Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-08-25


their own true hearts, and those who, like them,
in the States, were determined to see right sus-
tanned. When the returns of the election of
1887 came in, or rather before, the Border Ruff
fans saw that their power was passing from
them. Gov. Walker anl myself had pledged
our honor that no violence should be used to
prevent a free expression on the part of the
Free State men. We resolved to rendeem our
pledges at all hazards.
One day was in my office alone, after it was
well understood that the Free State men had
carried the election by large majority. A
messenger came in with big roll of poper.
which he gave to me as the returns from Ok
ford. ] asked him, care YOU sure these arc the
returns from Oxford?" lie said yes, and grew
serious about it. broke the seal and unrolled
the package the same as Il shopkeepcr would
roll of silk, and threw i from me on the floor
about fifty feet. II was list of 900 or / 700
names, purp0rt,ug 10 be list of voters at a
small village on tho bordtr not containing pro-
badly twenty voters. | expressed surprise and
looked at the man again. This time there was
a twinkle in his eye, but he insisted that these
were the returns. bowed him out of the Office
and locked up the papers. A few days after
Gov. Walker nda myself examined these papers,
and decided that they bore on their face the
most incontestable evidences of fraud, and that
~ 'JND' ''0"i' i"IH, hVNV'cI, was hot
all. Hitching up a vehicle we went Journey
OF one hundred miles to Oxford, and found it a
small place of about sixty houses, two-thrds of
them on the Missouri side, and the rest in Kan
| sas. We went there incog, ind before they
lound out who we were inquired about the
election. Well, they said men came here and
voted from all directions, but principally from
Missouri. Even at that the, said that there
were not over Zoo TO 3Oo voteC at the outside.
IL leaked Out, however, whom we were, and
tneh they smut down and didn't tell thing.
we found out however, that two clerks had
hlrcu house one mile from towr, and had been
busy Tor two days fitting up this list of voters.
We rejected the returns As soon as it was
known in Washington the tone and policy of
the Administration became clunged. Gov.
Walker was forced to resign: and a for myself.
| was unceremoniouslv kicked ou; of NV Office.
The frauds committed here in ST Louis were
rghtcd by the House of Representatives Not
so with the Kansas frauds; they we're counten-
anced bv the President. and tn, men who as
sisted to expose them disprac,d. No. | will
not say divyraccd, for the present Administra-
tion cannot disgrace anybody
would have felt myself dislonored and dis
graccd if had held office after these acts. |
had it in nv power to do somehing 10 restore
to the people of Kansas ther rights. After
/ the tlCt non ana after lne celebrated LccOmutOn
Convention. it was resolved BY the President
to exert all its power. whether fright or wrong,
to force the Constitution framed at that Con-
vention upon the people. This was known in
the Territory. Coy. Walker was absent and
the duty deyolved upon me to call the Lerisla-
turc together recommended them to pass a
law to submit the Constitutin to the pcople
They did so. and in January 1858. the people
of Kansas, bv vote of ten to one. resolved
not to have the Constitution. This was the
turning point of the whole business The peo
pie of that Territory, by solemn vote, told
the Congress of the United States that they
were opposed to that Constitution. Yet, fellow
oi'i1e"N, /" spite o. the Tact thar i, od;"''e
to that people, the President and Cabinet, and
the whole Democratic party, tied to- drag Kan
S's INTO the Cmon against hr WILL ana thus
force her to Slavery.
Before TINS | had been Democrat all my
NE, and havnt materially charged my position.
think the President and part!ln Congress has
changed, but not myself. W len iounu my
sell abandoned oy everybody II my own party
| returned 10 Kansas ana sun lrSed the pollcy
of allowing the people to mango their own at
fairs. Then found everybody there-the Ke-
pubhcans OF Kansas working van me-and tor
the firSt time found myself working IN concert
with the kepubAcan party, Tor the preservation
OF the liberties OF the people. l was IN Con
/ grcss IN lSoi, and voted Tor the hansas-Ne-
! braska bll. made speech, however, on That
bill, stating my belief that Slavery never would
20 to Kansas as, indeed, 1t never has attempt
ed to be carried ,hore, excepting by few men
on you. borders, and other mlShievous men in
/ TIE South. 1t has been gotten up for political
benefits.
! Now, gentlemen, this is a fundamental prin-
| ciple of our Government, that he people of a