The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1855-06-02

sioHCi eii~t ~ was lIOH1 mdSSdCnucCeSs
State where, though there were traitors.
yet the ballot-box was sacred, and ] did
not blush to own her name. After the
old man had voted; reached my hand
inside of the window, with the ballot In
it, and gave my name to the judges
Immediately on this. at a word from one
of the inquisitors, l was seized and drag
ged through the crowd, amidst cries of
"RiH the Niger thief" "Cm his
throat Z" Around me, on adj sides, were
hourished bowie knives, pistols, clubs,
and guns. ! struggled, and gained my
feet. Desperadoes, said /, l am an
American ci;izeni We have no Law. to
protect us here, but seek protection un-
der this-at the same time tearing the
paper from the flag. and unfolding it over
my head. As the stars and stripes float
ed to the breeze, their murderous cries
were hushed but one cried out, "That
flag is false I" Said /, Who calls this
flag false is traitor None buta traitor
will call it so here. 1t was the second
time l had used the word traitor, and
they began to think it meant something.
One now threw off his cloak, stepped to-
wards me with double fist, put it in my
face, saying, "Did you call me traitor?"
If you call this flag false, did for none
but traitors call it so, at this time. Then
was one bowie-knife within two inches of
my heart, one revolver at my ear, and
how many more drawn about me, i can
not say. One man struck at me with
club, but the blow was warded off by
one of my friends, catching his arm as
he struck. At this moment, something
caught the attention of the crowd, and
drew them in another direction. The
flag had saved my life The mob found
they could not make the judges do as
they wished, and then they broke into
the house, stole from the pocket of one
of them the papers which were there,
such as their commission from the Gov
ernor, the warrant for the meeting, and
some Others
One of the judges being on the side of
the mob, some others then stole the bal
lot-box from the other two, and ran among
the mob, crying, "Hurra for Missouri"
The mob then chose two other judges to
act with the traitor who stole the ballot
box, and continued their voting, while
mostof the legal voters went home, burn
ing with rage at the wrong which had
been done to their country. There were
about twenty men from free States pres
ent, while the whole amounted to about
five hundred
This was but one act of a scene which
was being played all over the Territory.
1t needs no comment from me. ask
you to make it known to your friends.
Make it as public as you can, that, in one
of the Territories of the United States,
one of its citizens, in whose veins runs
the blood of the Revolution, has been
dragged from the ballot-box, where he
had legal right-where he was called
upon by his Governor to assemble-and
by tyrants who presumed to dictate to
him the way in which he should vote.
It needs but few brave hearts, from
each town in old Massachusetts,, to alter
these things. and set them right. Come
here! Here is a soil to which none in
the world will compare. 1t lays open TO
settlements. Shall it be polluted forever
by the tyrants who usurped the power
last Friday? No no let us drive back
the demons to their pandemonium
Twill just say inconclusion, that twelve
hours after the polls were closed, not one
of these men could be found in the Ter
ritory. J. n. III.