"We can tell the impertinent scoundrels of the Tribune that they may exhaust an ocean of ink, their Emigrant Aid Societies spend their millions and billions, their representatitves in Congress spout their heretical theories till doomsday, and His Excellency Franklin Pierce appoint abolitionist after free-soiler as our Governor, yet we will continue to lynch and hang, to tar and feather, and drown every white-livered abolitionist who dares to pollute our soil." John Stringfellow, editor, Atchison Squatter Sovereign, May ?, 1855.

"If we for a moment thought that a drop of Yankee blood ran through our vein, we should let it out even though our life were sacrificed in do doing...We go in for a war of extermination against the lawless nullifiers and negro-stealers now infesting this Territory, and when occasion offers, we will show our love for Northern blood by causing it to flow in profusion to enrich our soil." Robert S. Kelley, junior editor, Atchison Squatter Sovereign, August, 1855.

"We do not fully approve of sending these criminals back to the East to be reshipped to Kansas - if not through Missouri, through Iowa and Nebraska. We think they should meet a traitor's death, and the world could not censure us if we, in self-protection, have to resort to such ultra measures. We are of the opinion, if the citizens of Leavenworth City or Weston would hang one or two boat loads of abolitionists it would do more toward establishing peace in Kansas than all the speeches that have been delivered in Congress during the present session. Let the experiment be tried." Robert S. Kelley, junior editor, Atchison Squatter Sovereign, 1856.

"War to the knife and knife to the hilt...Let the watchword be 'Extremination, total and complete.'" Atchison Squatter Sovereign.

From Thomas Goodrich, "War to the Knife: Bleeding Kansas, 1854-1861," (Stackpole Books, 1998)