The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-01-03
FoRT LEAVENWoRIH,
Kansas Territory, Dec, 6, lS24.i

fCorrespondence OF The Baltimore Sdn.
FoKT LEAvEHwoRTH,
Kansas Territory, Dec, 6, 1924.
The election here on the 29th ult., for
delegate to Congress, occasioned high de-
gree of excitement. Gen. Whitfield, the
pro-slavery candidate, is said to have been
elected. You have, no doubt, been SO in
formed. So far as the number Of votes cast
in his favor may 90 TO give him the election,
he has IL; but Il the character Of those votes
has anything TO do With the result, he has
it not. He was not elected by tho people
Of Kansas. He is not their Delegate. He
was put upon the track by the people in
the State Of Missouri, aud put through the
ballot box in Kansas by the people Of that
State. Before the near approach OF the
time Of election no sign could be discerned
by the most observant indicating anything
else than the success Of the anti.slavery par
ty. itte y ~. g.
The Governor of the Territory, and alihis
personal and political friends, were on that
side, together with two out of every three
persons in all parts of the Territory. Bat
within day or two of the election, the. .coun-
try began to swarm with Missourians.-
They came over in crowds--some in wag-,
ons, others on horseback, and others yet on
foot They we're, for the most part, most
umseemly and reckless set or men. They
crossed the river in separate detachments at
different places along the border. They
seemed to be organized in separate parties,
under the command of particular leaders,
each party designed TO operate at specified
localities Thus, the polls-in every district,
except at Laurence and far up towards Fort
RILEY, were surrounded and taken possess
sion of the moment they were opened by
these insolent invaders. They threatened
and intimidated the judges; crowded out and
violently drove off all those who were sus-
pected of being in favor of any other can
ddate than their own, and put their own
votes into the ballot-box at the point of the
revolver. was myself present all day at
the Leavenworth polls, and can, therefore,
speak of the proceedings at that point from
personal knowledge. They were perfectly
Outrageous. The crowd of Missourians as
sembled eurly in the morning, and commenc-
ed operations by insisting on filling tenn
porary vacancy which had occurred in the
board of judges by electing man named
Burgess, a resident of Platte county, Mis-
souri,. The other judges protested against
the proposition, but yielded Immediately TO
the storm which theirresistence in a moment
provoked. They felt themselves in danger
of being ruthlessly murdered by the crowd.
This man from Missouri accordingly served,
from beginning to end, as one of the Judges
of the election in Kansas Territory.
/ During the entire day, persons were seen
coming over in the boats to the Missouri
side of the river to put in their votes; while
persons, actual residents of the territory
seeking in the most peaceable manner, to de-
post their ballots. were set on, charged with
being "abolitionists," and driven from tn
ground. They left IN many cuses, to avoid
the necessity of shooting down their assail-
1 ants. When | went up to vote, was ap'
proached by felo" who demanded to see
my ticket. refused, of course, to heed him;
whercupon | was Immediately crowded out
by some dozen persons, all working in con.
cert. They openly declared that none
should approach the 5allot-boX except those
who intended to vote for Whitfield. Tow
ards the close of the day, the violence
among the drunken rabble became SO grea
that the Judges grew alarmed for their safety
and closed the polls. Thus ended the frs
election in this district for delegate to Con
gress 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 be
ing residents of Missouri, and not residents
of Kansas. They declare their intention
TO do the same thing over again at every
election. General Stringfellow, promi
| - &c okW WJac
ton, who commanded the Leavenworth di
vision of this grand invading army, openl!
declared, that if it should become necessary
) the whole of Western Missouri would b.
emptied into Kansas, in order to make it
slave State.
What will be the result OF this business,
do not know. cannot think that Gen
; Whitfield will be admitted to a seat in tn,
House. The matter should, at least, b.
thoroughly investigated. We have ever,
: reason to believe that an extensive schem'
is on foot to make Kansas slave State b,
violent and illegal mans. 1t has been as
, serted that Senator Atchson, of Missouri
was not ignorant of this project; and that l
large fund has been raised by subscription
in the Southern States to carry it through
: If this be really so, and cannot doubt it, j
ought to awaken the Indignation Of the who'll
country. The Missouri Compromise wa
: not repeaedto give handful of the wors
specimen Of the population of Missouri til,
, power to control the destinies Of Kansas
/. but to establish the right Of the people o
the territories to govern themselves. fifth
be not accomplished, what has been game
by the repeal Of the Missouri Compromise
t Nay, if the repeal has but transferred III
n government of Kansas Territory from Con
gress to Senator Atchinson, and this ban
= Of secret conspirators, what has not bee
: lost thereby to the people of Kansas, as we
a as the country at Target stood by tn
/ Kansas. N ebraska bill, in an unpretendin
way, from first to last; because / regarde
it as establishing in the territories grei
], principle of free government; but if it col
e not be made to accomplish that object, o
in for a speedy restoration Of the Nilsson
= compromise; and this is the sentiment of e
= cry administration Democrat in Kansas wi
;! is aga inst the introduction of slavery.
came to Kansas under the profered guaral
y ties of the Kansas Nebraska act, relying {
the integrity of that act to have my vol
y and vote, as one of its citizens, felt in Il
" establishment of its local Institutions. B
y | find my just expectations thwarted-n
=, rights overslaughed and trampled under 70
at the very outset-by hordes funprincipi
invaders. This certainly cannot be allowe
n The Federal government must uphold Z
m laws. The provisions Of the Kansas-N
| sv,fa ,aA In