tion he said that there were 1,100 coming over from Platte County, and if that wasn't enough they would bring 5,000 more; that they came to vote and would vote, or kill every G-d d-d abolitionist in the Territory.

"On the day of election the Missourians under Atchison, who were encamped there, came up to the polls in the 18th district and voted, taking the oath that they were residents of the district. The Missourians were all armed with pistols and bowie knives, and said there were sixty in their company. But seventeen of the votes given there were given by citizens of the district. The whole number of votes was sixty-two. R. L. Kirk, one of the candidates, came into the district from Missouri about a week before. the election and boarded there. He left after the election, and was not at the time a legal resident of the district in which he was elected. No protest was sent to the Governor on account of threats made against any who should dare to contest the election.

"The following table embodies the result of the examination of your committee in regard to this district. In some of the districts it was impossible to ascertain the precise number of legal votes cast, and especially in the 14th, 15th and 16th districts. In such cases the number of legal and illegal votes cast is stated after a careful re-examination of all the testimony and records concerning the election.

TAKEN FROM THE ABSTRACT OF THE ELECTION RETURNS OF THE 30TH OF MARCH,

TAKEN FROM THE ABSTRACT OF THE ELECTION RETURNS OF THE 30TH OF MARCH-CONCLUDED,

These extracts afford a fair sample of border invasion. At many of the other precincts it was equally as bad. Thus we see an army of almost 5,000 men, fully equipped, marched into the Territory under the leadership of the distinguished men of Missouri-Hon. David R. Atchison, United States Senator and ex officio Vice President, Hon. M. J. Oliver, likewise Senator, and afterwards a member of the Investigating Committee, by whom these facts were elicited, Hon. Claiborn F. Jackson, afterwards Governor of Missouri, and many others of like stamp, for the avowed purpose of controling the election; and the only justification they could offer for their conduct was that they had heard the Emigrant Aid Societies were going to ship in voters.

The invasion of Kansas was a popular movement in Western Missouri, participated in by all classes of society. With the exception of a few leaders, who were doubtless behind the curtain, most of them acted sincerely and conscientiously, believing that the measures thus adopted were called out and fully justified by the action of the Emigrant Aid Societies. Old men and young men, the robust and infirm, the

conscientious and reckless, the educated and illiterate, all joined heartily in this movement to make Kansas a slave State.

"The only persons emigrated into the Territory under the auspices of this company in 1855, prior to the election in March, were a party of one hundred and sixty-nine persons, who came under the charge of Dr. Charles Robinson.

"In this party there were sixty-seven women and children, They came as actual settlers, intending to make their homes in the Territory, and for no other purpose. They had about their persons but little baggage, usually sufficient clothing in a carpet sack for a short time. Their personal effects, such as clothing, furniture, &c., were put into trunks and boxes, and for convenience in selecting and cheapness in transporting, were marked, 'Kansas party baggage; in care of B. Slater, St. Louis.' Generally this was consigned as freight, in the ordinary way, to a commission merchant. This party had, in addition to the usual allowance of one hundred pounds to each passenger, a large quantity of baggage on which the respective owner paid the usual extra freight. Each passenger or party paid his or their own expenses, and the only benefit they derived from this society, not shared by all the people of the Territory, was the reduction of about seven dollars in the price of fare, the convenience of traveling in a company instead of alone, and the cheapness and facility of transporting their freight through regular agents. Subsequently many emigrants, being either disappointed with the country, or its political condition, or deceived by statements made in newspapers, and by agents of the society, became dissatisfied and returned, both before and after the election, to their old homes. Most of them are now settlers in the Territory. Some few voted at the election in Lawrence, but the number was small. The names of these emigrants have been ascertained, and thirtyseven of them are found on the poll books. This company of peaceful emigrants, moving with their household goods, was distorted into an invading horde of pauper abolitionists, who were, with those of a similar character, to control the domestic institutions of the Territory, and then overrun those of the neighboring State.

"The entire emigration in March, 1855, is estimated at

five hundred persons. They came on steamboats up the Missouri River in the ordinary course of emigration. Many returned for causes similar to those before stated, but the body of them are now residents. The only persons of those who were connected by proof with the election, were some who voted at the Big Blue precinct, in the 16th District, and at Pawnee, in the 9th District."

The time of holding the election was not known to the first emigrant party until they reached St. Louis.

Although the free state men had determined to make every honest effort to secure Kansas from the curse of slavery at the ballot box, still, on the day of the election, seeing that there was no hope in attempting to compete with all Missouri, they in many instances gave up the struggle, and did not vote at all, their candidates withdrawing from the unfair contest. Of the 2,905 names of legal voters in the census table, only 831 were found on the poll books.

Had the election been a fair one, in which every legal voter among the actual settlers, and none others, had participated, it would have resulted in the election of seven members of the Council in favor of making Kansas a free State, three opposed to it and three doubtful. Under like circumstances the House would have been composed of fourteen free state members, seven slave state and seven doubtful

ones.

The City Attorney of St. Joseph, in giving his testimony before the Investigating Committee, in reference to the motive of the Missourians in coming over and voting, said:

"It is my intention, and the intention of a great many other Missourians now resident in Missouri, whenever the slavery issue is to be determined upon by the people of this Territory in the adoption of the State Constitution, to remove to this Territory in time to acquire the right to become legal voters upon that question. The leading purpose of our intended removal to the Territory, is to determine the domestic institutions of this Territory when it becomes a State, and we would not come but for that purpose, and

I

would never think of coming here but for that purpose. believe there are a great many in Missouri who are so situated."

It was plainly the duty of Governor Reeder to have set aside this election as fraudulent and irregular. The Organic Act empowered him so to do; he was fully aware of the enormous frauds perpetrated; the free state men urged the subject upon him, pledging him protection and support. Such a step on the part of Governor Reeder would have thwarted the efforts of the Missourians to force a government upon the people of Kansas, and might have averted the fierce conflict which ensued.

But the members of the Legislature thus elected immediately demanded of Mr. Reeder certificates of election, as required by the Organic Act, threatening him with assassination in case of refusal. With pistols cocked and pointed at his breast, he examined the election returns, and painfully witnessed the evidences of fraud. He hesitated and wavered; he scarcely knew what to do. As he hesitated he was more sorely pressed; as he wavered danger was more thickly menaced. He faltered, gave way, issued the certificates, and thus, so far as he could, legalized the election. It was a sad misstep, and grew out of the want of sufficient fearless and undaunted firmness.

But few protests against the election frauds reached Mr. Reeder before he issued the certificates, the people being remote and ignorant, in many instances, of the proper remedy, or intimidated by the threats of pro-slavery men. Without deciding upon his power to cast aside elections for illegality or fraud, thus going behind the returns, he set aside the election in six districts on account of informalities in the returns, and ordered a new election in the same.

The pro-slavery men were highly incensed at Mr. Reeder in daring thus far to question the legality of their proceedings. They held their meetings, and decided not to pay