The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-01-16
Boilers.

December, are called ''Bolters," by their
aDo-nothing" party friends. Ifitisthede-
sire to apply the term to rs We shall wear 1t
gracefully, as we presume all Others Will
who bolted the fraudulent do-nothing pol
icy of our neighbors. For two and half
wears we had rested from political action,
all the time telling the country that we
were deprived of our legal rights by
fraud and violence at the same time we
were telling that, We claimed sAhas We
were from ten to twenty times more nu-
merous than our opponents. From our
distant friends has come constant GEN.
sure. you aye as strong as you represent
yourselves, why do you not rise like the
strong man, and shake off this incubus?
By your constant repinings. without ac-
ton, we are getting ashamed of you
Can't is not proper word in an Ameri-
can lexicon, and genuine Americans will
not use it"
By hard exertion the people were in
duced to engage in the October election,
in spite of the continual croakings Of the
Do-nothings. They engaged in the cleo
ton with might and main, and just as all
sensible men contemplated, they tri-
umphed.
The prestige of that victory was suffi-
cient to have carried us triumphantly
through any election which followed
But sloh again whispered in the ears of
our people, "Don't engage in the election,
if you do you will be defeated" allow
defeated" was the enquiry. "Why by
fraud, and interference in our elections
by Missourians." 1t was replied" If
we do not engage in the elections-if we
stand aloof from the polls, zoe shall be de-
feated s0itso,tt fraud, and loithots foreign in
reference"
But one party determined they would
not vote, while the others resolved they
would not give up all as lost without an
effort. They remembered the advise of
Gen. Harrison to the gallant Col. Gro
CHAN, at Fort Stephenson, to Retreat if
possible, but if not to capitulate on the
best terms possible" When the dispatch
reached the Colonel all opportunities of
retreating were cut off; and to capitulate
with the enemy, was to be murdered by
merciless savages who surrounded them.
They determined to sell their lives as
dearly as possible; and engaged in the
fight with the desperation of men who
had everything to gain by victory, and
nothing to lose by defeat. They fought
and conquered, and drove the enemy,
though nearly ten times more numerous
than they, before them. All over the ma
ton were heard shouts of satisfaction al
Col. Croghan's position and success; bui
Gen. Harrison's advise was often rung in
his ears afterwards, because he even sug-
Igested different line of action.
We, in Kansas, instead of being nu.
merically weaker, greatly exceeded oul
opponents. Said one man in our hearing
81 would not return to my home, and look
my children in the face, and tell them we
had laid down our arms, and resolved moi
to vote at this election, for FIVE hundred
dollars"
Here were the brave pioneers who had
left homes of comfort, and many of them
of affluence, in the East; three years ago
for the purpose of building up new home:
for themselves in the western wilderness
designing to do their share in building VI
new institutions which would be in har
mony with their convictions of right
, Here were Robinson, and Pomeroy, ant
Wakefield, and Miller, and Conway, ant
Smith, and Roberts, and Goodin, ant
Schuyler, and Davis and here in counci
were nearly all the prominent names sohicj
had figured in our early history, as wei
known throughout the Territory'as house
hold words. They all wished to engag
in the election, and al felt that this tca
their last hope; that to surrender the fielC
| at that time was to give the whole thin;
, over to the enemy, and to abandon Kan
, sas, and all the Great West, to the de
} mons of the Slave Power.
Rising above the surroundings, whe
: they found they were voted down b
| fraudulent means, and defeated in tn
, Convention by few political trickster.
who had partially succeeded in packin
the Convention, and by false representa-
: tions, they quietly withdrew for consulta
e ton. For two days and two nights the
: had listened to arguments pro and co,
e and their minds were made up. It wa
n when they had met in the Masonic Hal
9 and were in the midst of their delibera
!, tions, the same outside pressure whic
e had managed to control the action of tn
e Delegate Convention, came in upon then
: like rolling avalanche, and sought t
break them up, and succeeded so far as t
: compel them to adjourn to the Odd Fel
{ lows Hall to complete their labors. Thes
t intruders had hoped to have disperse
!. those old-tried friends of the cause. bv
: ruthless mob, but the next morning, the
f learned that ticket was in the field
Q Then went up the cry of "bolters."-
: Then originated the title of the Brow
e Ticket" Browns Cellar Kitchen Tick
: et," the John P. Wood Brown Ticket,
g the aHalf-dozen Boilers Ticket" an
e away through the country were sent run
: ners, bearing lying circulars, representa-
: any number of falsehoods in regard {