The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-11-05
KANSAS CORRESPONDENCE.
The FREE STATE PARTY IN KANsAs-THEIR
TRUE POLICY-THE ERA JUSTIFIED.

10 The Editor Of the National Era:
Though still suffering from fever which has
for nearly four weeks confined me to my bed
almost constantly, cannot refrain from thank.
ing you for the noble stand you have taken in
behalf of Kansas and her Free State policy.
design to speak more particularly of the
favorable influence your policy with regard to
voting has exerted, not upon the Free State
people alone, but upon the entire population.
Having decided to go into the October election,
we were on the road that must lead to ultimate
success, no II sitter what had been the result of
the present election. The people have taken a
step which it will be utterly impossible to in.
dace them to retrace. Once engaged in the
contest at the polls, they will continue it until
theyare entirely victorious-an inapracticability
they will not again rally around.
We have said thus much, leaving entirely
Dat Of the account the result of the recent cleo
ton.
But let US see whether the voting policy will
stand the tea;, when tried by the result of the
election Just held. The returns are not COM
peie, but enough is known to establish the fact
tina, we have elected cur Delegate to Congress,
10 out Of the | 3 members of the Council, and
q out of the 80 members of the House. We
think if this is not entirely satisfactory to the
Free State party, it is certainly not aoholiy
disastrous. We think there will no longer be
justification for calling those I" fools" who IA
vored the voting policy, or charging them with
seeking to distract the Free State party" and
. in their uaeGsinesS attempting to get up
shisd party;" oil Of aohich, and much more
has tcaen charged upon those who labored to
get Out the largest possible number of Free
Safe voters. Bat had we by any means, how
ever up lust, or however impossible to have been
avoided bS those who advised that the Free State
men 90 to the polls, been defeated, we should
today have been the best-sbused men in Kan
sss, and the journals both in and out of Kansas
would have been most thoroughly denounced.
Happily, such is not the case. We say such is
not the case; for no matter how corrupt the
judges of election may be, no matter how false
their returns, Secretary Stanton, Gov. Walker,
and the National Administration, are all
pledged to give us a fair election, into which
them it is all important that these pledges be
redeemed. So we argued before the election,
and SO We reason now. Policy. if no higher
motive actustes them, must induce them to ad-
here 10 the line of policy they have marked
Out We have heard Secretary Stanton state,
not in private, but iu the presence of number
OF the most respectable witnesses, the Governor
being present, and evidently endorsing the re-
marks, that no man, of whatever party, should
receive his certificate, if he had good rsason to
believe the person claiming it was not fairly
elected by the bona tide electors of the Terrific
~" We asked the Secretary if the Pro Slavery
party SO understood him. He replied, Seer.
tainly," and added, extending his right arm, q
will suffer this arm to be amputated, sooner
than use it in signing certificate TO which the
Claimant is not justly entitled" We said to
the Secretary, ace should remember this pledge
after the election is past. He promptly replied
| Dish you to-" We were not then without
faith in the Secretary's right arm, and are no,
now.
Have We anything since the election thai
goes to prove that it was the real intention o.
the Governor to stand by the pledges he made
70 the people before they decided to take the
step which has placed them in 80 favorable 6
position?
we answer, yes. An individual whose infin
snce ior good Ia Lot second to any in the Ter.