Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-06-26
THE ELECTION IN KANSAS.

The grosscst misrepresentation Ut the Kansas cleo
ton having been circulated through the press, it is
due to the cause of truth publish the following ex-
tracts of II letter, dated at Lcavenworth City, May
sd, 1885, which we find in tho Chicago Times The
author is in favor of making Kansas free State but
he has the candor and honesty to vndcate the entire
fairness of the recent election. lie says:
AS this WIS to be tho contested election, the dis
coraut clements would necessarily be all thrown To-
,,cthcr on thnt day. had heard before coming here,
aud presume you have heard the sllnc o elections
being carried BY Bowie knives, reviewers, and CAR
ron, in the hands of drunken despcrudocs and ruff
tians ind very naturally supposed these articles were
usually the only arguments used IN settling political
questions aud other veXaious matters ind TINT there
would undoubtedly be considerable TO be seen before
| the day was over.
With these impressions, amounting almost to con-
yictions arrived on the ground at 9oclnck. found
some $40 or loo men already i'll town, and still
erowdiu. in from all parts OF the surrounding cOul-
try, in wagons, mules, horses, aud on foot. saw
no hostile demonstrations, but all were circulating
! promiscuously together. Everybody seemed very
good naturcd and appeared 10 feel remarkably fine
| The election was held in end of r one-sory frame
building about the centre of the town. the other end
OF which was kept us saloon or grocery, with the
sim oil Ii biz lion over the door. There was very lit
| RI. crowd around the polls. but quite number al
men were stationed about, who noted kind of pO-
ce 10 keep order and dispense the crowd if il should
| become necessary. Every one who had not voted
| was frequently solicited to c"mc up and vote amt
rote inst TIE Acket hs thought proper. Everything
| passed of quietly, and strange Ia say, everybody
Kept sober which is very fur from what has been the
case on other days. There was considerable drink
ing in the saloon through the day, and some got
about half coraed before night. Once in the course
of the afternoon, three or four men got into dispute
aud kind of pull hair fight, but they n belonged 10
one party | no knives, rcvolvers, guns, or
cannOa displayed and there were none on the
ground. 1t was of the most quiet and penceablr
rrct,uns ever witnessed, where there large
n crowd, and that, too, where there was M resrnn
Ing influence.
/ saw n crowd of 50 or Is men about quarter of
mile Of sitting under some shadc trees on hill, i'll the
a1ernoGu went up to them, and asked, what WIS
roinr IN. They sud they Mssourialis and that
they had supposed the freesoicrs and abo!ilionsts
would gather from other districts in order TO carry
the election in ths, whose votes they intended to Off
set by voting against them in they did, but rs
they had not they should 20 home very soon without
taking amy part or going any nearer the polls than
they then WERE
up This boat is just round from the Ohio river, most
OF the officers, crew, and Passengers came up nnd
voted polling the freesn and abolition ticket There
i nj w asaks s Rs h"ps t" b. in Ka
sas at Ill election is entitled I" II "otc, and he can
leave in half an hour afterwards ii he wishes.
AT present there is 10 law in Kansas regulating
citizenship.
When tie bill organizing, the Territories Of Kansas
and Nebraska was Introduced III Congress there was
clause in the bill requiring man 10 be in the Ter
ritory thirty days to gain ence but that clause
was stricken out by the northern members of that
BODY who supposed it would give them great nd
vantage over Southern States rs the northern emigra
ton would move much quicker than southern, and
could vote the first elections before the sntherners
could get there. They have been badly beaten ut
tb e.r own game.
s.c accounts in the Tribune and other abolition
sheets OF bnrder ruilians' and ',espcra0cs"
Ing into Kansas in strong furce, armed with pistols.
guns and cpaHom, aud camping out III tents, until NJ
ter election, and then many taking their line of march
back. As tn going buck, many havo done su, aud
many more will before next fall hut notice thai two
thirds ui those going back arc eastern clni.rans.-
Seven took the boat this morning, bound for MASH
chrsciis nnd Other eastern Suites, TO my certnn know
r,l ntlcr waiting there for three days 10 at the
election. AS 10 canping in tents, should like to
know what thcy expect people coming here now To
camp live in. unless they live in tenis or wagons
don't know aS il is any unusual Thing iur people cn-
rtri.,g To wild. unsettled territories TO tuke gun
with them, and the eastern cniSrants are u" more
rnpt than The western, tor notice they ali have guns
wl.cn they arrive AS fnr cannon being brought here
10 elections, TINT is positively fase notwithstanding
Gov. RCcdcrs remarks ~ the contrary. ii il is not
IN, sadly ntstaken for have never been able Ia lind
Il III all my travels who has ever spcu u cannon
in KANSAS except i'll the i"r;s.
You are perhaps beginning Ia think that have
gone over, soul und body Ia the South. Ion Gun
think what you peasc, but can assure you That my
principles the same when left Chicago. |
Tie majority of the citizens in Kansas in favor 1T
uuIi:r:, j: Il slavc State expect to submit to the
coasS AZ 81 DC, We Democrats believe i'll letting the
majority rule, and Lconc identified with the people
and tilc!r institutions.
The votes have bcop counted. and have just seen
the returns, which stand ;hus:
Matthias, pro-sIayery, 5is Elsdel Free Soil, lao
Panl lc, .2no Gould, 10y
McMekn, q" 7Gl pcnrock &" AZ
The frcesoi party hnye been t.atcn four to one by
the artunl settlers Of the country End thu; 20" for the
want Of votes. do hot think the treesoil "ote would
have been than 10, il they Ind not ruilg in the
Kate Carel crew. must say TINT regrettedt
in the frecsoii parry who SUPPOSED were honorable,
h.h-D,iutad mcn trying all mapii,. Of low deceptive
tricks Ia ring i'll illegal votes, merely to make
spectacle show All the precincts along the Missouri
river are rs strongly Ffo-savery us this, bm in t"so
up the Kansas river there is not much difference,
AID in precincts it ls quite The other WY. But
l.! the Territory. think large majority IL ct the pre-
scut ilrc i'll favor of slavery.
have Hu time to write more at present, otc.,