The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-01-20

souri, side Of the river to put in their
votes; while persons, actual residents Of
the Territory, seeking, in the most peace
able manner, 10 deposit their ballots, were
set on, charged with being abolition
ists," and driven from the ground. They
left, in many cases, TO avoid the necessity
Of shooting down their assailants. When
| went up TO vote, was approached by
fellow who demanded to see my ticket
/ refused, course, TO heed him; where
upon was Immediately crowded out by
some dozen persons, all working in con-
cert. They openly declared that none
should approach the ballot-box, except
those who intended to vote for Whitfield.
Towards the close ofthe day, the violence
among the drunken rabble became SO
great that the judges grew alarmed for
their personal safety. and closed the polls.
Thus ended the first election in this dis
triet for Delegate to Congress from the
Territory of Kansas.
No pretext whatever is offered By these
people to excuse or Justify their conduct.
On the contrary, they make no secret of
their being residents of Missouri, and MOI
residents of Kansas. They declare their
intention to do the same thing over again
at every election. Gen. Stringfellow,
promi:lent politician of Missouri, residing
ut Weston, who commanded the Leaven-
worth division of this grand invading
army, openly declared that if it should
become necessary, the whole of Western
Missouri would be emptied into Kansas,
in order to make it a slave State.
What will be the result of this business
| do not know. cannot think that Gen
eral Whitfield will be admitted to seat
in the House The matter should, at
least, be thoroughly investigated. We
have every reason to believe that an ex-
tensiye scheme is on foot to make Kansas
slave State by violent and illegal means.
1t has been asserted that Senator Atchi-
son, of Missouri, was not ignorant of this
project, and that large fund had been
raised by subscription in the southern
States to carry it through. If this be
really so, and I cannot doubt it, it ought
to awaken the indignation of the whole
country. The Missouri compromise was
not repealed to give to handful of the
worst specimens of the population of Mis-
souri, the power to control the destinies
of Kansas, but to establish the right of
the people of the Territories to govern
themselves. If this be not accomplished,
what has been gained by the repeal of
the Missouri compromise 7!
Nay, if the repeal has but transferred
the governance of Kansas Territory from
Congress to Senator Atchison and this
band of secret conspirators, what has not
been lost thereby to the people of Kansas
as well as the country at large? stood
by the Kansas-Nebraska bill, in an un-
pretending way, from first to last, because
l regarded it as establishing in the Terri
tories great principle of free govern
ment but if it cannot be made to accom-
plish that object, l am in for a speedy
restoration of the Missouri compromise
and this is the sentiment of every admin
istration Democrat in Kansas who is
against the introduction of slavery.
/ came to Kansas under the proffered
guarantees of the Kansas Nebraska act,
relying on the integrity of that act to
have my voice and vote, as one of its cit
izens, felt in the establishment of its local
institutions. But l find my just expecta-
tons thwarted-my rights oyerslaughed
and trampled under foot at the very out
set-by hordes of unprineipled invaders.
This certainly cannot be allowed. The
Federal government must uphold the
laws. The provisions of the Kansas-Ne-
braska act must be maintained in good
faith. The honest masses of the Demo
cratic party, and all other parties through
cut the country. expect it-demand it /;
and cannot believe that those in author
i;y have any disposition to disappoint
them. NJ. +. C.