Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1856-07-11
Abstract of the Report of the Kansas
Investigating COMMITTEES.

bill to organize the Territory of Kansas
was passed, a large number of the citi-
zens of Missouri went into the territory
and held squatter meetings, passed reso-
lutons denouncing abolitionists. and de.
claring that slavery existed therein. In
the autumn OF 1854, a secret political So
cicty, called the blue Lodge was
formcd-the plan of operations Of which.
with its oaths, etc. are given in the re :
port. The Lodge controlled all the sub
sequent movements and invasior.s on the
part of the Missourians.
At the election, Nov. 90, 1854, for a
delegate in Congress. there was no evil
dence of fraud except in the sparsely set
tied and remote districts, where citizens
Missouri appeared and voted Details
in relation to these facts are given in the
report, which says : 1T is reduced to
mathematical precision that seventeen
hundred illegal and nonresident votes
were cast by citizens of Missouri, the re-
mainder being legal votes, amounting to
eleven hundred. Mr.. Whitfield would
have been elected without the aid of his
Missouri votes, he having plurality Of
all the votes cast"
During the winter of IS54-55 great
excitement existed in the Territory. on
account of the invasion, public me etings
were held, and much bitter feeling was
manifested
In February, 1855, census was tax
en-. and the number of legal voters was
ascertaincd to be 29O5. Previous to the
election in the spring of lS55, active
preparations We're made in Missouri to
invade the Territory, and a complete Or
ganizaton was affected. Leaders were
chosen, tents, provisions, ammunition
and arms distributed, and the forces
were drilled, in companies, in Mi ssouri ;
and on the day before the election, it is
testified, at least ) 200 Missourians took
up the line of march for Kansas. and
companies went into every representative
{ district of the Territory. except one.
In detailing the acts of these compa-
nies, and the declarations made by them,
a great portion Of the testimony con-
sists.
The Investigating Committee had be-
fore them the poll books. census rolls
. &C., showing who were legal as we'll as
Illegal voters: and from accurate and al
most absolute proofs, it appeared that of
about $500 votes cast at the election for
members of the Territorial Legislature.
; five thousand were those of non-resi-
dents. The majority of the members of
both houses of the legislature would
have been Free State men if there had
been no invasion of Missourians. The
Governor set aside the election in some
of the districts, and new election took
place therein on the 22d of May, result.
ing in the choice of Free State men in
these districts, except Leavenworth.
where there was still illegal voting.
> The committee took large mass OF
testimony regarding the proceedings of
the Legislative Assembly, which pro-
ceedings they state are characterized by
rcchlessncss and injustice. The report
' likewise alludes to the murders, robbcr-
les and other crimes committed in the
Il territory and states that in no case except
that of McRue a Free State man was
there any prosecution for those offences.
10 indictments were found, no arrests
made. and no measures taken, to bring
the perpetrators to justice.
The report contains full and complete
details of everything connected with the
Il territory of Kansas prior to the 10th o
VI last, anu = ~ 10 NiOaliN l'IoN tl
that Samuel J. Jones. the Sheriff, was the
main cause of the recent disturbances in
which he so prominently figured, 1t is
C also proved that Mr. Oliver, one of the
n investigating committee, went into Mis-
souri, with one of the invading companies
and made speech in the 10Th election
district, but it is not proved that he vot.
ed.
The conclusions of the Committee
= are, that each of the elections in Kansas
4 was carried by the invasions from Mis-
o souri, that consequently, the Legislative
:, assembly is an illegally constituted body
r and has no power to pass valid laws
therefore its euactments are void The
election of G. w. Whitfield as delegatt
to Congress was not held under any val
id law. neither was that of Mr.. Reedel
Al.