The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-11-14
Extract Of a Letter from Kansas
LEAvENwoRTH, K. T.,
October, Is, 1855.

Territory for the last three weeks We
have had three within that time-two for
Delegates to Congress, anG one to fix the
county seat in this county. These elections
have deeply interested the citizens of the
| Territory-to say nothing about those of
Missouri, and the crest of mankindn
Gen Whitfield received at the election
held on the lst Monday of the month (un-
der the law of the famous Kansas Missouri
Legislature) 2,760 votes. No one here
doubts that at least one thousand of these
votes were cast by nonresidents, Indians, &c.
Indeed many contend, with great plausibil-
II ity, that he did not receive over 1000 le-
gal votes. The citizens keep a sharp eye
on these things. They begin to feel they
have rights in our elections that must and
shall be respected. They arc carefully
icanvassing the poll books, everywhere,
with view to satisfy the next Congress
of the exact number of legal votes he did
receive. They are in earnest in the mat
ter now and determined to satisfy those
who have right to know, that large
majority of the actual citizen of the Ter
ritory are in favor of its being a free State.
No man, here, whose opinion Is worth
anything, would hazard his reputation by
asserting that the friends of slavery are
in the ascendant Candid pro-Slavery
men concede this
But the question is left no longer in
doubt since the election held on the Sec
ond Tuesday Of this month, under what
we call here, the peoples convsntion. The
whole returns of this election have not yet
been received, but those from % out of
51precincts or townships, show that Gov.
Reeder received 2135 votes, and the re-
turns from the balance of the Territory
will undoubtedly increase his votes to up
wards of three MouSond-thus beating
Whitfield several hundred votes, including
Missourians, Indians and all! 1t will be
remembered that the at Reeder election no
one was permitted to vote who had not
been resident of the Territory thirty days
before the election-thus excluding any
possibility of unfairness in this respect
''Some curious developments were bro't
out by these elections as compared with
that held for members of the Legislature
this spring. For instance, at the spring
election the pro Slavery candidates re-
ceived at this place over eight hthundred votes,
and at Lawrence eight hundred and seyen-
ty-esght-at the recent Congressional cleo
tion Whitfield received here 239-and at
Lawrence .foTty-teco votes. Now, either
there has been a very rapid emigration of
the pro Slavery men, from Lawrence and
Leavenworth, since the spring election,
or there was an enormously large bogus
vote polled at both places on that occa-
sion! Reeder received at Lawrence 525
votes and at Leavensworth 503 votes.
"But we have had third election in
this county, for the purpose of fixing the
county seat which has produced some
rich developments, in connection with this
matter of non residing, or Missouri voting,
and has caused no little annoyance to the
pro Slavery men in this vicinity.
'There were three or four contestants
for the county seat-Leavensworth, Della
ware, and Kickapoo. The Leavenworth-
ers had no fears of the result at this cleo
ton, inasmuch as they had more bona tfde
voters than all the rest of the county put
to together. They voted 725 votes-all
of which, by the way, were undoubtedly
legal-in favor of Leavenworth as the
county seat. You may imagine a perfect
surprise of our good denizens, to learn
that Delaware, having few cabins in the
so-called city, and not exceeding sixty le-
gal voters in the the township, rolled up
EIGHT HUNDRED AND NINETY SEVEN VOTES
in favor of erecting the county seat there!
while kickapoo, voted EIGHT HUNDRED
AND THIRrY-EIGHT VOTES for that place as
the county seat! Kickapoo, at the Whit
field election, had polled Isl votes--many
ofwhom were Missourians--an Delaware
239; two thirds of this number were of
the same interesting class of people,
Even the pro Slavery men regarded
this as too much Of a good thing! The
Herald (the pro Slavery organ here)
speaks of the matter as if it had never
heard of Missouri Intervention in the Ter
ritory before. 1t deprecates their inter
ference as much unjustifable in "a merely
local question:" hopes for the sake of 'the
cause" it may not be repeated, and most
sturdily speaks out its determination to
have this election contested. 1t has
long and lacrymose article on the subject,
in which it quotes handbills and the bor-
der newspapers of Missouri to prove that
the whole programme was arranged in
advance; that the inducement of free fer
ries to both places was held out--that a
Public Barbecue was offered at one of the
places, Cotillion Party at the other, and
that Coz. Shannon was booked for speech
at both! In fact, every thing that could
be made to d,a,o, was resorted to ,by our
ingenious and public-spirited neighbors
over the river!
"Do you wonder,in view of such things
thata strong, not to say bitter, anti-slavery
feeling prevails among all respectable and
fair-minded men in this Territory? Much
of this feeling is the result of the rash
and ill devised measures Of the pro-slavery