The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-01-28
FROM KANSAS.
LECoi ,PTON, Dec. %. l85

LrcoSProN, Dec. 20, 1857.
To the Editor of the Mttional Era:
In accordance with say promise, I send you
lew lines in referene, to the present condi-
ton of Kansas. Befor, doing go, would sim.
ply state, moved to th Territory nearly three
montbs s;noe, tho. ,st.r oppor.ssity IA ght
be afforded a rising f,mily of boys to secure
homes in q new country. / have seen and
suffered much in this stracted Territory. So
conservative has BENNY course, that not q
few of my ardent Fre5 State friends almost
charged me with being Pro Slavery man.
Well, now, we-nine tentbs of the people of
Kansas-are maddenet almost to desperation /;
and l may in truth ali iost say, war of COM
plete determination is commenced against the
men who have attempts to make us slave,, by
forcing on US Constitution we abhor. Those
having the means are ending their wives and
children out of the TIE ritory, while their hus-
bands and fathers rem IN to contend manfulIy
for their rights. We Till hope to be able to
restrain the masses fir I'm extreme measures,
until we learn what Con .ress will do in the case.
As for the President and his ofice-holders,
they have no more infu once in Kansas than an
Irish tin pedlar.
Very few votes were asst against the Slavery
clause in the Lecomnpn swindle, and those
few were generally cassidy Federal oficel old
ers and those in their employ. The count = at
large, as well as MS, we've informed by the Tres
dent that special instru lions we're sent to guard
the polls on the 2lst. Well, sir, there was not
even An attempt madefo protect the polls on
that day from foreign Interference or internal
fraud. The result has been, it was one among
the most fraudulent elections ever held, even
in Kansas. As sample of their fraud in Lee
compton, one precinct out of four in Douglas
county, they returned enc hundred and thirty
votes cast, thirty of which were against the
Slavery clause. Those Voting against the Sla-
very clause in LecomP.on were mostly officers
in the surveyors and land offc and their assist
ants. Well. cir, last October, q number of
Free State Democrats voted with the Disupion
gentry, and, 10 they poled one hundred and
eighteen votes in the whole county When the
Free State Democrats voted with them at Will
low Springs, (apother precinct in Douglas
county,) thirty-seven ssqtes were cast thirty
FIVE fer the Constituting with Slavery, and two
against the Slavery clause. In Lawrence and
Bloomington precincts no votes were polled-
not because las has hsen falsely reported by
the Disunion Nulli6erss the people we're afraid
precincts, and every citizen permitted to vote,
without shadow Of ;fterference-but for the
reason that Colonel Eldridge assigned to Act
ing Governor Denver when the Governor
;"to.--ea the Colonel go heard such a report.
1t is not true, l assure iou, Governor; 1t IS not
true. The reason was, Ae people were ashamed
to uote such ticket. Gut to return, Governor,
to the business on hang. want the arms the
Government stole from me, more than year
since. But the complete success of Colonel
Eldridge in regaining possession of his prop
erty, you will learn bef6te this reaches you.
The Free State men are not idle, 1 assure
you, in preparing for ane emergency. But their
ardent desire and hope is, that Congress will
interpose between faithless President and his
advisers and an oppressed people, who ask
nothing more than their right to form such a
system of Government as they may conceive
will best promote their interest.