Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-05-29
FROM KANSAS.
l'-aeseiiags Of the Congress Committee.

OF affairs there, the correspondent of the
Times says:
The diieren: members OF the Committee
have expressed themselves in private on the
state of affairs here as being worse than
they could have expected. At Washington.
they say, no adequate idea is formed OF the
emergency in which the people of Kansas
are placed. 4 few evenings since, while
tie .Kickapeo Rangers" were lowering
about the town in the woods across the river,
Mr.. Oliver inquired who those scoundrels
were; and, on being told, he said lie wished
Yankee com pany would muster and drive
them of. Il will help ga d he, ssif neces-
sary."
EVIDENCE OF JoRDoS DAVIDSON.
TUESDAY, April 24.-Mr. Jordon David
son was sworn, and being examined, testified
as follows: Cane to Kansas from Missouri
to vote; understood Rceder had sent East for
voters, so we came; other Inducements were
given: we intended to vote first and then let
others; don't know of any one who came
and voted Free State ticket and returned;
saw seme returning VINO did not like the
Territory; did no; hear them say much about
elections: me said they did not vote; don't
know Of PUmcroy arriving on day of election
with yo'ers from The East; tie Free State
men voted; don't think any we're hindered
from voting; don't know of any voters bsing
brought in by Aid SJciety; Bond was the
on " ore prevented from voting that know
uf; was thirty wards from the trouble with
Bond; did not see much Of it.
Cross-ecdmined By Rceler.-Did not un-
derstand X. eder had brought on voters from
| the East; heard he had made The day Of cleo
tiun known East, SO voters could come in;
other inducements were to extend slavery
into Kansas; our people who came contend
they had the right; contend myself they
had a right; was not at election last Fail;
was not here in "a; there is a secret society
to extend slavery into Kansas; society called
BY various Sociul Band" ""Fricnd's
Society" "Blue Lodge" "Sons of the
South" BY others; don't know as | know
what it is properly called; have been at a
meeting or two; have never been at meet
ing in tbs Territory; have seen no lodge in
this Territory; il was formed some time in
the latter part Of 1854, probably; have not
got copy o. its constitution; have two hun
dred copies of its ritual; don't know as there
is constitution; .hink written minutes are
kept Of proceedings; they are commanded
to be governed by law; there is no compul-
sion in it beyond law; we are to extend sla-
very into Kansas according to law; we have
signs and passwords by which we know
each other; man who belonged TO the Or
der v as not compelled to come into the Ter
ritory to vote; object was to extend slavery
INTO Kansas. and unite all the friends Of
slavery for that purpose; am told it exists in
other States as well as Missouri; am told by
some one who belonged to said society in
Virginia; he may have Joined it in Missouri;
exists probably in Kentucky, Tennes ee AID
Arkansas; don't know from personal knowl-
edge that it exss out OF Missouri: was first
in lodge latter part Of February, 1855, at
Pleasant Hill, Cass county. This society
was used as means to concentrate 4 body
OF men on the 3Gth of March, 1885; its OBJ
jcct was to protect ourselves against each
other, SO if we got into trouble we could
know each other, and not fall afoul of one
another; considered it was great chance
to come and vote; don't know that it wes
lawful, thought it was right; don't know of
any anti. ti.s!lvery men who come into the
Territory on purpose 10 vote; signs and pass
words were not known by more than one
quarter of the eriei,ds Of the- society ;-they
could tie ribbon in their coat and be pro-
tected; it was used us means of under
standing each other; al any rate, they were
sworn to find out all they could from the
other party; expresses were sent and re-
ceived concerning Kansas emigration and
elections by this society; committees were
not appointed in my prescnce-heard such
things talked OF: committees were appointed,
lodges were used at that period for the pur-
pose Of notifying men to come here; don't
know as the society had funds collected;
don't know as they had a Treasarer-they
might have had one: don't think that the
officers took charge of parties who came here
and voted; do not know that they kept
agents on boats to note the Northern and
Eastern immigration; members of the society
are not sworn at the initiation; penalty for
violation of rules Of secrecy is all The honor
a member has; he is liable to stand in soci- |
ETY. beneath the dignity of a gentlemen;
nothing was said in the oaths of the Society
about the iDfiiction of personal harm; heard
Mr.. Wade, of Westport, speak of the Soci-
ely first; don't know who are the founders
of the Society; think it originated in Mis-
souri,; never heard that it originated in Wash
ington; first lodge thai ever heard of was
in Westport: person who was the general
agent to initiate came into Cass county; he |
came to me and asked me some questions,
and answered them; he initiated me; was
busy, and had not much time to attend to it; |
visited but few meetings, and don't under
stand much about it; this agent was from
Cass county; Mr. Farmer initiated me; d'd
nof see him with any of the parties on the
3Oth NJ lTch; never in any lodge except |
Peasant Hill Lodge; don't recoIlect the
oath precisely; substance of it is rot 10
transcend The bonds of law, and promote by |
all lawful means the extension of slavery;
HCflI uCdi vi icdItIS say IL WAS
unlawful to come over and vote; heard one
person in Ledge ask how they could vote in
Kansas, ii they were not citizens of Kansas
Territory lawfully; answer was, we will
swear in some how; and if we could not vote
10 violence was to be used; don't know what
time it originated; probaly not long back;
my conversation with Palmer amounted to
his asking my willingness to extend slavery
inc Kansas; told him 1 was; had no talk
with hiIL about election at that time; num-
Der o. those persons saw here on the 50th
of March are residents of Kansas; can't tell
how many--may have been twenty-may be
tiIty-but don't know; don't know as any
wrong was done here by the Society.
CroSS-erdmined-Wa one of the officers
of election after Benson and Rlmsey left on
the 30,h of March, 1855, at Douglas; was
appointed by the people on the ground at
the time; was sworn ir by Mr.. Ellison, one
of the Judges; signed an oath sworn to by