Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-06-23
From the Chicago Times of the l7tt
The Kansas Election.

| The following letter, received by gentleman
of this city from friend living in Kansas has
been handed us for publication;
LEAvENwoRrH CRY, May 23d, 1855.
| returned To this city day before yesterday, in
order TO be present at the elections, which came
oil yesterday, of which | now propose to give
| you an impartial and plain unvarnished account
Most of the accounts and letters sent from Kan
sas are very much exaggerated, being written by
designing persons, either for political purposes,
or TO bring some unmerted place into notice by
representing the politics, prospects, and location
OF all other places very untavorabiy, and exalt-
ing to the skies their own particular favored CEN
tire of creation. The politics and the prospects,
as well as the cities of Kansas, have been spoken
OF through the press and otherwise in a manner
that has produced considerable misrepresentation.
believe that people living as far away as Chi
cage have very few correct ideas of Kansas, or
OF the dongs out here. ! cannot see how it is
possible for them to have correct notions, Judging
from the accounts of the public prints--particu-
larry those that favorable to or interested in
the emigrant aid societies. Many persons no
doubt have seen and conversed with individuals
who have returned, but they should bear in mind
that they are either persons who interested IN
inducing emigration to Kansas, or they are those
who have spent a very short time in the country,
and have returned dissatisfied after viewing but
small portion Of these extensive territories, and
that, too, in most unfavorable time, when every
thing presented its worst phase--consequ
they could not be expected, as general thing,
to give impartial accounts to form correct ideas
of the country, its resources, or its prospects.
At all events, | am sure i had but very few cor
rect ideas of Kansas until after had been here
sometime.
As this was to be the contested election, the
discordnnt elements would necessarily be all
thrown together on that day. had heard be-
fore coming here, and presume you have heard
the same, of elections being carried by Bowie
knives, revolvers, and cannon, in the hands of
| drunken desperadocs and rutfians, and very nat
urally supposed these articles were usually the
only arguments used in settling political ques-
| tons and other vexatous matters, and that there
would undoubtedly be considerable to be Seen be-
fore the day was over.
I With these impressions, amounting almost to
convictions, arrived on the ground at o'clock.
| found some 800 or 900 men already in town,
and still crowding in from all parts of the sur
rounding country, in wagons, on mules, horses,
| and on foot. i saw no hostile demonstrations,
but all were circulating promscuously together.
Everybody seemed very. good-natured and APP
| peared to feel remarkably fine. The election
was held in one end Of u one-story frame build
ing about the centre of the town, the other end
OF which was kept as saloon or grocery, with
the sign of big lion over the door. There was
very little crowd around the polls, but quite
number of men were stationed about, who acted
as kind of police, to keep order and dispense the
crowd IT 1T should become necessary. Every
one who had not voted was frequently solicited to
come up and vote, and rote just the ticket he
thought proper. Everything passed off quietly,
and, strange to say, everybody kept sober, which
is very far from what has been the case on other
days. There was considerable drinking in the
sa loon through the day, and some got about half
cor,led before night Once in the course of the
afternoon 3 or men got into dispute and
kind of pull-hair fight, but they all belonged to
cannons displayed, and there were none on the
ground. 1t was one of the most quiet and peace
able elections | ever witnessed, where there was
SO large crowd, and that, too, where there was
no restraining influence.
| saw crowd Of 50 or rs men about quarter
OF mile off, sitting under some shade trees on
hill, in the afternoon. | went up to them, and
asked what going on They said they were
Missourians, and that they had supposed the free
sellers and aboltionsts would gather in from
other districts in order to carry the election in
this, whose votes they intended TO offset by vo-
ting against them in case they did, but as they
had NOT they should 60 home very soon, without
taking any part or going any nearer the polls
than they then were.
About twelve o. clock the steamer Kate Cassel
came up. This boat is Just round from the Ohio
river, most of the officers, crew, and passengers
came up and voted, polling the freesoil and
abolition ticket. There is no mistake about this,
objected TO their voting, any man who is a
citizen, and who happens to be in Kansas at an
election is entitled to d vote and he can leave in
| half an hour afterwards if he wishes.
| AT present there is no law in Kansas regula-
| ting citizenship.
When the bill organizing the Territories of
Kansas and Nebraska was introduced in Con-
| gress there clause in the bill requiring a
man to be in the Territory thirty days TO gain
4 residence, but that clause was stricken out by
the northern members of that body, who sup
| posed il would give them great advantage over
4 southern States as the northern emigration would
move so much quicker than southern, and could
vote at the first elections before the southerners
could get there. They have been badly beaten
at their own game.
/ | see accounts in the Tribune and other abe
lition sheets of 'bordcr ruffians" and 'despera-
does" coming into Kansas in strong force
armed with pistols, guns, and cannon, and camp
| ing out in tents, until after election, and then
many taking their line of march back. As to
/ going back, many have done so, and many more
will before next fall; but notice that two thirds
| of those going back eastern emigrants.
/ Seven took the boat this morning bound for
i Massachusetts and other eastern States to my
certain knowledge, after waiting there for three
days to vote at the election. As to camping in
| tents, | should like to know what they expect
people coming here now TO camp or live in, I'M
less they live in tents or wagons. i don't know
as it is any unusual thing for people emgrating
to wild unsettled territories TO take gun with
| them, and the eastern emigrants no more ex-
onpt than the western, for | notice they all have
guns when they arrive. As for cannon being
brought here TO elections, that is positively false,
Notwithstanding Governor Reeder's remarks 10
the contrary. If it is not, am sadly mistaken,
for have never been able to find man in all
my travels who has ever seen cannon in Kan
sas except in the forts.
You perhaps beginning to think that /
have gone over, soul and body, to the South.
You can think what you please, but can assure
you that my principles are the same as when
left Chicago. | should prefer to see Kansas
made free State; but If the majority of the
citizens in Kansas are in favor of making il a
slave State, expect to submit to the poacers that
| be, as we Democrats believe in letting the ma
jority rule, and to become identified with the peo-
pie and their institutions.
The votes have been counted, and have Just
seen the returns, which stand thus:
Matthias, pro-slavery, $50 Edsdel, freesoil, lao
Panync, " 500 Gould, =" 1873
| Mch