Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-08-06
Freedom Ignored by the Dem0rracT.

Ism OF Ar. Blair, and proceeded W sAg -
Itis known to most Of you, that for ten
years was a member Of Congress from the
State of Tennessee. During that time, and
as befpre had been q Democrat From the
first moment when could begin TO distinguish
between Whiegery aud Democracy ] was a
Democrat had retired from public life, and
was quietly pursuing the affairs of private
life. having no disposition 10 seek or accept
Office. when was asked 10 60 10 Kansas rs
Secretary 70 Governor Walker. The Presi-
dent and the Cabinet insisted on my going.
Il was true that had assisted TO elevate Mr..
Buchanan TO the place be now holds, and
which he disgTRces. | am almost ashamed
to acknowledge it yet ought not TO be, for
supported him as an honest and sincere
upholder OF the rights Of the people ofevery
section. -.ill IaA ~
When Gov. Walker was called upon to 60
to Kansas, he insisted that | should go with
him ] was unwilling TO 60. | declined I;
but the President and his Cabinet urged II
and i consented. They told me that the
Kansas affairs were of the highest importance,
and induced me to sacrifice my personal in
terests TO 20. We went Gov. Walker and
myself 10 stand by the rights of the people.
Before went there | knew, and all knew,
that lhe Free State men were largely In the
majority There were in Washington con
stantly leaders of the pro-slayery people, who
universally admitted that the Free State men
Wera IA a maiority in Kansas But the singu-
lar met was revealed when We arrived there
that the minority was ruling the majority,
and imposing upon them measures that were
hateful and obnoxious 20 all their sentiments
I -ee 1naff1a1 fha Fer
ritorial Government laughed at it, and would
not have anything TO do with it. Gov.
I Walker and myself resolved to try 10 per
suade the majority to get things in their own
hands by voting. Gov. Walker pledged his
honor that they should be treated fairly, and
have a full opportunity TO exhibit their
strength, if in majority and we endeavored
by speeches, and all means in our power, to
get them to take theposition Of the Governor.
They said il was idle; that border rufiian S
had controlo OF everything. Every magistrate,
every constable, and every sheriff was ap-
pointed simply to defraud Free State men
1t didn't seem possible. / could not believe
Americans and especially those haihng from
the land OF chiyalry, could be party Of such
outrages as these. Renewed pledges were
given, and honor was gtaked that fair pla y
should be shown.
Unfortunately, as | think, many OF the
Free State men refused TO vote at the election
i for delegates to the Lecompton Convention.
! They knew better than / did that it was a
| cut nd dried affair; that it was packed from
the beginning; pre-ordained affair in every
/ thing. The Lecompton Convention was
elected by the Pro-Slavery party or mis-
| erahle faction Of it. At subsequent election
we induced the people to vote Tor the Legisia-
ture which met in January, 1897, and then
were the monster frauds perpetrated. Prior
to our going into the Territory, elections had
/ been carried by men living on the border OF
\ Mistouri-men representing the slaveholding
class, but not of the honorable class of slave
1 holders and not, by their example, injecting
the BlavehOlding Democracy Of Missouri, but
4 recs less, lawless desperadoes went with arms
in their hands, and drove Free State men
from the polls; took the ballot boxes and
I stud ed them as they wished, and conducted
things with a high hand. We thought to
man age differently, and promised protection.
/ Hene let me refer to a speech of g South
/ CarDlina disunionist, B. BarnTell Rhett, lately
published in the St. Louis Republican, which,
with strange pervsrzion, says that Walker
and Stanton, at the head Of the army,
went 10 Kansas to drive out PrO-Slavery men,
and excepting for US, Kansas would now be
a Slave State. Nothing is more false-nOth-
ing could be more in conflict with the facts.
Gov. Walker only used the army twice while
he was in Kansas the first time was to pro-
teet the members Of that Lec0mpton Conyen-
ton from the Just indignation OF the people OF
that territory; excepting for Sherman's bat
. . v-bs oh fhaiu r1wiofaofiOu
every member of that Convention had been
driven from the Territory. The second time
when he sent troops to suppress city gov
eminent about 10 be set up in Lawrence,
which Gov. Walker thought was rebellious.
Neither ofus ever used the army excepting to
protect Pro-Slavery men. The Free State
men always had to fight the Administration
oficials-thats being backed by an army
They never had any assistance excepting from
their own true hearts, and those who, like
them, in the States, we're determined to see
right sustained. When the returns Of the
election Of 1857 came in, or rather before,
the Border Rufians saw that their power
was passing from them. Gov. Walker and
myself had pledged our honor that no violence
should be used to prevent free expression
on lhe part of the Free State men. We re-
solred 10 redeem our pledges at all hazards.
One day was in my office alone, after II
Waii well understood that the Free State men
had carried the election by large majority
A messenger came in,with big roll OF paper
which be gave to me as the returns from Ok
for1. asked him, " Are you sure these are
tho returns from Oxford p He said yes, and
K. grew serious about it. broke the seal and
unrolled the package, the same as shop
J keeper would a roll ofsilk, and threw it from
me on the floor about fifty feet ItWas q
list of l, 800 OF ], 700 names, purporting TO be
a list of voters at q small village on the bor-
der, not containing probably twenty voters
1 expressed surprise and looked at the mar
again. This time there was a twinkle in hi!
eye, but he insisted that these were the returns
/ bowed him out Of the Office and locked "
the papers. A few days after Gov. Walker
and myself examined these papers, and de
cided that they bore on their face the mos
inDontestabIe evidences of fraud, and that w
! would reject them. This, however, was no
all. Hitching up a vehicle we went jour
new. of one hundred miles TO Oxford, anC
: found It a small place Of about sixty houses
7; two-thirds of them on the Missouri side, ant
J, the rest in Kansas We went there incog.
3 and before they found out who we were ",
4 inquired about the election. Well, they salt
men came here and voted from all directions
but principally from Missouri. Even at that
they said that there were not over 200 or 30I
voted at the outside. It leaked out bow
ever, whom we were, and then they shu
!. down and didn't tell a thing. We found out
Il however, that tWo-clerks had hired hous
% about one mile from town, and had been bus.
f. for two days fitting up this list of fvOters. w
rejected the returns. As soon as it wa
known in Washington, the tone and polio.
OF the Administration became changed. Gov
! Walker was forced TO resign; and as 10
myself, was uneeremoniOusly kicked out G
), nv Office. The frauds committed here in ST
9 Louis were righted by the House of Repre-
= sentatives. Not 50 with the Kansas frauds
= they were cOuntenanced by the President
& and the men who assisted to expose ther
u u disgraced. No, I viii not say dsgrassd fc
the rresent Administration cannot dispraC