The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-07-18


pleasure travel usually commences abou
the lst of July. Massachusetts, and Ne'
York will be largely represented at tn
mountains this year.
| Z SAS.
III
-oF THE
Congressional Investigating Com
mlttee.
Thi, report gives to the people of th'
United States, authentic official information
of the unparalleled gigantic frauds and out
RACES which have lem perpetrated in KAN
sAs, upon the rights of the settlers of tina,
territory, frauds and outrages which have
either been winked at by the authorities OF
the United States, or been allowed to 60 on
without single act Of the administration
in season to prevent them. The imposture
of the Kansas Nebraska Act, and the damn
ing consequences that have flowed from 1t,
are, by this report, placed before the coun'
try in appalling clearness. 1t is hardly
conceivable that such internal proceedings
could have been transacted In our country,
as are detailed by this committee, without
having raised a physical revolution before
which the guilty perpetrators, and those
whose official conduct has given rise to
them, would have been swept away as with
the "bosom Of destruction"
All of the accounts of the hellish pro-
ceedings of the Border Rufiians of Missouri
are confirmed by the testimony of this report.
The story of the wron sand outrages which
the people of Kansas have sustained Us es-
tablished by this report, will astonish the
world. There is not q redeeming thing to
palliate or excuse the Missourians for the
accumulated outrnges which they have
been allowed, nay, stimulated to commit by
the completely Of the administration, upon
the defencelcss settlers of Kansas.
The report, which is written in no spirit
Of prejudice or passion, is calm, clear
statements of facts, arranged so as to be
easily understood, is very long, and would
occupy more space in our paper than II
would be possible for us to give to publish
II entire. We shall be obliged in conse-
quence to give only some extracts, and to
these We invite the attention of our readers.
The report commences thus
The Special Committee appointed to in.
vestigate tho troubles in the Territory Of
Kansas, having performed the duties re-
quired by the House, beg leave to submit
the following
REPORT.
/ A journal Of proceedings, including sun
dry communications made to and by the
Committee, was kept, copy of which is
herewith submitted. The testimony is also
herewith submitted; a copy Of it has been
made and arranged, not according to the
order IN which II wa. taken, but 80 rs "
present, as clearly as possible, a consecutive
history Of events In the Territory, from IL
organization to + 9 10Th day Of March, A.
D., 1856.
Your Committee deem 1t their duty to
state, as briefly Us possible, the principal
facts proven before them. When the act
to organize the Territory Of Kansas Wa,
passed on - day Of May, 1854, the great
or proportion of il. eastern boider was in
cluded in Indian reservations not open foi
settlement. and there were but few whit
settlers in any portion Of the Territory
Its Indian population was rapidly decreas
ing, while many emigrants from different
parts Of our country were anxiously wait
ing the extinction of the Indian title. anc
the establishment Of Territorial Govern
lnent, to seek new homes in its fertile prair
les. II cannot be doubted that if its cundi.
ton Us free Territory had been left undis
turbed by Congress, Its settlement would
have been rapid, peaceful, and prosperous
lis climate, vil, and its easy access to th,
older settlements would have made 1t th,
favored course for the tide of emigration
constantly flowing to the West, and, by
this time, It would hsvc been admitted int,
the Union a. a Free State, without the leas
sectional excitement. ESQ organized, non,
nut the kindcst feeling could have eyistc,
b,twcen it and the adjoining State. Theil
mutual interests and intercourse, instead Of
Is now, endangering the harmony of th,
Union, wonld have strengthened the tics o
national brotherhood. The testimony clear
ly shows that before tho proposition to re
peal the Missouri Compromise was intro
duced into Congress, the people Of Western
Missouri appeared indifferent to the prohi
hilton Of slavery in the Territory, and nei
thcr asked nor desired its repeal.
When, however, the prohibition was re
moved by the action Of Congras, the aspec
If aif,irs entirely changed. The who'll
country was agitated by the rc-opcning o
J controversy which conservative men II
liifsrent sections hoped had been settled Il
every State and Territory by some law bc
yond the danger Of repeal. The excitemen
which has always accompanied the discus
ion Of the Slavery question was greatly in
creased by the hops on the one hand Of ex
tending Slavery into region from whicl
Il had been excluded by law; and on tn
,ther by sense Of wrong done by wha
, was regarded as dishonor OF nationa
compact. This excitement was natuall
transferred into the border counties Of Mis
,ouri and the Territory as settlers favorin
free or slave institutions moved into Il.
9 new difficulty soon occurred. Different cor
.tructions were put upon the organic law
: Il was contcndcd by the one party that th
: right to hold slaves in the Territory existet
n and that neither the people nor the Territ'
4 rial Legislature could prohibit Slavery
!. that that power was alone possessed by q
people when they were authorized to form
|" State Government. IL was contended TIN
d TIE retnnxsl nf the restriction yiIfually q