They had scarcely established themselves, however, before another

Here is the piece written in the ancient, evocative style you requested:

“They had scarcely established themselves, however, before another company of Jackson county citizens, chiefly from around Independence, organized to drive them off.” — Cole Younger

In these solemn words, Cole Younger, the once-renowned outlaw turned philosopher of the plains, speaks not merely of an event, but of a cycle as old as mankind itself. The tale is not of a single company of men nor of one fateful encounter—it is the eternal rhythm of struggle, establishment, and expulsion. The moment one finds peace, another hand rises to disturb it. The settlers who sought rest in Jackson County were but a symbol of humankind’s fragile dominion over fate. They built homes upon the earth, but their roots had scarcely touched the soil before conflict came like a storm, sweeping away their hopes. Thus, the quote becomes more than history—it becomes prophecy, echoing through every age.

This line was born from the embers of the Missouri-Kansas border wars, a time when the soil itself seemed divided. Cole Younger, a son of that land, watched as neighbors turned against neighbors, as men of Independence gathered not to welcome the settlers but to cast them out. Their motives were many—fear, pride, vengeance, the madness of the age—but beneath it all burned one truth: humanity fears what is new, and the established heart of man often rises against the stranger. So it was then; so it has ever been.

In this struggle, one can hear the distant echo of another story—the tale of the Israelites in Egypt, or the pilgrims who fled across the sea to the New World. Each time, a people seeking peace is met with resistance, each time the oppressor finds reason to strike. Yet, as history has shown, those driven from one land often carry with them the fire to build another. Out of exile grows endurance, and from rejection, faith. What is denied to the body may yet be granted to the spirit.

Think of the Mormons, who sought refuge upon the American frontier. They too were cast out from Jackson County, driven across rivers and plains until they found their Zion in the deserts of Utah. The dust of their journey bears witness to the same truth Younger observed: those who seek to establish good must be ready to endure opposition. For where there is building, there will be breaking; where there is courage, there will be confrontation. It is the law of the earth, written not by kings or prophets, but by the very nature of struggle itself.

Yet, from this hardship arises a lesson of great strength. Do not curse the storm that comes upon your dwelling, for it is the wind that tempers the oak. Those settlers, though driven off, became part of a lineage of resilience; their suffering fed the roots of a future nation. And so must we, when cast from comfort or met with resistance, remember: we are not undone, but refined. The exile of one day is the strength of the next.

Let each soul take this wisdom to heart: when you seek to build—whether it be a home, a dream, or a better world—prepare your spirit for resistance. Do not despair when opposition comes, for it is the sign that your foundation is real enough to threaten the idle. Stand firm as they drive you, and if you must flee, carry your vision with you. Establish yourself anew, as did those before you, until the earth itself yields and peace abides for a time.

Thus, from Cole Younger’s weary words emerges not bitterness but a timeless truth: to create is to contend, and to hold fast amid adversity is the highest valor. Let your hands build, your heart endure, and your faith outlast the turning of men’s tempers. For though every settlement may be scattered, the spirit that builds can never be driven off.