Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-05-22

property and life. If control of the polls t
could not be had otherwise the Judges I
were by intimidation, and il necessary ,
by violence, prevented from performing I
their duty; or, if unyieldng in this re.
spect, were driven from their post and {
The vacancy filed, in form by the per.
sons on the ground anil whenever by {
any means they had obtained the con.
tro! Of the Board, the foreign v1c was
promscously poured in without caro- to
conceal its nefarious illcgality.
At one Of these polls, two of the
Judges having manfully stood up in the
face Of this armed mob and declared
they would do their duty, one portion of
the mob commenced 10 tear down the
house, another proceeded to break in
ths door Of the Judges room, while
others, with drawn knives, posted them.
selves a! the window, with the proclaim.
cd purpose OF killing any voter who
would allow himselfto be sworn. Voters
wer, drasgsl from the window because
they would not show their tickets or
vote a! the dictalion Of the mob, and the
invaders declared openly at the polls
that they would cut the throats Of the
Judges if they did not receive their votes
without requiring an oath as to their
residence. 1
The room was finally forced, and the
Judges surrounded by an armed and ex.
cited crowd, we're offered The alternatives
OF resignation OF death, ami five minutes
were allowed fol their decision. The
bal!ot.5ox was seized, and and shouts
Of "Hufah for Missouri" was carried
into the mob. The two menaced Judges
then left the ground, together with all
the resident citizens except few who
acted 10 tho outrage, because the result
Expected from it confofmoI to their
} views, and because it enabled the few
to rule the many. When an excess of
, the foreign forcs was found to be had at
ono poll, detachments were sent TO otheIs
where it was supposed they might be
needed.
, As tho polls adjoining the one above
| alluded to, one Of the judges, minister
g of the Gospel who refused to accede to
the demands Of a similar mob Of some
p. four hundred armed and organized men.
It was driven by violence from his post,
}. and tho vacancy" filled by themselves.
5 Threats and violent demonstrations were
d rife, and another clergyman, for the ex.
q precision Of his opinion, was assaulted
1t and beaten. The inhabitants Of the dis
10 trict, powcrless to resist the abundan
|, supply OF arms and ammunition, tht
lie organized preparation and the over
20 whslming number Of these foreigners
at left tho polls without voting.
In the Lawrence District, where wa
Sc the largest camp Of these invaders
Q, speeches were made to them by leading
tn residents Of Missouri, in which it wa
M said they would carry their purpose
I'd need be at tho point Of the bayonet an
If the bowie.knife, and one voter was fire
n, at as he was driven from the clectio
ir ground. Finding they had a create
ey force than was necessary for that pol
to some Two hundred men were drafted fror
in their number and sent Of under the
'st proper officers to another district, aftc
ne which they still polled from this cam
IN over seven hundred votes.
OF In tho Fourth and Seventh Distrl'
srs along the Santa Fe road, similar scene
we're enacted. The invaders came t
'us ge,her in one armed and organized bod
NY with trains Of fifty wagons, beside hors
ice men, and the night before election pltc
nat ed their camp in the vicinity Of Il
eat polls, and having appointed their ov
- Judges in place Of those who from
has ,imidetion or otherwise failed TO atte
no they voted without any proof OF re
= dence. In ,hese two election distric
ma where the census show one hundI
ion voters, there were polled three hundl
oil and fourteen votes, and last fall sev
US hundred and sixty.fve votes, although
crs' large portion Of the actual residents
we not vote upon either occasion. In
'ox, Sixteenth Election District hundreds
non men came together as in other cas-
had crossing the river from Missouri the {
liant before election and encamping tcsntt
sur, armed and provisioned made the derc
and threats against the lives Of the JUDI
IN and during the night called several til
to at the house Of one of them for the
shed pose of ntimdating him, declaring
IN the presence Of his wife that rope
sting been prepared to hang him; and
N. though we are not prepared to say
came these threats would have been car
sters out, yet they served to produce his
pher' signa,ion, and give these invaders
ed IN the substitution, control of the pc
.ents' and on the morning Of the electlo
wall steamboat brought from the tow
on Weston, Missouri, to Leavenworth
iend.. accession to their number olseveral
clpal dred more who returned in the I
pass boat after Gepositing their votes: l
num- were over nine hundred and fifty
men, polled, beside from ono hundred to
t less hundred and fifty actual residents
we're deferred or discouraged nom v
de'' while the census returns shows but
ction, hundred and eighty five votes in
, and district month later. Not less
, COM six hundred votes were hero give
there the non.residents Of the Territory
! for q voted without being sworn as to
NJ two qualifications and Immediately aft
They election returned to Missouri--so
,gs fly them being the incumbents OF imp
e most public Offices there. Indeed. so
Of their sos thu character of this foreign