New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-12-12

member Of Congress from Penn.ylvsnia, ami
Consul 10 Denmark under Mr.. P0lk's Aimns
trstion, as candidate for delegate. Mf. john
A. Wakefield, who resides near Lawrence. aa-
noupced himself as candidate. Mr. w. is NJ
politician, but entertains Ffee-Soil views The
Pro Slavery Mis,ourisns insisted on dragging the
Slavery question into tho Issue, aud fell upon q
Gen. Whitfield, who was an old Iodan Agent.
and who does not live in the Territory at ALL Hs
resides in the town OF Independence. Missouri,
and Louis Napoleon would have about as much
legal right to represent Kansas in Congress.
must ssy that Gov. Reeder acted the part OF "A
honorable and honest man. and endesyored, BY
every means in his power. to have the election
fairly conducted. lie appointed the best sad
most reliable men he could find as Judges, with
instructions to put upon oath sill who were sus
pected Of coming into the territory for the mere
purpose of voting. The territory was divided
into nirett en- districts.
happened to be in Wes.port u to En only three
miles from the river. ana the same distance from
the Kansas line, the Sunday aud Monday previsas
to the election, and cav all that was going on IL
that quarter. During the whole Of Sunday. per-
sons passed through that town in companies Of
from two to thirty, in buggies, wagons. on hOrse-
back and on mules. Most of them csmo pro-
vided with the institutions peculiar to the country
pistols, bowie knives, aud whisky and were
not at all choice in their language. particularly
when speaking of those who dared to differ with
them in opinion. Many of them registered their
names at the hotels as residing at all the towns
on the Missouri side Of the river, and opealy
laughed at the idea of ever making their hones
In the Territory. On Monday morning, shis tide
of emigration recommended and continued
throughout the day. Every vehicle that had
wheels to run, and every animal that had legs to
60, were brought into requsition to carry thee
''free and Independent voters to the polls, and
by Monday evening there were scarcely mea
enough left in the town to take care Of the we
men and children. Nearly the whole male Popu
la.ion, including lawyers doctors, editors land
lords, merch ants and loaers all had gone over to
Kansas, to show by their presence their approval
and appreciation of the great principle Of popular
sovereignty 4" Most of these gentlemen went toa
point known as One Hundred and Ten" to cast
their votes and when the return from that district
was received it showed poll Of over sir hundred
votes-and all for Whitfeld-when every man Ia
Kansas knows that there are not over fifty legal
voters in the district. During this emigration
the whisky trade was quite brisk at Westport. I
heard one of the grocers say h, had sold eighty
gallons on Monday. At least five hundred mea
passed through Westport in these two days.
On election day, l happened to be in the neigh.
borhOod Of Leayenw0rth, and walked down 10
the POLAND may the Lord preserve me from
ever witnessing another such exhibition Of "pop-
'ular sovereignty" The toya Of Weston. six
miles above Fort Leavenworth-is the head.
quarters in that region of the Missouri tribe,
and the ferry across the Missouri is about half
way between that town and the Fort. At least
three hundred men crossed the ferry that morn.
ing. and passed through the Fort grounds down
to the place Of voting. As soon as the poll
opened, the window was taken possession Of By
a party of thirty or forty uiiins, who stood
there until night, cursiDg, swearing, and brow.
beating every man who dared to vote against |
Whitfield. They were armed to the teeth, and
determined to vote at all hazards, regardless Of
gil honor, law and justice Not even the sanctity I
out their purposes. Iheard men openly proclaim,
with the fumes Of bad whisky issuing fro n their
throats, and with the name of the great Jehovah
on their lips that the had "sworn to all that was
asked Of them;" and heard one Of the Judges
who held the election declare that "some Of
"them came up and swore that they lived in
Kansas, and intended to make it their perms
"nent home who no more intended to leave :
missouri than they intended going to Egypt
Drunkenness and fighting were the order Of
day; stones were thrown and pistols fired through
the window into the room occupied by the officers;
into their room, threatening personal violence
and the destruction of the house, if they per
sisted in swearing their men and rejecting their
votes Those who were suspected Of not belong
ing to the faithful, were denounced as ID
AbolitiOnists" and in several instances ttey
were demanded to {" show their tickets" In the
afternoon, their courage and spuDk increased
with the quantity Of whisky nlbibed; and those
who had possession Of the window openly swore
that "no man should r0te that day unless 10 rOts9
''for Hhnyied." BY this species of intmds
ton and violence were the real settlers driven
away from the polls; and l saw more than .
dozen leave the ground without voting, rather
than risk their lives and limbs.
Now, / was merely traveller through Kansas
intending to return to my home here in New
York; but blusbed for the honor Of my COM
try and its institutions, to think that such scena
i A .ne..