Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-03-01

AHS'h - SbsAAAASe0 putty. Inc GGIdkOE dNOhe
that men from his State " have passed over
the borders, but they have done so (he tells
us) "to protect the ballot-box from the at
tempt of armed colonists to control the cleo
tons there" When and how were the ballot
boxes assailed by EARNED colonists" from the
North? L call upon the Senator from Mis-
souri, challenge any Senator to furnish one
fact, one single authenticated fact, to sustain
this assumption.
Sir, the eraigrant aid society Of New Eng
land has violated no law, human or divine
Standing here, sir, before the Senate and the
country, 1 challenge the Senator from Mis-
souri,, or any other Senator to furnish to the
Senate one fact, one authenticated fact, to
show that the emigrant aid society has per i.
formed any illegal act, any act inconsistent
with the obligations of patriotism, morality,
or religion. Sir, the President of the United
States has arraigned befpre the country these
emlgrant aid societies. The organs of the Ad-
ministration have assailed them, and now the
Senator from Missouri here, on the floor of
Senate, renews the assault. Sir, call upon,
defy any supporter of the Administration,
any apoligist of Atchison, Stringfellow, and
their followers, to give us one act of the direc-
tors of the New England enigrant aid society
hostile to law, order aud peace. know most
OF these gentlemen thus wantonly assaled,
and know them to be law abiding, order.
loving. conservative men. l DEFY the Senator
from Missouri, the Senator from Connecticut,
or the Chief Magistrate at the other end of the
avenue, to show here, or elsewhere, that the
emlgrant aid society ever violated law of this
country or performed an act which could not
receive the sanction of the laws of God and
man. Sir, they have sent no paQpers or Grim
inals to Kanzas. They have simply organized
system by which persons wishing to go to
hanzas may go i'll small companies, and, by
going together and starting at a particular
time and place, may have the cost of their fare
reduced about thirty-three per cent This
company has built hotel in Kanzas, has sent
some saw mills there, has aided in establishing
schools and churches. That is the extent Of
their otfence-no more, no less.
Mr.. President, on the 10Th Of JULY, 1854,
within sixty days OF the passage of the Kan
zas -Nebaska act, meeting was called at
Weston, Missouri, by the "Platte County
Selt-Defense Association Resolutions were
adopted declaring that the association, when.
ever called upon by any of the citizens of
Kanzas Territory, will hold itself in readiness
to assist in removing any and all emgrants
who go there under the auspices of the nor
thern emigration aid societies.
Before the feet of the first emigrants who
went there under the auspices of the emgrant
aid society pressed the soil of Kanzas, this
"Platte County Self Defensive Association"
under the guidance of B. L. Stringfellow,
proclaimed to the world its readiness to cross
into Kanzas and remove actual settlers from
their new homes. Under the lead of this
lawless association, other meetings were held
in Western Missouri, and resolutions adopted
in favor Of carrying slavery into Kanzas, aud
in denunciation of emigrants from the free
States who should go under the auspices of
the emigrant aid societies.
On the 9th of August, more than two months
after the Kanzas Nebraska act was passed, a
few persons went into that Territory from the
East. They went there under the auspices of
that society referred to the other day SO un-
justly by the Senator from Missouri. Early
in the autum of 1854 the Missouri guardians
Of Kanzas crossed over into the Territory, and,
by force of arms, endeavored to drive from
their homes the few persons who had begun
the new settlement at Lawrence. But these
Platte County association heroes found lit
tie band of about thirty New England men,
under the lead of Charles Robinson-The
Miles Standish of Kanzas-ready to meet the
issue with powder and ball, and they retreat
ed to their homes, preferring to live to fight
another day.
The Senator from Connecticut referred with
an air of triumph to the election which took
place on the Goth day of Nov. 1854. On
that day Mr.. Whitfield was elected and
triumphantly elected-a Delegate from that
Territory. No one ever questioned the fact
that he had a majority Of the legal roterS of
the Territory on that day; but, in addition to
that fact, men familiar with the Territory de-
clare that lie received the votes of more than
,loH e
crossed the line and voted on that occasion.
1 hold in my hand, sir, paper, drawn up
and signed by General Pomeroy--a gentle.
man of intelligence, of personal honor, whose
yeraeity no man who knows him can ever
question. From this memorial, addressed to
Congress, quote the following words con-
corning the election of the Goth ofNoy., 1854
''The first ballot-box that was opened upon
our virgin soil was closed to us by oyerpow-
ering numbers and impending force. So bold
and reckless were our invaders, that they
cared not to conceal their attack They came
upon us, not in the guise of voters, to steal
away our anchise, but boldly and openly,
to snatch it with a strong hand They came
directly from their own homes, and in COM
pact and organized bands, with arms in hand
and provision for the expedition, marched to
our polls and, when Their work was done, re-
turned whence they came. 1t is unnecessary
to enter into tile details it is enough to say
that in three districts, in which, by the most
rrefragablo evidence, there were not one hun
dred and fifty voters, most of whom refused
to participate il the mockery of the elective
franchise, thes Invaders polled over thous-
and votes"
An examination Of details will reveal the
extent Of this fraud. In the seventh election
district Of Kanzas six hundred ana four votes
were cast on the 29th of Nov, 1854. Of these,
Whitfield received five hundred and ninety
seven-all but seven. Three months after
wards the census was taken, and there were
only fifty three voters in the seventh district.
Who went there to vote Organized, armed,
disciplined men from the State Of Missouri;
and all the votes but seven in that district
were given for Mr.. Whitfield. Does the SEN
ator from Missouri call that "protecting the
ballot. box against armed oolonistsi" In the
eleventh district, OH the same day, two hun,
bred and thirty seven votes were given. In
February following, when the census was
taken, there were twenty four voters in that
district, which, three months before, had Civ /.
en- Whitfield two hundred and thirty.seven
votes--all but three Of tho whole number cast.
And within thirty days after the census was
taken, three hundred and twenty-eight votes
were given in this district, having only twen-
ty-tour voters; yet the Senator from Missouri
grayely informs the Senate that Missourans
only crossed over the borders "to protect the
ballot boxes against armed.c sent there
under the auspices Of emigrant aid societies.
That these Missourians crossed the line ana
voted on that day for Whitfield, no one doubt
cd hut he had n minority of the votes OF the