The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-04-26

nous, as each new development of its details
comes to view. We compile from various
sources still further illustrations of the beauties
of squatter sovereignty, and of the soundness
of the opinions of Mr.. Everett, Senator Badger
and other distinguished persons, that Kansas
had no chance of being slave State. The
testimony which these scenes bear to the char
acter of that Northern treachery practiced by
Pierce, Douglas, Toucey, Il Co., in the passage
of the Nebraska BILL is so conclusive and damn
ing as to require no word of comment. We
extract from the Herald Of Freedom
The Voting at Lawrence.
In this district, where the late census report
indicates but 369 voters, the election shows
there were 1909 votes polIed = nearly three
times as great number as legitimately belong
ed here; and vet large number Of our actual
residents, and particularly those from a dis
lance, did not exercise their right to the elect
i've franchise, as they found they could not do
so without endangering their lives. The free
State strength in this district is full five to one,
and yet the Pro-Slavery ticket has majority
of more than three to one.
Mr. Edwin Bond, who went to vote in the
morning, was forcibly elected from the ground,
and pursued by an angry crowd to the bank of
the river, with curses and threatenings of de-
struction, and compelled to jump down the de-
clivity, when revolver was discharged at him,
and ball narrowly escaped his head. He
ran along the beach, and finally escaped I'M
scathed.
Voters Armed.
We repaired to the polls about ten o'clock in
the morning, but retired, on the assurance of
numerous friends that we were In great per-
sonal danger, thinking it best to defer our
RIO az am oil 70 LATE
when it was hoped better order would prevail.
AT about four o'clock we again visited the polls,
and discharged our duties as freeman without
molestation. 1t was the first time we ever ap-
peared Mt the ballotbox with an instrument of
Defence and we trust it will be the last time it
will be necessary to be guarded with retinue
of friends, each provided with bowie knives and
revolvers, besides having several of the latter
instruments about our own person, ready for
immediate use.
The Voting at Tecumseh.
After it was satisfactorily ascertained that
the number of persons imported into Lawrence,
from Missouri, was greater than the occasion
demanded a company of two hundred was de-
tached from the main body, and took up their
line of march for Tecumseh, with the view of
overbalancing the large number of free voters
in that district, a majority of whom are located
at Topeka. They arrived at their destination
in time to participate in the fraud there prac-
ticed upon the ballot-box. When they had ac-
complished the object of their mission, they re-
turned in body to their encampment near
Lawrence, where they remained till Saturday
morning, when they took their final departure
for Missouri.
Mr.. Burgess, one of the judges appointed By
the Governor, was violently threatened; pis
FOL t1rna 10 foo oil
Hourished over his head, till finally he was COM
PEELED to proclaim the election adjourned.
The mob then selected new board, with two
drunken secretaries, who took possession of the
ballot-boY, and allowed no person to approach
it unless he was right on the Goose question"
a slang phrase used among the Missourians,
implying they are in favor of extending the in
stitution of Slavery over Kansas.
No questions were asked the voter as to his
citizenship or place of residence; no oath was
administered, or other test required, save an
assurance of support to the Pro-Slavery ticket
An aged gentleman, who felt disposed to ex-
ercise the privileges conferred upon him by the
laws and Constitution, approached the ballot
box, when he was offered Pro-Slavery vote
He remarked that he did not vote that ticket,
when some one knocked off his hat, another
cuffed him, while a third applied the boot, and
q bullet through him unless he left instdnter.
The friends of Freedom, finding themselves
borne down by the invaders, quietly retired
from the polls and we are assured no free
State votes, other than three or four, were cast
in that district, though that party was largely
in the ma ority, while the Pro-Slavery marau-
ders from Missouri polled between four and five
hundred.
The late census returns showed that, thus
far, every election district in the Territory was
settled by large majority of voters from the
free States, and that, if left to the ordinary
course of things, the Legislative Assembly of
the Territory would be unit upon the subject
of human rights.
Election Carried with Cannon.
Correspondence of the New York Tribunel
ST. LOUIS, april 10, 1855.
The Kansas election has resulted in favor of
Slavery. The voters were citizens of Missouri.
They marched with cannon from Westport, in
Missouri, to the town of Lawrence. These men
were loaded with small arms. They took vio-
lent possession of the polls, which they held in
military array until they felt assured that their
ticket would succeed-and then they returned
to Missouri.
The election was held on Friday, March 80.
Thursday, at noon, the day before, an armed
| cavacade, which claimed to be 5000 strong,
preceded by two cannon mounted, and by
wagon loaded with whisky-this whole mill
tary array, armed with deadly weapons, and led
| by Col. Young, left Westport, in Missouri, for
the avowed purpose of controlling the elections
in Kansas. They had about forty miles to travel
to reach Lawrence; but the roads were dry,
| and they proceeded to Waukarusa Creek seven
miles from Lawrence, before they camped
About 900 went to Lawrence, and marched up
to the polls, armed, and took possession of the
ground. They swore they were citizens of the
Territory, and that it was bona fde their inten-
| ton to remain there. This oath each Nilsson
rian took before he voted, and then they all
started back to their homes in Missouri that
same evening. The legal voters, seeing that
the election was wholly managed by foreign
interlopers, did not many of them vote at ALL
There are very few slaves or slave-owners in
the Territory. The owners dare not yet take
slaves there. Their newspapers, and the Sla-
very men, talk much of the thousands who are
crowding into the Territory; but it is all false.
They have only been there long enough to vote,
and there is no danger of their going there to
take their slaves. The conduct of these Mis-
sourians greatly retards the settlement of the
Territory, but it does not advance the Slave In.
terest in the least. On the other hand, it is
opening the eyes of thousands to the true char
acter of Slavery, which, but for some such mani
festation, would remain closed forever.
The Kansas Pioneer has the following en-
coursgement for the slave-drivers:
Persons need not feel alarmed in bringing
their slaves to Kansas. This will be a slave
State as certain as two and two make four
We would therefore say to our friends at a dis
lance, who have been making inquiries in re
gard to the safety of bringing slaves here, tc
bring them along, and emigrate at once. The