Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-03-01

stated yesterday, on the authority of Genera
Pomeioy, that on the 30th of March, 1850
the late President of the Senate entered thu
eighteenth election district of the Territory
Kansas, near Moorestown, and that he was
armed "with bowie knife and revolver
around him, apparently ready to shed the
blood ofany man who refused to be enslaved."
And this trustworthy authority adds: All
these facts we are prepared to establish, il
necessary. bv proof that would be considered
competent in any court of jnstice.'
Mr.. GEYER. Will the Senator allow me ia
state my information on that subjects
E7MR. WILSON. Certainly, sir.
Mr.. GEYER. Mr.. President, when that
charge was made yesterday, was not pre-
pared to prove negative; therefore l did not
interrupt the Senator. have since made in
quiues of the Representative in the other
House of the district in which Gen. Atehison
resides, to ascertain from him whether Gen.
Atchison had crossed the borders at that time.
He answered." No, he was not there
inferred therefore that General Pomeroy had
given the information upon the authority oil
some one else, and not of his own knowledge.
The only time, so far as L have been able to
learn, when Gen. Atchison crossed into Kan
zas at all during the period of any disturbance
there, was the last one which was mentioned
in the report read before the Senate yester-
day. At that time it was apprehended there
would be serious collision and much de-
struction of life between those who had COL
lected at Wakarusa and the citizens of Law
renee. AT that time, Gen. Atchison and some
two or three other gentlemen-his neighbors
went over for the purpose of persuading
those at Wakurusa to forbearance. He coun-
seled peace. That was his errand at that time
IND ho forritorxr Co h.
to any collision between the citizens of Mis-
souri,, or those who are represented to have
been citizens OF Missouri, and the inhabitants
of Lawrence. that he left his home for the
purpose of interposing as peace maker. At
forwards, 1t is true-aiter the pacifcation had
taken place, as mentioned in the report, and
he was about to return home-there was gall
liant captain of mounted men at Lawrence,
who proposed to proceed and capture him. =
He was, to the credit of the commanding of
ticer at Lawrence, restrained from doing so.
That is the only instance within my knowl-
edge, and 50 far as l have been able to aseer-
tain, from the Representative of his district,
when General Atchison crossed the border at
all.
Mr.. WILSON. place, sir, the written de-
claration of General Pomeroy, a gentleman
thoroughly conyersant with affairs in Kanzas,
and a gentleman of the strictest veracitv,
against the statement of the gentleman from
The facts stated in this memorial.
drawn up by General Pomeroy, have been
published to the world, and never to my
knowledge questioned before. That General
Atchison enteredKunzas at that election do
not entertain a shadow of doubt. That it can
be clearly established by persons of veracity
and character, l am assured by a gentleman
now in this city from Kanzas.
Sir, do not wish to do injustice to the gem
tleman who has so recently filled your chair.
When Congress assembled in December, 1854,
he was not here; and you, sir, were placed
in the seat which the Senate had assigned
to him. He came here afterwards, spent few
weeks, add about the first of February he left
capitol for his home in Western Missouri, with
the avowal that he went to look after the af.
fairs OF Kanzas, and to organize for the cleo
ton to take place on the Both of March
Gen. Atchison was the organizing, moving
spirit of that Missouri movement, from which
all OF these unlawful transactions have origi-
mated.
congratulate the Senate and the country,
that the honorable Senator from Missouri is
sensitive in regard to the position of General
Atchison. 1t is now admitted that there was
an unlawful invasion of Kanzas bv excited
and armed men, and that the late President
OF the Senate left his home in Western Mis-
souri,, and passed over into Kanzas, and used
his personal influence with these men he had
once organized, to prevent their imbruing
their hands in the blood of the people of Kan
zas, and making Lawrence a heap of ruins.
l congratulate the Senate and the country, that
the Senator from Missouri has made the state.
ment to which we have listened. | hone it
will go forth to the country, that the late
President of the Senate went over to Kanzas
not to aid Shannon to execute the laws, but
to restrain the men who were threatening
Lawrence with swift destruction.
When yielded the floor yesterday for an
adjournment, 1 was speaking of the election
of the both of March, 1866. The result of
that election was, that the nineteen districts
in Kanzas were carried by the pro-slnvery
party, and that more than six thousand votes
were given III that Territory, where, thirty
days before, there were less than three thous-
and voters.
The question was put yesterday before the
honorable Senator from Connecticut, why the
Governor gave certificates of election on that
occasion? | will simply say, that Governor
Reeder, in the cases brought before him, did
refuse to deliver the certificates; that he made
the refusal in the presence of the men who
claimed them, with bowie-knives and revolv-
ers il their belts, and amidst threats of his
life; and while he read the statementhe held
cooked revolver in his hand for necessary
self defence. There were few devoted friends
around him expecting to see him murdered
on that occasion. In the cases not, at the
time, contested-in the cases where, at the
time, no one dared to raise question-in the
cases where, at the time, contest was neg
lected-the certificates were given. A new
election was ordered in those cases where the
certificates were set aside, and in pursuance
thereof, the people elected representatives and
councillors, and commissions were issued to
them. They met on the I'd day of July at
Pawnee, and both branches of the Legislature.
without examining the facts, and positively re-
fusing to do so, voted out the men chosen BY
the people of Kanzas, and voted in the men
originally chosen by the Missouri INVADERS
This Legislature, thus chosen, moved the
place of meeting from Pawnee to Shawnee Mis-
sion, against the consent of the Governor,
who refused afterwards to recognize it as a
legislature They went on and passed the
laws which are now brought here. Some of
those laws are as inhuman as any code ever
presented for the Government of conquered
people.
l wish to call the attention of the Senate
and OF the country to some of these laws
forced upon the people who were allured to
kanzas by the assurance that they were en-
powered to shape their own institutions. Here
is precious enactment -
''If any person print, write, introduce into,
or publish, or circulate, or cause be brought
into, printed, written, published, or circulate
ed, or shall knowingly aid or assist in bring
ing into, printing, publishing or circulating