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Marshal; Andrew J. Isaacs, of Louisiana, District Attorney; John Calhoun, of Illinois, Surveyor General of Kansas and Nebraska; S. Cunningham, of Missouri, Superintendent of Indian Affairs.

Governor Reeder was born in Easton, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, on the 12th day of July, 1807. He received a thoroughly classical and legal education, and was admitted to the bar in 1828. By diligence and untiring perseverance he steadily advanced to a position of eminence among the first lawyers of the State. Though always a warm advocate of the principles of the Democratic party, he never sought political preferment, but confined himself to his profession with enthusiastic attachment. He was a man of fine. appearance, straight figure and slightly inclined to obesity. Of genial disposition, profound reverence for right and incorruptable virtue, he would have made an excellent Governor where excellence is esteemed. Adoring the beautiful theories of Democracy, he knew nothing of its practical workings. Such was the man first led for immolation upon the gubernatorial altar of Kansas-" a victim without spot or blemish."

The appointment of Mr. Reeder met with the hearty approval of the Democratic press throughout the land. The South had confidence in Mr. Pierce, and felt sure that he understood the man of his selection; the North hoped from Mr. Reeder's character that justice would be administered in the Territory. All felt safe that the Governor would have much influence in determining the institutions of the future State and the eyes of the nation were upon him.

On arriving at Leavenworth he met with a warm reception from the towns-people. Stepping from the Polar Star upon the levee he was greeted by a vast concourse of citizens, a speech of welcome and a national salute from the Fort. His response was that of a pure statesman to a confiding people, in which he said: "By preserving unimpaired the purity of the ballot-box and deciding there, as freemen

should, the question which the nation has properly referred to it, each man calmly, fearlessly and dispassionately expressing his opinion in casting his vote in conformity with the dictates of his conscience and understanding, and by bowing submissively to the will of the majority, when properly ascertained, we shall have done our whole duty and may expect to reap its pleasant fruits."

Mr. Reeder immediately made an extensive tour through the Territory to ascertain the character, condition and wants of the people, and was every-where met with the same cordial welcome. On returning to Fort Leavenworth in two weeks, he applied himself to districting the inhabited portion of the Territory preparatory to an election for Delegate to Congress. He soon issued his proclamation for this purpose by which the judges of the election were required under oath that they would reject the votes of all non-residents who they should believe had come into the Territory for the mere purpose of voting. He defined the word "resident" as used in the Organic Act to mean "the actual dwelling or inhabiting in the Territory, to the exclusion of any other present domicile or house coupled with the present bona fide intention of permanently remaining for the same purpose."

This proclamation was not at all palatable to the slavery propagandists and from this time henceforth Mr. Reeder was in disfavor with them. In a few days some two or three hundred Missourians crossed over in wagons and on horseback to hold a convention at Leavenworth. In this convention Mr. Reeder was denounced as favoring the free soilers and abolitionists by not calling an election for members of the Territorial Legislature. They saw that they were fast losing ground by the increasing emigration from the free States, and hence desired an election that they might get control of the legislative affairs of Kansas before

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they lost the balance of power. They, therefore, appointed a committee to urge upon him his duty in this direction. The committee presented themselves to Governor Reeder as representing a convention composed of actual residents of Kansas Territory, and handed him a memorial from that body soliciting him to call an election for members of the Legislature. But Mr. Reeder was not to be deceived, and requested of them the proceedings of the convention to which they alluded. This they haughtily and peremptorily refused.

Mr. Reeder replied in a written document to these memorialists that if they had been actual residents of the Territory their petition would have met with a respectful consideration; but, though their committee refused to furnish him a copy of their proceedings that he might know the character of the convention, he had ascertained from other sources that it was composed chiefly of persons from Missouri whose wishes had no claims upon his consideration. He then proceeded to rebuke them for their misconduct and closed with a hope that the people from a neighboring State would not meddle with the affairs of the Territory.

There were three candidates in the field for Delegate to Congress. Hon. John A. Wakefield was the avowed free State candidate, He was a Virginian by birth, no politician, a sincere, honest old man. He was not learned in schools, but possessed a large share of practical common sense, and would have well represented the interests of the Territory. General J. W. Whitfield was the pro-slavery candidate. He was a resident of Jackson County, Missouri, a tall Tennesseean of rather good appearance. With his moderate abilities he possessed a good share of cunning. He was nominated by the convention of his fellow-citizens in Leavenworth to which we alluded above. He afterwards found a position in the rebel army. Hon. Robert P. Flenneken was an independent candidate who came out with Governor

Reeder on purpose to run at the election. He was shrewd, ambitious and vain; left immediately after his defeat.

There was but little interest taken in the election by the settlers; many of them having just arrived in the Territory, were busy providing for winter. The issue of slavery was not generally made, most of the people feeling that the delegate would have little to do in deciding this question. So spoke Judge Flenneker and Gen. Whitfield; by which means they obtained free state votes. They both professed to be in favor of leaving this question to the people of the Territory to settle, and who could object to that? Wherever the issue was made the free state votes were divided between Wakefield and Flenneken-Whitfield getting a few of this class.

The election took place the 29th fo November. Atchison and Stringfellow through the agency of the secret societies had prepared the Missourians for their work. The former in a public speech which he made a few weeks previous to the election in Platte county, eloquently exhorted them to go over and do their duty by voting. In one half the districts there was little or no fraudulent voting; in the other half there 1729 illegal votes cast. At Lawrence the day previous to the election, the Missourians came on horseback and in wagons, with guns, bowie knives, revolvers and whiskey, and encamped near town. Early next morning having gathered around the house where the polls were to be kept, two of the judges not appearing, they selected two from their crowd to fill the vacancies and voted. "In order to make a pretense of right to vote, some persons of the company kept a pretended register of Squatter claims,

(4) Speech of General Atchison, Nov. 6: "When you reside in one day's journey of the Territory, and when your peace, your quiet and your property depend upon your action, you can without an exertion, send five hundred of your young men who will vote in favor of your institutions. Should each county in the State of Missouri only do its duty, the question will be decided quietly and peaceably at the ballot-box. If we are defeated then Missouri and the other Southern States will have shown themselves recreant to their interests and will deserve their fate."-Platte Argus.

on which any one would enter his name, and then assert that he had a claim in the Territory. When the polls closed they mounted their horses and wagons and cried out "All aboard. for Westport and Kansas City." With thirty-five legal votes there were polled two hundred and twenty-six illegal ones. In the 4th District, forty miles from Missouri, out of one hundred and sixty-one votes polled, one hundred and thirty-one were those of non-residents. In a very remote settlement called "110," seventy-five miles west from the border, there were six hundred and four votes polled, of which only twenty were legal. In Marysville, where only seven legal votes were polled, there were two hundred and thirty-eight fraudulent ones. Some of the leading men of Missouri, comprising merchants, doctors and lawyers, were recognized among these ballot-box stuffers. There were the Judges of Buchanan and Cass Counties, the City Attorney of St. Joseph and a noted lawyer from Independence. Of the total number of legal votes cast General Whitfield received a plurality. He was declared duly elected by the Governor and obtained his seat in Congress. There was

(5) ABSTRACT OF ELECTION, NOVEMBER 29, 1854.-FROM REPORT OF CON

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