The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-22 00:00:00

riE SUN. LO WIEDNESD OCTOBER 22, t 56,

election of the_.3oth of March, 1855, was con-
ducted t First, we learn that in the adjoining Slave
State, Missouri, a secret society had for some time
been in existence, generally known as the " Blue
Lodge," the avowed purpose of which was, by a
systematic organisation, to control the elections in
Kansas or elsewhere. By this agency miserable
bands of armed ruffians were poured into Kansas,
and, under the generalship of efficient leaders, so
distributed through the electoral districts as to
o utnumber and overcome the resident voters.,
Before starting on their disgraceful mission they
had been earnestly exhorted by their leader,
General STRONGFELLOW3 now the Speaker of the
soi disant Legislative Assembly of Kansas, to
" exterminate every scoundrel in any degree
tainted with freesoilism or abolitionism." Nei-
ther "to give nor take quarter," to enter every
election district in Kansas, and vote at the point of
the bowie-knife and the revolver. This wholesome
advice was carried out "au piedlalettre." Some
of that highly respectable (I) constituency clustered
about the polling places declaring that if they
were permitted to vote in peace there would be
no difficulty, but that they were determined to
vote, and that each one of them was " prepared
for eight rounds without loading, and would go
to the ninth round with the butcher-knife.'
It would be strange indeed if the judgment could
be very impartial under such circumstances. If
any impediment was raised—if the ordinary oath
of residence was directed, the obnoxious officer
was ejected from his seat with a revolver pressing
against his temples, and a bowie-knife, occasioning
a very unpleasing titillation fro on its close proximity
to his ribs, and another more pliable gentleman
selected in his place. Nor were they contented
with repudiating the oath themselves ; but they
required all bona fide voters to act in a similar
manner. The refusal to take the oath was the
test of orthodoxy, so far as the "domestic insti-
tution'' was concerned, and any failure in that
respect earned for the offender the obnoxious and
highly dangerous epithet of " nigger-worshipper."
Can we feel astonished at any result arrived at
under these circumstances ? In the 7th district
there were but 53 legitimate voters, but 597 were
recorded in favour of the Pro-slavery Candidate,
of whom but 20 were legal. In the 11th district
there were but 36 inhabitants, 24 only, being
adult males, entitled to the suffrage—but 215
votes were registered, 7 of which only had any
just claim to the privilege ; and although there
wers but 2,905.v0tes in the entire territory,
5,427 were recorded for the Pro-slavery Can-
didde.

And this was the election which President
Pow lent the whole of the executive authority
to ccnfirm (I), recognising the atrocious Code that
disfranchised every person who would not take a
solemn oath to support slavery ! What possible
chance of fair play was , there under such circum-
stances ? What chance could there 'be for any
person who ventured to differ from parties like
" the lighly respectable merchant from Weston,"
who was thundering forth his determination " to
bring spme one down," and brandishing the
weapons with which he could have carried his
sanguinary intentions into execution ? We fear
that similar attempts at fraud will be made at the
approaching Presidential elections. The matter
has now, hcwever, attained sufficient notoriety, and
the Northerns must be prepared for any extremity
that may be forced on them. Long impunity
has rendered the Southerns reckless. The Free-
Boilers can no longer submit to their dictation.
Patient acquiescence iu the evil will make them
participators therein- They must at last shake
off their apathy, if they desire to avoid the re-
proaches of all civilised nations.

The dreadful accident of Sunday night has
elicited, naturally, a great variety of opinions in
regard both. to the preacher and his friends.
Much blame and some commendation has been
bestowed upon both, but the truth of the case is
now becoming clear. All parties can, of course,
be wise after the event, but looking at all things
impartially, it is difficult to find just ground for
censure, if we except the reckless miscreants who,
whether from hostility to the doctrines of the
preacher, or to get up a row by which they might
profit, wickedly raised the cry which frightened
the vast multitude. We trust that they will be
discovered and brought to justice. The design
to disturb is now established beyond all doubt ;
bells were heard tinkling previously to the com-
mencement of the cry of "Fire !" and one gen-
tleman assures us that, sitting in the gallery, and
preserving his self-possession, and choosing, there-
tore, to withdraw amongst the last, he saw a
decently dressed man, whom he could identify,
walk along the gallery, smash every window he
came to, and at the same moment repeat the cry
of " Fire !" We hope, therefore, some of the
authors of this cruel mischief may yet meet the
due reward of their deeds. No.thing can excuse
their villany. Had they objected ever so much
to the preacher's doctrine, it might have partially
excused a half involuntary exclamation, but to
raise a cry which must drive thousands in a
deadly rush to the doors deserves any punish-
ment short of hanging, if, indeed, it does not
well deserve that.

We have long been witness to the crowds so
near us, who strove in vain to gain admission to
Taeter Hall to hear the popular young preacher,
hardly, we are informed, yet twenty-two years of
age. It was therefore natural that he and his
friends should wish to accommodate, if possible,
the thousands who thronged after him. It is not
in human nature, and certainly not in religious
heal, to reject admiring followers, and we ought
to give the young man, aad certainly the respect-
able tradesmen, several of them advanced in years,
who manage the chapel, credit for wishing to do
good to the thousands who we are constantly told
will go to no ordinary place of worship. Why
should we think that they engaged the Music
flail from any but the usual motives which
actuate human beings and religious men ? We
have inquired of respectable persons who were
present, and they inform us that up to the mo-
ment, during the prayer, when the bell was heard
to tinkle, and the cry of " Fire 1" was raised, no
worship they ever attended was conducted with
more solemnity and decorum ; that the singing of
the hymn by so many thousands of persons, in
so Vast a building, was peculiarly impressive ; and
that but for the intentional disturbance the effect
of the whole must have been all that could be
desired. We hardly think any one can be held
responsible for not conjecturing that any even of
the lowest roughs and rowdies could be found
wicked enough to hazard the lives of so many
persons, however willing they might have been to
annoy one whom they of course judged a fanati-
cal preacher.
One circumstance appears to have been over-
looked by most of our contemporaries, and to
have occasioned incorrect comments. The stairs
from the galleries, at one of which the chief acci-
dents occurred, were exterior to the main body
of the edifice. The consequence was that the
great majority within, those particularly who were
on the platform, with the preacher himself, did.
not know of thedisaster which had occurred at the