Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-06-04
Kansas.

We have stated, from time to time as it was
published, the substance of the testimony taken
by the Congressional Committee, in relation To
the frauds perpetrated upon the people of Kan
sas. 1t was too voluminous to admit of publica-
ton at length in our columns. Every new wit
ness demonstrates, more and more clearly, the
fraud and violence perpetratcd upon the people
OF Kansas, in their late elections There is no
proposition more clearly established, than that
those elections were the vilest sllans ever i'm
posed upon free people. Imposed too in
manner the most overbearing, tyrannical. and
brutal, that an intelligent people were ever COM
PEELED to submit to. The testimony comes from
all quarters, not from the Kansas people alone,
but from the Missouri invaders themselves. from
the men who were engaged in, and who iusti-
ty. the outrages committed by Them. The doc
trlne OF popular sovereignty" so much vaunted
by Douglas and his compeers, has BEEN as a
matter of fact as much tramped upon and crush
ed out in Kansas, as it ever was in the worst
days of European serfdom. If Douglas and his
friends were sincere in their advocacy of this
Princlpe, they would be among the foremost in
denunciating and repudating these gigantic
frauds. OF all men outside Of Kansas Itself
has, upon the assumption of his sincerity he
gard to his theory of popular soverei~' IN re-
most outraged and insulted. -, 5hty' oeen
which he claims to have ori~' me measure
the people of Kansas ir 7nated to protect
their rights, and to the free exercise OF
own institution enable them to frame their
ment, has b. IS, and shape their own Govern
outrage sen made the occasion of stupendous
ther = and wrong been used to force upon
: III Legislature the most corrupt, and laws
the most oppressive and arbitrary, has DESTROYED
the peace of the Territory, and now threatens to
deluge it in blood. All this insult, all this op-
preston and outrage against Kansas, is an insult
and outrage against the originators Of the Kan
sas policy, if they were honest and sincere and
as such, their own sclf-rcspest will teach them to
denounce it. If twas in the programme to be
a part Of the performance, that is another mat.
ter.
The purpose of all this outrage upon Kansas,
is not attempted to be concealed. 1t is openly
and frankly avowed to be to enforce upon its
people the institution of Slavery Among the
| witnesses examined and whose testimony is now
in possession of the Speaker of the House, is
that of J. c. Prince, himself leader of the Mis-
souri, invaders, who seems to have given his tes-
tmony very unw:llingly, but whose narrative
presents so graphic picture of the mode in
| which the doctrine of popular sovereignty" has
been carried out in the Kansas elections, that we
| give it here entire: a ..'
j. c. Prince, sworn-Came into the territory
five months ago; was at the election at Fort
Scott in November, 1854 resided in West Point
in Jackson County, Missouri, at that time; went
out in company scith one hundred and ffty or
t,co hundred at that time had their wagons and
| tents, and encamped on the Omaha the persons
aeho voted there from Missouri tier said they
sceut to vote; first saw Barbee and Wilson were
Judges; made several attemps to swear the vo-
tiers; they overcame them in some way, and no
one was sworn; know Of fifty from Missouri
who voted prefer not to give their Names unless
it is necessary; / think there were twenty-five
legal voters who voted that day; there were one
hundred and five votes cast; several men were
pointed out to me as Eastern men, whom was
told intended to vote and return the same as
Missourians did; the votes we're all given for
Whitfield; some of the most influential of my
acquaintances requested me to go; don't wish
to give any names; am willing to give my own
name; have good many acquaintance living
i'll Missouri and am continually going backwards
and forwards, therefore don't IRISH to giye names
l do not know that do know Of a secret socie.
ty called the Blue Lodge / think there may be
4 secret society; witness said he would like to
have something explained; he said if man had
been sworn to keep secret, he wanted to know
how it was that he could be compelled to answer
and tell all about it; mans life in some parts of
Missouri is not any too safe asiN acaN, and have
many friends and considerable business there,
anu uOi W SSt iito tECuDlc KNOW OF
such society l knew of it in the fall OF 1854:
l know of-some of the persons beonng to the
society voting at Fort Scott-perhaps ALL it had
for one of its objects the making of Kansas
Slave State; they have passwords and signs ::
witness thought they were little hard on him I
the members of society take oaths; Mey
smear to make Kansas Slacc State, the nan
they can; to make Kansas Stare State is tile OBJ
ject Of the Society; don't know OF ibis society
existing in the Territory it is year since had
anything to do with it; II suppose this society
was instrumental in sending persons up here to
vote; don't know that they raised money or
issued circulars; presumed that they had discus
sed the sending of voters up into tie Territory;
think there were a large number OF persons be-
oning to it; Hhiak it uouka result 10 ma injury
if Told all knoac dboutit, aad this Is one reas-
on nhy don't irish to tell; if had known YOU
were going to be so pinning in your questions
you would not have found me anywhere around
here; | know of persons coming out here the
3oth March.