Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-03-13


Standing here, sir, before the Senate and the
country, challenge the Senator from Missouri,
or any other Senator, to furnish the Senate one
fact, one authenticated fact, to show that the
Emigrant Aid Society has performed any illegal
act, any act inconsistent with the obligations
oil patriotism. morality or religion. Sir the |
President OF the United States has arraigned |
before the country these Emigrant Aid Socie- |
ties. The organs of the Administration have
assailed them, and now the Senator from Mis-
souri, here, on the floor Of the Senate, renews
the assault. Sir, call upon, defy any sup
porter of the Administration, any apoogist of
Atchison, Strngfellow, and their followers, to
give us one act Of the directors of the New
England Emigrant Aid Society hostile to law,
order, and peace | know most of these gen.
tlemen thus wantonly assaled and | know
them to be awabiding, order loving, conserv-
alive men. defy the Senator from Missouri,
the Senat5r from Connecticut, or the Chief
Magistrate at the other end Of the avenue, to
show, here or elsewhere, that the Emigrant Aid
Society ever violated d law of this country, or
performed an act which could not receive the
sanction of the laws of God and man. Sir,
they have sent no parpers OF criminals to Kan
sas. They have simply organized system by
which persons wishing to go to Kansas may go
in small companies, and, by going together
and starting at particular time and place, may
have the cost of their fare reduced about thirty
three per cent. This company has built hotel
in Kansas has sent some slw-mills there has
aided in establishing schools and Churches
That is the extent of their offence-no MORE
no less.
Mr.. President, on the Goth of July, 1854,
within sixty days atte- the passage Of the Kan
sas- Nebraska act, a meeting was called at Wes-
ton, Missouri, by the Platte County SefD
fensiye Association" Resolutions were adopt
ed, declaring that the association, whenever
called upon by any of the citizens of Kansas
Territory will hold itself in readiness to ass st
in removing any and all emigrants who go there
under the auspices Of the Northern Emigration
Aid Societies.
Before the feet of the first emigrants who
went there under the auspices Of the Emigrant
Aid Society pressed the soil of Kansas, this
=" Platte County SelfDelcnsve Association, )"
under the guidance of B. F. Stringleow, pro.
claimed to the world its readiness to cross into
Kansas and remove actual settlers from their
new homes. Under the lead of this lawless
association, other meetings were held in West
ern Missouri, and resolutions adopted in favor
of carrying Slavery into Kansas, and in denun-
CItLlOiI VI CuilStdilJo nun Iue Tres > uteS VINO
should go there under the auspices of the Emf
grant Aid Societies.
On the 9Th Of August, more than two months
after the Kansas Nebraska act was passed, a few
persons went into that Territory fl ON the Fast.
They went there under the auspices of that So
ciety referred to the other day so uniustlv by
the Senator from Missouri Early in the an
tumn Of 1854, the Missouri guardians of Kan
SnS .rocSad intn fhn l.
force Of arms, endeayored to drive from their
homes the few persons who had begun the little
settlement at Lawrence. But these Platte
+ County Association heroes found a little band
of about thirty New England men, under the
lead OF Charles Robinson-tbe Miles Standish
Of Kansas-ready to meet the issue with powder
|, and ball and they rotrcated to their homes.
= preierring to live to fight another day
The Senator from Connecticut referred with
an air Of triumph to the election which took
place on the Doth day of November, 1851. On
that day, Mr.. Whitfield was elected-and tri-
umphanty elected--a Delegate from that Ter
+ ritory. No man ever questioned the fact that
: he had majority of the hgal volers on that
day; but in addition to that fact. men familiar
=, with the Territory declare that he received the
= votes OF more than one thousand inhabitants OF
occasion.
hold in my hand, sir, paper drawn up and
= signed by Gen. Pomeroy-a gentleman Of intel
f llgence, OF personal honor, whose veracity nc
man who knows him can question. From this
t memorial, addressed to Congress, quote the
following words concerning the election of the
n 29th of November, 1854
f % The first ballot box that was opened upor
oar virgin soil was closed to US by overpower
\ ing numbers and impending force. So bold
, and reckless were our invaders, that they cared
. not to conceal their attack They came upon
us, not in the guse Of voters, to steal away
J., our franchise, but boldly and openly, to snatch
e it with strong hand. They came directly from
n their own homes, and in compact and organ.
lied bands, with arms in hand and provisions
f for the expedition, marched to our polls and
3 when their work was done, returned whence
they came. 1t is unnecessary to enter into dc
tails it is enough to say that in three districts
in which, by the most irrciragable evidence,
there were not one hundred and fifty voters.
n most of whom refused to participate in the
mockcry Of the elective franchise, these invaders
a polled over thousand votcs.''
a An examination Of details will reveal the ex.
# tent Of this fraud In the seventh election dis
q trlct Of Kansas, six hundred and four votes
d. We're cast on the 2Jth Of November, 1854. Of
a these, Whitfield received five hundred and nine
n ty-seSen-all but seven Three months after
y wards the census was taken, and there were
= only fifty three voters in the seventh district
Who went there to vote! Organized, armed,
disciplined men from the State of Missouri ;
and all the votes but seven in that district were
. given for Mr.. Whitfield. Does the Senator
q from Missouri call that protecting the ballot
a box against armed colonists " In the elev
enth district, on the same day, two hundred and
thirty-seyen votes were given. In February
q following, when the census was taken, there
n were but twenty-tour voters in that district
f which, three months before, bad given Whitfield
:. two hundred and thirty seven votes-all but
y three Of the whole number cast And within
: thirty days after the census was taken, three
a hundred and twenty-eight votes were given in
:, this district, having only twenty four voters
q yet the Senator from Missouri gravey informs
:. the Senate that Alissourians only crossed oyei
r. the borders " to protect the ballot boxes against
, armed coloniss sent there under the auspices
!, OF Enigrant Aid Societies That these Nilsson
~ rians crossed the line and voted on that day fol-
"a Whitfield, no one doubted but he had ma
"a ority of the votes Of the Territory, and fol-
"a that reason has election acaS not ConteSted Tha
:. is the answer to the Senator from Connecticut
~ who has built his argument on that fact
, The character of this invasion will appear il
h an extract from speech made by one of thcs
Ia modern heroes. (Gen Stringlelow) who, &c
~ cordng to the Senator from Missouri, cross
n over into Kansas 6 to protect the ballot boxe
from the armed colQnists " from the free States
!; This speech was made just before the election Of
=, November 20, 1854; to which the Senator from
y, ~ Connecticut has referred with 50 much conf
'0 dence, at 81. Joseph, Missouri. In that speech
. . Gen. Strnslelow said
=. " tell you to mark every scoundrcl anon;
ID you that is the least tainted with Free-Soilisn
If or Abolitonsm, and ertermnate him. Neithe
ID give nor take quarter from the damned rascal
10 a.