The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-04-28
and z. r. Reess for Council W. n.
Tibbs, for House of Representatives, who
are accordingly declared elected,
rremorializing congress.

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MemoTializing Congress
The following memorial is in cireula-
ton for signatures in various parts of the
Territory. and is being signed by nearly
every legal voter to whom tits presented
We commend this statement of facts
which no man dare gainsay-to our read
ers as themost replete with informationo oi
any statement which has been submitted
to the public.
3 Persons wishing copies ofthe memorial
/ for circulation can obtain them Of HuGH
CAMERON, Esq, Of this city. TO whom they
should be returned when signed. TO be
| forwarded to Washington.
To the 1Ssndte and Hossse of Represen-
tatipes IN Congress assembled The
memorial of the subscribers, citizens and
residents of-the Territory of Kansas, re-
speetfuliy represents -
That state of things exists in said
Territory, unparalleled, as we believe, in
the history of our country, and which il
becomes our solemn duty to lay before
you, and through you, before our fellow
citizens of the United States: Under the
guarantees of your law for the organiza-
ton of this Territory, and in eonsidera-
/ ton of the privileges which that law held
out to us, we left our former homes, met
the priyations ofan uninhabited country,
and prepared for adding another republic
to our Union. The right Of civil and
religious liberty-the right of suffrage
and self-government were set up as the
beacon lights which beckoned us on. As
freen1en we were invited, as freemen we
came, and as freemen we expected to live.
But we address you now as an outraged
and subjugated people, disfranchised and
enslaEed, stripped of our dearest rights,
and governed by a set of masters. foreign
to our soil, and responsible only to theiI
own lawless viii. One of the States Of
our Union, strong in wealth, population
and resources. relying upon her accumu.
lated strength of almost half a century,
and taking advantageof our feeble infan-
cy as people, has invaded our soil, seiz-
ed upon our rights, subiugated our Ter
ritory, and selected for US our rulers; in
tending, also, to dictate our laws, and
make US the slaves of their will This
may well seem an almost an incredible
thing in the nineteenth century, and in
this Republican Union-the peculiar and
boasted land of liberty and self-govern.
ment-but the evidence of it's as palpa-
BILE and undeniable as the fact is bitter
and mortifying to us, and disgraceful to
the public. This invasion of our sol
and u, u-pation of our rights commenced
al the frstmoment of calling thoserights
into action. The first ballet-box tina
was opened on our virgin soil, was closed
Ito US by overpowing numbers apd i'm
pending force. 1t became, not what true
,Amerieans have been proud to designate
it, the exponent of the peoples will, bu
was converted into the sword of the
toppressor to strike at civil liberty. s.
bold and reckless were our invaders tina
they cared not to conceal their attack
They came upon US, not in the guise 0
voters, to steal away our franchise, bu
boldly and openly, to snatch it with the
strong hand. They came directly from
their own homes, and in compact and or
ganized bands, with arms in hand anC
provisions for the expedition, marched t.
our polls, and when their work was done
returned whence they came. 1t is un
necessary to enter into the details; it il
enough to say that in three districts, il
which, by the most irrefragible evidence
there were not 150 voters, most OF whom
refused to participate IN this mockery 0
the elective franchise, these invaders poll
ed over thousand votes. Loving ou
country and its Institutions, we were
willing, if this was to be only solitary
instance, to suffer it In silence, rather thar
to proclaim to the world that even in thi'
remote spot of our great country clyi
liberty was but a name. Bitter an6
mournfal experience has taught US, how
ever, that this was no isolated act-nc
temporary ebulition-but the commence
ment of well-matured and settled plan
lby a large portion of the people of ont
of the States of cur Union, permanently
to enslave US, and constitute themselye:
our masters.
On the 3oth day of March last we were
: again invited to the ballot-box, under tht
law which we, in common with our fel
low citizens of the States, had, through
your BODY, enacted. Our vigilant anC
faithful Chief Magistrate had surrounded
| it with. all the guards and precaution'
with which. his authority invested him
aud we were prepared to exercise The
dearest and most cherished privileges o
American citizens, with full sense o
the vital and interesting importance o
this peculiar occasion. The occasion
came. and with it invading and self
constituted masters In thousands, and witt
all the paraphernaha of war. They came
4 organized in bands. with officers, ant
arms, and tents, and provisions, and mn
nitions of war, as though they were march
| inc upon foreign foe, instead of thei
own unoffending fellow-citizens. Upos
the principal road leading into our Fesri
tory and passing several important polls
they numbered not less than twelve hun
| dred men, and one camp alone contained
mot less than six hundred. They arriveC
/ at their several destinations the night be
/ fore theelection, and having pitched thei
camps and placed their sedtries. waitet
. for the coming day. Baggage wagons
twere there, with arms and ammunition
fenough for a psotracted fight, and amoas
them two brass field-pieces, ready ycharg
, led. They came with drums beating ant
, flags flying, and their leaders wereof til,
most prominent and conspicuous men o
their State.
i In the morning they surrounded th,
polls. armed with guns, bowie knives
and revoIvers. and declared their deter
. mination to vote at. all hazards, and il
f spite of all consequences. If the Judge
Eceuld be made to subserye their purposes
I Il 4 Z