Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-09-12
POLL u F10AL.
The Democrats of Kansas The Great
Democratic Meeting at 0sawkee. s,


Democratic Meeting at 0sawkee.
Ata dcmocratio meeting held in front of
the Osawkee House, in the town of 0saw-
kee, Kansas Territory, ,on Monday evening,
August 10, 1857, Judge Rush Elmore was
called to the chair, and Pascal S. Parks,
and William j. Preston. were appointed
Secretaries The President stated tho OBJ
ject of the meeting in u few appropriate re-
marks; after which, on motion, Wilson
shannon, j. w, Martin, W.. H. Tebbs,
w. H. Dyer, j. III. ST. Matthew, ID. D.,
Burns, S. b. Garrett, r. S. Stevens, Hugh
Cameron, ID. Vanderslicc, and j. A. Hal
derman, were appointed n committee to
draught resolutions expressive of the sense
of the meeting. , $50 ~ -.
After the committee retired General,J.
w, Whitfield was called to the stand, and
addressed the audience ina few wcll-timed
and spirited remarks. Although his posi-
ton and his duties now were not of po-
litical character, yet many had made fre-
quent inquiries as to how he stood upon the
issue in Kansas, and hogladly embraced
the opportunity here presented of stating
his position fully, frankly, and fearlessly.
lie was democrat of. the old school, and
rs good pro-slavery man as.conld be found
in the Territory. He differed from many
so-called pro-slavery men, however. He
made his ideas upon the, " peculiar institu-
ton" subservient to, his democracy and
thought that as good democrats lived in
New York as lived in Louisiana.
He was cmphatioally in favor ofsubmit-
ting the constitution which will be framed
at Lecompton in September next totho
people of the Territory AS to who were
tho peopic he did not assume the province
OF determining; but gave tit MS his opinion
that the convention should leave this ques-
tion to be settled by the territorial law,
which prescribes a residence of six months
as one of the qualifications of voter. He
has heard with astonishment that men pro.
Tossing to be democrats aud members of
the convention were bitterly opposed to
submitting the constitution to the people.
He was prepared to tell all such men that
he did not believe that such a, a,consttution
as they wished to adopt would receive ten
votes in Congress, aud he did not think it
ought to. He was of the opinion that,it
would be an unparalleled piece Of impu-
dcnoe to ask men who wcre pleagedto the
doctrine of allowing the people of tho Ter
ritory, to form their own institution intheir
own way, to stultify themselves and vote
for a constitution which probably did not
contain the views and wishes Of q majority
of the bona .fole citizens of, Kansas He
warned the members of that convention
that failure to refer their constitution to
the people for ratification would not meet
the favor from the democracy of Kansas,
and he pledged himself in such an. event
to be among the first to calla meeting of
all true democrats of the Territory for the
purpase of opposing the constitution of thnt
convention, and petitioping to Congress to
reject it.. 80.
lie endorsed Gov. Walkerin his speech.
es, proclamation, and acts, and he expressed
an abiding confidence that his Excellency
would solve the great problem of sef-gov.
espment amieably, eqritably, and to the
entire satisfaction of all national men. He
spoke in scathing terms of,those know-noth.
ing emisaarics who have sought, and Cre
seeking, to lead the democrats of the Ter
ritorys particularly those who, without ever
having q drop of Gemocatic blood in theil
veins, had bcon making speechessin Mis-
souri,, and asking the people of that State
TO come over and vote at,our October cleo
tion. He knew them well and themotiyc
that aotuated them. After having sole
ont to the black republicans in Kanaas
they sought to rcinstate tlemselyesin thu
81 good grsees of the Missoufians By just spcE
contemplate huihbuggery as invoking thei
aid inthe coming elections. Such mer
were unauthorized, and all their labors il
this regard would be. Guitlcss No sam
person believed Chat a9Aingle man from
Missouri was Coming into Kansas to vot,
at tho elections The speaker made p,a,i,
moro, home tlrtists which escaped the pei
ofthe hercporter AT the conclusion Of tlri
address, the committee, byS, b. Garrett
reported the following resolutionsl IL.
Where's, the time is approaching when
81 in accerdanee with the provisions Of th
.organiV act, the people Of this ipesritory syIl