Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-10-20
Hon. Henry Wilson and the Kansas

portion Of the speech of the Hon. Henry Wilson
at the City Hall, on Saturday evening last, in
refutatiou OF the slsnderous charge Of the Bay
State and other democratic prints, that he coun-
seled the letting of the Kansas election go by
default. What malicious invention will our op-
ponents resort to next?
"a friend of mine, fellow citizens, has called
my attention to article in the Bay State of this
day, in which the assertion made in that journal
some time ago is again repeated, that | advised
Gov. Robinson and Gen. Lane when in Kanzas,
mot to Uote at the October election-to make Kan
zGS sLGUe State If possible, Without SuSpiciOn--
because thereby shall obtain all the capital zoe
cant for the Presidential election IN 1867 This
sanderous charge was made in the Bag State
some weeks ago, and has often been repeated.
The administration presses have spread it over
the land, and administration orators have quoted
1t and commented upon it before crowded assem-
blages. have borne in silence this vile SANDER.
The hour has come to brand it, as it is, an I'M
qualified falsehood. The October election has
passed, and | can now vindcate myself without
detriment TO the cause of free Kanzas. Here to.
night, here in the city OF Worcester, where this
alander first published, here in this hall, and
before this auditory, l pronounce this charfe, IN
word and thought, base slander-an unquall-
fed falsehood. Gen. Lane did not see while in
Kanzas, and Gov. Rovinson has in his posses.
sion the ampest evidence in my own hand
writing that advised the free State men to vote
in the October election, take the power into their
own hands, and blot out the whole border rufhan
code
went to Kanzas on no political mission. l
went 10 see that beautiful land and the people
who had so nobly struggled to bless it with free
institutions. could not, however, be nsensible
to the dangers which menaced that territory l
went up the Missouri with Gov. Walker, and
saw something of him at Lawrence and LecOmp-
ton IN mo OF slavery had M
more plant, adroit, and skillful agent-that his
influence would be given to make Kanzas a slave
State OF black law Democratic State. To him
Aanzas was a stage-he was acting his part.
While he had been making big promises in the
East, the officials in Kanzas had been neglccting
the enrolment of the voters and Stanton had is
sued his apportionment plan, which DISTINGUISHED
whole counties and thousands OF free State men.
It was plain that the constitutional convention
would be in the hands of the slave State men. 1t
seemed to me that the only hope of saving Kan
zas to freedom was to take possession of the ter
ritorial government-to secure the power under
the forms of the border ruffan code, and then re-
peal that code. l stated my views to Mr.. Par
rOtt who | trust has been elected free State del.
egate to Congress. He fully coneurred in the
policy of voting at the October election. In Gov.
Robinson's room at Lawrence, in the presence of
Judge Conway, Mr.. Foster, late Chaplain of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives, Mr..
Phillips, the correspondent of the Tribune, and
few Others, urged the policy voting at the Oc-
tober election.
1t was said by some of the gentlemen that they
had refused TO acknowledge the validity of the
territorial laws-that to do would be inconsist-
ent-that they were agreed in support of the To-
peka constitution, and that any attempt to change
their policy would distract, inot divide, the free
State men, and put the cause in peril-that they
would be cheated in the apportionment and at the
polls, which were in the hands of the slave State
men. To these objections Of Judge Conway and
others, suggested that the friends of Kanzas had
lost the President, and that both houses of Con-
gTess were against them-that the Topeka con-
stitution would not be accepted by Congress or
recognized by the President-and that Walker
would clutch at any opportunity afforded by the
attempt to put the State government in force un-
der that constitution, to put the free State men
in false position before the country-that if
KanZas was made free State, they must do it,
and to accomplish that end they must take the
power out of the hands of the slave State men by
voting at the October election even if they voted
the free State Germans did last year for Fill
more, under protest-that they must try, and if
cheated by officials or out.voted by Missouri in
yaders, they must be prepared to establish
the facts Before | left the Territory told
Gen. Robinson, Mr.. Parrot, Mayor Adams,
Mr. Whitman, Mr.. S. G. smith, and others, that
if they would decide at their coming Free State
Convention t9 vote in the October election as
well as to hold their August election unuer Tue
Topeka Constitution I yVnuld go home and raise
three or four thousand dollars to aid them in the
organization of the Free State men for those
elections.
lett Kansas, and on my way down the Missou-
II wrote to several gentlemen of the Territory,
urging upon them the policy of voting at the DC.
to6er election, and assuring them that would
hasten home, and raise for them a few hundred
dollars, to help organize their scattered Free
State settlers. | had intended to visit Nebraska
and Minnesota but fastened home and reached
NaTr Vol in Lees han s.
worth. To the Hon. E. d. Morgan, Mr. Dana
of the Tribune, and few other friends of free
Kansas, developed the plan of action, and from
them received encouragement that New York
would do something for that cause. On my ar
rival home, had meeting called of such men
as A. a. Lawrence, DR. S. g. Howe, Hon c. F.
Adams, j NJ S. Williams, and Mr. Stearns. l
aid before these gentlemen my plan of oIganiza-
ton for the October election, which was to raise
three or four thousand dollars, select good man
20 go to the Territory and see that the work of
organization was done, and the money iudicious-
ly expended. These gentlemen promptly en-
dorsed the plan, andlvoted to raise twenty-five
hundred in Massachusetts, chose committee to
raise the money, and this Committee appointed
the Hon. Thomas j. Marsh, the Republican can
didate for Treasurer, the agent, aud he has been
IN Kansas the last three months, engaged in the
work Of organizing the Free State men. came
to this city, and laid the plan before your hon
ored fellow citizen, Mr.. Chaplin, and I am proud
to say here tonight, that the good Anti-Slavery
city OF Worcester, contributed more than her
share to aid the cause of free Kansas. went to
New Haven, and laid the matter before Prof Sill
liman, Mr.. Woodruff, late member of Congress-
and others, and received assurances that New
Haven would make up her part of the needed
amount Three times l have been to New York
for this purpose. have spent many days and
travelled hundreds Of miles at my own expense
to fulfil the pledge l made to the Free State men
of Kansas While / have thus labored without
any other reward than the consciousness Of do
ing something for the cause of freedom in Kan
sas, have been falsely slandered by pro slavery
presses and orators. Owing to the pressure in
The money market, and the depression of bust
ness, we have not been able to do for our friends
in Kansas all that promised, nor all they had a
right to expect of us. This l regret, for / know
that some of the Free State men have travelled
hundreds of miles and expended their own scan
ty means to organize the scattered Free State
settlers, and it would have been a source Of plea
sure to me and to Others to have contributed
more to tighten their burdens. trust, however,
that their sacrifices and labors and the little aid
their friends in the east have given them, have
secured to them the control of the Territorial
Government, in spite Of the deceptive conduct
of Gov Walker, and the manifest frauds of the
bogus officials.
INDIANA.--The election for member of Con-
gress in the 10th district, to fill the vacancy caus.
ed by the death Of Mr.. Brenton, has resulted in