The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-07-10

Total a.ss3 2i8 sos 81 ASH : I,ll4 LIZ
| Thus in this the first election in the Terri
tory, a very large majority of the votes were cast
by citizens of the State of Missouri, in violation
of the organic law of the Territory. Of the le
gal votes cast, General Whitfield received plu
rality. The settlers took but little interest IN
the election, not one-half of them voting. This
| may be accounted for from the fact that the set
| Elements were scattered over a great extent
that the term of the Delegate to be elected was
short-aud that the question of free and slave
| institutions was not generally regarded by them
as distinctly at issue. Under these circum.
stances, a systematic invasion from an adjoin
| ing State, by which large numbers of illegal
votes were cast in remote and sparse settlements
for the avowed purpose of extending Slavery
into the Territory, even though it did not change
the result of the election, was crime of great
magnitude. Its immediate effect was to further
excite the people of the Northern States, in
duse acts of retaliation, and exasperate the act
ual settlers against their neighbors in Missouri.
In January and February, 1855, the Governor
| caused new census to be taken, and on the
day it completed he issued his proclama
| ton for an election to be held on the Both OF
| March, for members ofthe Legislative Assembly
of the Territory. Before the election, false
| among the people of Western Missouri. The
number and character of the emigration then
| passing into the Territory were grossly exagger.
| ated and misrepresented. Through the active
exertions of many gifts leading citizens, aided by
the secret societies before referred to- the passions
and prejudces of the people of that State were
| greatly excited. Several residents there have
testified TO the character of reports circulated
| among and credited by the people. These eff
| forts were successful. By an organized move
ment, which extended from Andrew county in
the north to Jasper county in the south, and as
| far eastward as Boone and Cole counties, COM
| panies of men were arranged in regular parties,
and sent into erery Council district in the Ter
ritory, and into every Representatives. district
but one. The numbers were SO distributed as
to control the election in each district. They
went to vote, and with the avowed design to
make Kansas a slave State. They were gener-
ally armed and equipped, carried with them
their own provisions and tents, and 30 marched
into the Territory. The details of this invasion,
from the mass of the testimony taken by your
committee, are so volumnious that we can here
state but the leading facts elected.
lsr DIsTRIcT-MARcH 30, I855-LAwRENCE.
The company of persons who marched into
this district, collected in Ray, Howard, Carroll,
counties, in the State of Missouri. Their ex.
penses were paid-those who could not come
contributing provisions, wagons, &c. Provisions
were deposited for those who were expected to
come TO Lawrence in the house of William Ly-
kins, and were distributed among the Nilsson
rians, after they arrived there. The evening
before and the morning of the day Of election,
about one thousand men from the above coun.
ties arrived at Lawrence, and camped in a ra-
vine short distance from town, near the place
of voting.
They came in wagons (of which there were
over one hundred) and on horseback, under the
command of Colonel Samuel Young, of Boone
county, Missouri, and Claiborne f. Jackson, of
Missouri. They were armed with guns, rifles,
pistols, and bowie-knives, and had tents, music,
and flags, with them. They brought with them
two pieces of artillery, loaded with musket balls
On their way to Lawrence, some of them met
Mr.. n. u. Blanton, who had been appointed one
of the judges of election by Governor Reeder,
and after learning from him that he considered
it his duty to demand an oath from them as to
their place of residence, first attempted to bride,
snd then threatened him with hanging, in order
to induce him to dispense With tI&t oath. In
consequence of these threats, he did not appear
at the polls the next morning, TO act as Judge.
The evening before the election, while in
camp, the Missourians were called together at
tie tent of Capt. Claiborne f. jackson, and
speeches were made to them by Col. Young
and others, calling for voa nteers to 90 to other
districts where there were not MissouriaUs
enough to control the election, as there were
more at Lawrence than were needed there.
Mapy I9ignteered to go, and, the morning of
the election, seVersa ooiapgnies of from $50 to
zoo men each went of to Teoumseh, Hiceory
II L..
morning of the election, the Missourians came
over to the place of voting from their camp, in
bodies "a QUO kpndred at time. Mr.. Blanton
not appearing, another Judge was appointed in
his Flace-C0l. Young claiming that, es tie
people of the Territory had two Judges, it was
nothing more than right that the Aissourians
should have the other one, TO look after their
interests; and Robert A. Cummins was elected
in Blanton's stead, because he considered that
every Ia4n lad right to vote, if he had been
in the Territory but al noaT. The Missourians
brought their tickets with them, but, no. hay-
ing enough, they had three hundred more
printed in Lawrence, on the evening before
AND tne 1ay of election. They had white rib
bons in their button-ncle2, to distinguish them
from the settlers.
When the voting commenced the question of
the legality OF the vote of Mr.. Page was rails.
ed. Before it was decided, COL Samuel Young
stepped up to the window where the votes were
received, and said he would settle the matter.
The vote of Mr.. Page was withdrawn, and Col.
Young offered to vote. He refused to take the
oath prescribed by the Governor, but swore he
was q resident OF the Territory, upon which his
vote was received. He told Mr. Abbott. one of
the Judges, when ASKED if he intended to make
Kansas his future home, that it was none of
his business; that If he were resident then.
he should ask no more. After his vote was re-
ceived, Col. Young got up on the window-sill,
and announced to the crowd that he had been
per1itiss t9 vote, and they could all come up
and vote. He told tue judges that there was
no use in swearing the others, as they would
all swear as he had done. After the other
judges concluded to receive Col. Young's vote.
Mr. ABBOTT resigned as Judge of election, and
Mr. Benjamin was elected in his place.
The polls were so much crowded, until late
In the evening, that for q time, when the men
had voted, they were obliged to get out by be.
ing hoisted up on the roof of the building where
TIE ELECTION yas being held, and pass out over
the house After~srS, . psssege way through
the crowd was made, by two lines OF men %.
ing formed, through which the voters could get
up to the polls. COL Young asked that the old
men oa sllowed to go up first and vote, as thew
were tired with toe travelling; and wanted to
get back to camp.
Missourians sometimes came up to the polls
In procession, two by two, and voted.
tsurng the day, the Missourians drove off
the ground SONS Of the citizens. They said
they came to the Territory to elect Legisla-
tnre to suit themselves, as the people of the
Territory and persons from the East and North
~sItsd te elect a Legislature that would not
suit them. They ssid they had right to make
Kansas q alaYe State hecansa ti q nao.la &c Il :.