their front room being the same carried on that memorable evening by the HebeiPedler. ADDRESS OF IlOX, F, P. STANTON, LAT.5 SECRETARY OF KANSAS TEBUITOET. To the People of the United Stale : ' Having been recently removed from the of fice of Secretary of Kansas Territory, under circumstances which imply severe censure on the pnrt of the President, and having had no official information of my removal, nor any op portunity for explanation or defence, I have deemed it necessary to present to the People of the United States a brief statement of facts in vindication of my motives, and in explana tion of the results ot the act for which I have been condemned. The office in question was not given at my solicitation. My ' acceptance of it under all the circumstances, was a proof of strong friend ship for the President, "fl of unbounded con fidence in the firmness and faithfulness ' with which ho would adhere to the line of policy deliberately agreed upon between him, his whole Cabinet, and Gov. Walker. On my arrival in the Territory in April last. in advance of- Gov. Walker, I confess that 1 had an imperfect knowledge of the real condi tion ofaflairs. I snpposed the question of sla very to be the only cause of dissension and difficulty among the people ; and in my brief inaugural address of the 17th April, I treated this as the chief suT-ject of difference upon which a submission to tho people would be likelv to Ik; demanded. I soon found, howev er, that this view was altogether too limited. and did r.ot reach the true ground ot contro versy. . The great mass of the inh ibitants of the Territory were dissatisfied with the local government, and earnestly denied the validity of the existing laws. Asserting that the pre vious Legislature had been forced upon them by the fraud and violence of a neighboring people, they proclaimed their determination never to submit to tin? enactments of legisla tive bodies thus believed to be illegitimate, and not ei. titled to obedience. This was the condition of things when Gov. Walker came to the Territory in the latter part of M.iVi- 'It was evident that the just policy of permitting the people to regulate theirown af fairs could not be successfully carried out un less they could be inspired with confidence in the agents of Government through whom this result was to be effected. If a mere minority of the people had been thus 'dissatisfied and contumacious, they might possibly have been pronounced factious and treated as disturbers of the peace ; but when the dissatisfaction was general, comprising almost the whole people, a more respectful consideration was indispen sable to a peaceable adjustment. It was evi dent that the policy of repression a rigid at tempt to enforce submission without an effort at conciliation would inevitably result in a renewal nf the civil war. : With commendable anxiety to avoid this contingency, Gov. Walk er resolved to go among the people, to listen to their complaints,1 to give them assurance of a fair and just administration ot the Territorial Government, and to induce them, if possible, to abandon their hostility, and to enter upon the peaceful but decisive struggle of tho bal lot box. I was often with tho Governor when he addressed the people, and gave my best ef forts in aid of tho great purpose of conciliation. ' It was too late to induce the people to go in tathe June election lor delegates to the Con vention. The registration ' required by law had been imperfect in all tbe counties, aud had been wholly omitted in one-half of them r nor could the people in these disfranchised coun ties vote in any adjacent count -, as has been falsely suggested. - in such of them as subse quently took a census or registry of their own, the delegates were not admitted to seats in the Convention. . Nevertheless, it is not to be de nied that the great central fact which controll ed the whole case, was the utter want of confl dence by the ' people in the .whole machinery of the Territorial Government. ' They alleged that) the local officers, in all iustances, were unscrupulous partisans, who had previously defrauded them in the elections, and who were ready to repeat the same Outrages again ; that, even if intruders from abroad should not be permitted to overpower tbem, they would be cheated by false returns, which it would not be possible lor the Governor and Secretary to defeat. Althongh at that time these appre hensions seemed to me to be preposterous and unfounded, it was impossible to deny the ear nestness and sincerity with which they were urged, or to doubt that they were the result of deep convictions, having their origin ia some previous experience of that nature. "" .- The worst portion of the small minority in Kaaaa, who,! bi possession of tb territorial organization, loudly and bitterly complained I nf rim.- I l.-t , .,.i; r.c .nn:i;..;.,- ,? f demanded, the" opposite policy of repression. And when, under the solemu assurance given that the elections should be fairly conducted, and no frauds, which we could reach, be coun tenanced or tolerated, it had become apparent that the mass of fhe people were prepared and determined to participate in tbe October elec tions, the minority endeavored to defeat the result by reviving the tax qualification for c Iectors, which had been repealed' by the pre vious Legislature. .Opinions were, obtained from high legal sonrces, the cflefft of which, fd they prevailed, would' have been to ex clude the mass of the people from voting, to retain the control in the hands of the minority, and, as a conseqnence, to keep up agitation and to render civil war inevitable. ' But the intrepid resolution of Gov. Walker, in spite of fierce opposition and denunciation, far and near, carried him through this dangerous cri sis, and he bad the proud satisfaction of bav ing achieved a peaceful triumph, by inducing the people to submit to the arbitrament of the ballot-box. , But tbe minority were determined not to submit to defeat. : The . populous county of Douglas had been attached to the border coun ty of Johnson, with a large and controlling representation in the Legislature. The cele brated Oxford fraud was perpetrated t itb a view to obtain majorities in both Ileuses of the Assembly. When these returns were re ceived at my office, in Gov. Walker's absence, I had fully determined not to give certificates based upon them. If they had been so formal and correct as to have made it my duty to cer tify them, I would have resigned my office in order to testify my sense of the enormity of the wrong. - Gov. Walker, at-Leavenworth, had- formed the same resolution, as he stated to mo and several others, and we were both gratified that we found the papers so imperfect as to make it our duty to reject them. Great excitement followed in the Territory. The minority, thus righteously defeated in the ef-r fort to prolong their power, became fierce in opposition and resorted to every means of in timidation. But I am led to believe that they found their most effectual means ot operation by undermining us with the Administration at Washington. The Constitutional Convention, which had adjourned over until after the October election, met again in Lecompton to resume its labors. Many of the members of that body were bit terly hostile to the Governor and Secretary, on acconnt of their refection of the Oxlora and McGee frauds, in which some of tho mem bers and officers of the Convention had a di rect participation. In fact, this body, with some honorable exceptions, well, represented the minority party in the Territory, and were fully imbued with the same spirit and designs It was obviously not their desire to secure to the real people of Kansas the control ol their own affairs. In the Constitution sooit after wards adopted, they endeavored to supercede the Legislature which had been elected by the people, by providing, in the second, section of the schedme, that "all laws now of force in the Territory shall continue to be of force un til altered, amended, or repealed by a Legisla ture under the provisions of thisConstitution." They provided still moro effectually, as they supposed, for the perpetuation of their minor ity government, by adopting the Oxford fraud as tho basis of their apportionment, giving a great preponderance of representation to the counties on the Missouri border, and affording, at the same time, every possible facility for the introduction of spurious votes. The Pres ident of the Convention was clothed with un limited power in conducting the elections and receiving the returns, while the officers are not required to take the usual oath to secure fair and honest dealing. The elections were hurried on in midwinter the 21st of Decem ber and the 4th of January when emigrants could only come from the immediate, borders, under the qualification which invited to the ballot-box every white male inhabitant ''in the Teiriiory on thnl day." The same man who did this had previously denounced Governor Walker for the suggestion in his inaugural ad dress,' and in bis Topeka speech, that the con stitution should be submitted to all the bona fide inhabitants, although be invariably stated, when asked for explanation, that some reason able length of residence ought to be required as evidence of the bona fide character of in habitancy. : ' ' - . It was apparent that all the machinery had been artfully prepared for a repetition of gross frauds, similar to those which had been at tempted in October, and was in view of all these facts, after the adjournment of the Con vention, that the people of the Territory, by an almost unanimous demand, called upon me, as the acting Governor, to convene an extra session of the Legislature in order to enable them' peaceably to protect themselves against the wrongs evidently contemplated by the a doption of this constitution. There was no law to punish frauds in election returns. '1 The peoplo were intensely excited ; and it was the opinion of the coolest heads in the Territory, that, without a call of - the Legislature, the e lections under tbe constitution could not have taken place without collision and bloodshed. The meeting of the Legislature diverted the attention of the people from the schemes of violence opon which they were brooding, sub stituted tho excitement of debate and investi gation for that of fierce and warlike . hatred, aud enabled their representatives to devise means for, counteracting the wrongs which they justly apprehended. ' . - . ." , Iteccnt events have . shown 'that their appre hensions were well founded. - Enormous frauds have been, perpetrated at the precincts of Ox ford, Shawnee and Kickapoo ; and it may well be believed that this result was actually de signed by the artful leaders who 'devised the plan and framework of the Lecompton Consti tution. . I have lately been at Shawnee, and I have seen and ' conversed with persons who were at Oxford on the day of electron. The frauds committed are notorious ; and though dishonest persons may -deny them, and may fill the channels of public information with shameless representations to the contrary, they can be easily established beyond all , contro versy. It was to enable the people to shield themselves from these frauds, and to give le gal expression to their hatred and rejection of the instrument which permitted them, and was to be carried by them, that I called the Legis lature together. , -, ". . . 1 . - . In my judgment, the people bad a fair claim to be heard on this subject through tbe Legis lature. : Tbe organic act confided to . me the discretion of convening that body in extra ses sion. Tb President of tbe Uniwd States bad jio rightful : authority to exercise that discre tion for. me. He had the power 01 removal, and such control as that power -gives him. But I would cheerfully have submitted to re moval and consequent loss of favor with tbe President, rather than occupy the position of Governor and refuse to the people an oppor tunity to assert their most essential rights, and to protect themselves against tbe basest frauds and wrongs ever attempted upon an outraged community. ' . - Not having been informed of the grounds ot my removal, I knoTt-ui only through the newspaper reports, to the effect that, in calling the Legislature, I disobeyed the instructions Ct the President. 1 bad no instructions bear ing on the subject, and there wad no time to obtain them, even if I had felt bound to sub stitute the President's will for that discretion which the organic act'eonfided to me. The convening of the Legislature undoubtedly pre vented difficulty and secured peace. Were it important, I am confident I could establish this position by the most indubitable lacts; but it is sufficient now to say that the ptace of the Territory was not ia fact disturbed, and whatever apprpaches were made towards such a rcsuR were wholly attributable to tne poncy of the Administration in censuring my acts and removing me from office. - - . The measure for which I have been unjustly condemned has enabled the peoplq cf Kansas to make known their real will 1n regard to the Lecompton Constitution.- This affords the Democratic party an opportunity to defend the true iwinciples of constitutional liberty, and to save itself from disastrous division and ut- i ter overthrow.1 If Congress will heed the j voice of the people, and not force upon them a government which they have rejected by a vote of four to one, the whole country will be satisfied, and Kansas will quietly settle her own affairs without the least difficulty, and without any danger to the Confederacy. Tbe Southern States, which are supposed to have a deep interest in the matter, will be saved from the supreme folly of standing up in de fence of so wicked and dishonest a contrivance as tho Lecompton Constitution, The moral power of their position will not be weakened by a vain and useless defence of wrong, when it is perfectly certain they will gain nothing even by success in the present attempt. . f- " The extra session ' of the Legislature has done good, also, by giving means to-expose and punish the monstrous frauds which have been perpetrated, and doubtless, also, by pre venting others which would have been at tempted. It has driven. the guilty miscreants engaged in them to become fugitives from jus tice, and has rendered it impossible ' lor the peace of the Territory hereafter to bo endan gered by similar occurrences. ' In view of these facts and results, I willing ly accept the rebuke conveyed in my peremp tory dismissal from office, but I appeal to the deliberate judgment of the people to deter mine whether I have not chosen the only hon orable course which the circumstances allowed me to pursue. Freo. I. Sta.ntox. ASHiNGTOx, Jan. 23, I808. " Jackson and . Dickinson. Jackson settled in Nashville, between 1 he years 1700 and 1800, and began the practice of law. Dickinson was already there following the same profes sion. He was a great duellist, having killed several in duels, and almost sure to kill tbe first fire. His mode of firing was very uncom mon. Instead of raising bis pistol from bis side to fire at the word, he would bring it down from above until he got it to the pro)er level, and then fire. All the merchants in Nashville had Dickinson retained in their behalf, and he being the ouly lawyer there until General Jackson came, no' redress conld be obtained upon the opposite side. Gen. Jackson refused to be retained by these merchauts to the exclu sion of all parties. The consequence was, that he issued fifty writs to the first term of the Court of Nashvillel He issued writs against merchants, who until then, had gone Scott free. This irritated them, and they being de sirous of getting Gen. Jackson out of the way, incited Dickinson to provoke a duel. ' He be gan by acting on trials offensively to the Gen eral. He remonstrated with Dickinson and plainly informed him that be would not sub mit to such disrespectful treatment. Dickin son persisted and Gen. Jackson challenged him. Tho time and the place for' the combat were fixed upon, and the new sptcad around. There was at least two hundred people on tte ground, and bets weie made as if it were a horse-race. Dickinson himself bet that he would kill Jackson on the first fire. Dickinson fired first and peeled Jackson's breast. He had a callous lump until the day of bis death. As soon as the smoke of Dickinson's pistol cleared away, and he saw Jackson still stand ing, he exclaimed, -"Hav'nt I killed the d d rascal ?" Gen. Jackson told Gen. Eaton that until then be meant to give him his life, but on hearing these words he raised bis pistoi, fired and killed him instantly. The Wixter Twektt Years Aco. We have noticed many comparisons between the years 1837-8 and 1S57-8 in financial and monetary matter?, but more can be presented in regard to the seasons.1 It was then, as now, feared that tho winter would mncli increase the Jby sical suffering among tbe poorer classes ; but tbe evil was averted by a winter as mild and as pleasant as the present one. Fuel and provi sions, such as coal, wood, and flour, fell - in price. The records inform ns that the month of December; 1887, was very mild and open ; no frost in theground ; Christmas pleasant and warm, and so continuing until the end of the year. ,,No snow for sleighing, except' on the 10th end 11th Dec;,' and then for but a short time. - January 1838, twenty years ago, was a remarkable winter month; the. weather, ex cepting the last two days, was nearly as mild as an Indian summer. No snow fell during the month, the thermometer averaging at 2 P. M. at forty degrees through the month ; and the succeeding months contradicted many wise remarks, such as we often bear, that "a warm winter brings a cold. spring "winter never rots in the sky," &c. - February was cold, with but little snow, there being fourteen clear days. March had but two snow-storms and much mud.-C April was variable, but tho temperature averaging a few degrees above thak of January. Tho -Hudson river opened and .closed .three times during the season, tbe last opening being about the 18th of March. Other rivers opened about the same time. Boston Transcript. :- A little boy aix years old, was killed in New York recently, by drinking brandy which bis toother' bad left in ft pitehr upon ber t-W- A aad warning to mother. . 1 . MESSAGE FR.O.U TIIE PRESIDENT. TBE LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION BEST TO CONGRESS . The President, on the 2d instant, communi cated the following message to Congress, and accompanied it with a copy of tho KansaJ (Lecompton) Constitution : - ,: ; - t To the Senate and House 0 Representative the United Slates: - I have received from J. Calhoun, EsqM pres ident of the late Constitutional Convention of Kansas, a copy, duly certified by himself, of the constitution framed by that body, with tb expression of a hopo that I would submit th same to the consideration of Congress,' wit!i the view of the admission of Kansas into th Union as an independent State.": In compli ance with this request, 1 herewith transmit to Congress, for their action, the. constitution of Kansas, with tho ordinance respecting tbe pub lic lands, as well as the letter of Mr; Calhoun, dated at Lecompton on tbe 14th ult., by which they were accompanied. Having received but a single copy of the constitution and ordi- nance, I send this to the Senate. ' - - - A great delusion seems to pervade tbe pub lie mind in relation to tbe condition of parties in Kansas. This arises from tbe difficulty of inducing the American people to realize tha fact that any portion of them should te in a state of rebellion against tbe government na dcr which they live. When we apeak of th aflairs of Kansas we are apt to refer merely to the existence of two violent political parties in that territory, divided on the question of slavery, just as we speak of such parties in tha States. This presents no adequate idea of tha true state of the case. The dividing line thera is not between two political parties, both ac knowledging tho lawful existence of the g ov eminent, but between those who are loyal tot this government and those who have endeav ored to destroy its existence by force and usur pation between- those who sustain and thosa who have done all in their power to overthrow the territorial government established by Con gress. This government they would long since have subverted had it not been protected lrom their assaults by the troops ol the U. States. -T , Such has been tbe condition ot affairs since my inauguration. 1 Ever since that period a large portion of the peoplo of Kansas have been in a state of rebellion against the govern ment, with a military leader, at their bead of a most turbulent- and dangerous character. They have never acknowledged, but have con stantly renounced and defied the government to which they owe allegirnce, and have been all the time in a state of resistance against its authority. : They have all the time been en deavoring to subvert it and to establish a rev olutionary governmen;, under the so-called Topeka constitution, in its stead. ' Even at this very moment the Topeka Legislature are in session. Whoever has read the correspon dence of Governor Walker. and the State De partment, recently conim.unicated to the Sen ate, will be convinced that this-pletnre is not overdrawn.' He always protested against the withdrawal of any portion ol tbe military force of tho United States from the Territory ,det-m-ing its presence absolutely necessary . for the preservation of the regular government and the execution of the laws.' In his very first dispatch to the Secretary of State, dated June 2. 18-37, he says : "The most alarming move ment,however,proceed3 from the assembling on the 9th of June of the so-called Topeka Le gislature, with a view to the enactment of an entire code of laws. Of course, it will be my cudeavor to prevent such a result, aa it would lead to inevitable and disastrous collision, and, in fact, renew civil war in Kansas.".' This was with difficulty prevented by the efforts of Gov. Walker; bnt scon thereafter, on the 14th of July, we finl him requesting General Harney to lurnisb him a regiment of dragoons to pro ceed to the city of Lawrence and this for the reason that he had received authentic intelli gence, vcrrified by bis own actual observation, that a dai.gerous rebellion bad occurrad, 'in volving au open defiance of the laws and the establishment of an insurgent government in thit city." ' ' : a In the Governor's dispatch of July 15th be informs the Secretary of State "that this movement at Lawrence was the beginning of a plan, originating in that city, to organize in surrection throughout the Territory j and es pecially in all towns, cities or counties where the republican party have a majority. Law. rer.ee is the hot-bed of all the abolition move ments in this Territory. It is tbe town estalv lished by the abolition societies of the East and whilst there are respectable people there, it is filled by a considerable number of mer cenaries who are paid by abolition societies to perpetuate and diffuse agitation throughout Kansas, and prevent a peaceful settlement of this question. Having failed in inducing their own so-called Topeka State Legislature to or ganize this insurrection, Lawrence has com menced it herself, and, if sot arrested, the re bellion will extend throughout the Territory.' And again : "In order to send this commu nication Immediately by mail; I mast ckna by assuring you that the spirt of rebellion perva des tho great mass of the republican party cf this Territory, instigated,' as I entertain no doubt they are, by eastern societies," having in view results most diaastrious to' the govern ment and to tho Union ; and that the coctina-' ed presence of Gen, Jlarney here is indispen sable, as originally stipulated by me, withe large body ot drasroons and several batteries.' On the 20th July,' 1857, Gen. Lane.' under the authority of the Topeka convention, nn dertook as Governor Walker .iaform; u"to organize tho whola so-called free State party into volunteers, and to take the names of all who refuse enrollment. The professed object is to protect the polls at the election in august ol the newiiisurgentTopekaStateLegislature , "Tho object ol taking tho names of all who refuse cnrollmebt is to terrify the free State conservatives into snbmission.-i: TlnV is pro voked by recent atrocities committed on each men by Topekaites. . The Fpeedy . location ol large bodies of. regular jtroops here,' with two batteries, is necessary. Tbe Lawrence insur gents await the development of this new Rev olutionary military oiganization,,iici"-to;'1'-ii - In the Governor's dispatch, of Jbly 27, he says that "Gen. Lane and his staff everjw here deny the authority of tbe territorial laws, and counsel a total disregard of these enactments." - Without making1 further -quotations ct 1 similar character lrom tbe other dispatches of Gov. Walker, it appears by a reference to Stanton's communication to Gen. Cass or the 6th December last, that the "important step of calling the Legislature together was taken after I he had become satisfied that the f- i J 3 i s I
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