Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1856-06-17

~, Is,,' - ~ ,ts,n,onv
"a 4, AZ =, tfac,. A ~ ,vb;ci
iksve listess :, from lesd;n : cit;ssns. who, du-
fi,gtb;s winiey have s.eo1ne fiooking,' here from
thaf Sistant Tesritorv. n breaks forth in the |
;srA,ts .nr,crv rs.oh;ns ~ from Kansss in
ss,hs,s snaas. M, NJ s,n,,nd 81 mis-
tste.c n Addresses n. N formal complaints. in.
al;net with tbe ind;ynation ~ neonle deter.
rs;ned N h., fres ard n;noneschahie "a the lec-
i,r.tions nf ! ,snsAsyea man or Mir diving bed
srsiHst his mr. rderey Ind let me add. that all
tSis testimohy bhds an echo in the yery statute
hook Of the consp;rators. and also in The Lam
psaSe dronoei from the President OF the United
State.
Irbeg;n with IN admission from the President
h;nsels IN ,vhos.. s;ght The neon : of Kansas
have little favor. And vet. after Arranging the
i, nocent emigran,s from the North. he was con
strained 10 declare that their conduct was s'far
fron inrt;fying The IIlreAI, and RrpREHENsIBLE
conrtsr. p,oyement which ensuedn Then, by
the reluctant admission Of the Chief Magistrate,
there was 4 counter-moyemen. ut once ILLEGAL
and RFPaKHKEsIBIE. IL thank the President, for
tsaoh;ng mo these words: and now put them in
the ffort az this ex,osition, as in themselves
. cohfeSsion. Sir. this nillegal and ieprehensible
counter movement, il none other than the dread
mi flr;nne--under Al, apoloyetc alias--by which,
through successive -invasions, Slavery has been
f6rcibiy planted in this Territory.
Next Ia ttis Presidential admission must be
plaoed The details OF the invasion, which now
present as not only 'illegal and reprehensible,"
but also unquestionable evidence of the resulting
Crime. . s8
The violence for some lime threatened broke
forth on the 29th Of November, 1851, at the frs:
election ofa Delegate to Congress. when com.
panies from Missouri, amounting to upwards OF
one thousand, crossed into Kansas, and, with
force and arms, proceeded to vote for Mr., Whit
hela, the candidate of Slavery. An eye witness,
General Pomeroy, of superior intelligence and
perfect integrity, thus describes this scene:
..The first ballot-box that was opened upon
our yirpin soil was closed 10 US by oyerpowerlng
numbers and impending force. So bold and
reckless were our invaders, that they cared not
70 conceal their attack. They came upon us
NOT In the guise OF voters 10 steal away our ran
chise, but boldly and openly to snatch II win a
strong hand. They came directly from their own
homes, and in compact and organized bands,
with arms in hand and provisions for the expe-
dition. marched TO our polls. and, when Their
work was done. returned whence they came:
Here was at outrage at which the coolest blood
Of patriotism boils. Though, for various reasons
unnecessary 10 develop, the busy settlers allow
ed the election to pass uncontested, still the
means employed were none the less 'lllegal and
reprehs nsible.n st9%
This infiction was significant prelude to the
Grand invasion of the 30th of March, 1855, at the
election of the first Territorial Legislature undel
the organic law. when an armed mu lhtude IRON
M;ss o,,r entered the Territory, in larger numbers
than General TAYLOR commanded at Buena Vista
OF Than General Jackson had within his lines al
New Orleans --larger far than our fathers rallied
an, Bunker Hill. On they came as an "arm>
with banners,s organized in companies, with Of
6cers. munitions, tents, and provisions, as thougf
marching uuon foreign foe, and breathing loud.
mouthed threats thatthey would carry their puI
nose. IL need he, by the bowie knife and Tevol
ver, AmonfNthem, according to his own comics
sion. was David X. Atchison, belted with the
vulgar arms Of his vulgar comrades. Arrived a
their several destinations on the night before tht
election. the invaders pitched their tents, placet
their sentries. aud waited ,ior the coming day
The same trustworthy eye witness, whom nav
slready, ,ouoted. saws Of one locality:
1Baeeage wagons were there, with arms ant
ani,1u milton enough for prouacted fight, ant
among them two brass field pieces, ready charged
They came with drums beating and flags flying
and their leaders were Of the most prominent ant
conspicuous men Of their State"
or another locality he says:
5s'The invaders come together in one arme'
md orRanzed body, with trains of fifty wagons
besides horsemen, and the night befor1 election
pitched their campin the vicinity OF the polls
and having appointed their own judges % place 2
those who. ifUm Intimidation or otherwise' ialle
70 attend, they voted without any proof OF resi-
dence."
With this fnrce they were able, on the succeed
ing day, in some places, to intiuidate the Judge
OF elections; in Others, to wrest the ballot-poxe
from their rightfll possessors, and evefywnei
TO exerclse complete conuol of the electlor
and thus, by preternatural audaclty OF usul
patton, impose q Legislature upon the ifee pee
bic Of Kansas. Thus was conquered lne SeVa'
topol Of that Territory!
- But it was not enough to secure the Legslt
ture. The election OF member OF Congress rt
cured on the 2nd Of October, 1860, and II
same foreigners, who had learned their strength
again manifested it. Anothr invasion, in cor
trolling numbers, came from Missouri, and ono
more forcibly exercised the electoral franchise
Kansas.
AT last, in the latter days Of November, 1856
Storm long brewing burst upon the heads
the devoted people. The ballot boxes had bee
violated, and Legislature installed, which hf
proceeded 10 carry out the conspiracy of the il
vsders; but the good people of the Terrtor
born to Freedom, and educated as American ci
isens, showed no signs of submission. SLAYER
though recognized by pretended law, was in mar
places practically an outlaw. To the lawle
6orderers, this was hard to bear; and, like Il
lIeathen Of old they ragged, particularly again
the town of Lawrence, already known, by Il
firmness Of its principles and the character