away and join whatever new party would prove the most successful antagonist of the dominant one.

EVENTS IN KANSAS

Even before the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill preparations had been made by the South to introduce slavery into the Territory of Kansas. The only white men in the region were missionaries and Indian agents, who were all Southerners. These men had the first information of the purchase of the Indian reservations in Kansas, which was quietly made by the Government shortly before the passage of the KansasNebraska bill, and they proceeded to organize for the capture of the territorial government. In aid of their project Missourians along the Kansas border formed into various societies, "Blue Lodges," "Sons of the South," etc., with intent to enter the Indian reservations at the earliest possible moment and vote for the introduction of slavery into the new Territory. They did so on the passage of the act, bringing some slaves with them, and holding meetings at which they resolved that "no protection would be afforded Abolitionist settlers in the region," and that "slavery was recognized as already existing in the Territory," and that "slaveholders should introduce their property as early as possible."

The Northern Abolitionists thereupon organized "Emigrant Aid Societies" to promote the migration of anti-slavery men to Kansas. Hearing of this the proslavery associations in Kansas and western Missouri held meetings at which they resolved forcibly to remove these Abolitionist immigrants from the Territory.

The first company of Northern immigrants was sent by the New England Emigrant Aid Society. It reached Kansas late in July, 1854, and located at a place which they named after the treasurer of the society [Amos A.] Lawrence. While erecting their houses they were visited by an armed party of Missourians but, on their preparing to defend themselves, their visitors retired without molesting them.

The Government of the Territory was organized in the autumn, Andrew H. Reeder [Pa.] being appointed governor by President Pierce. Although an Administration Democrat he was thought by many to be a Free Soiler. In the election held in the Territory in November John W. Whitfield, an Indian agent and a proslavery man, was chosen Delegate to Congress. On the advice of Senator David R. Atchison many Missourians crossed the line and voted for Whitfield. About this time a number of pro-slavery men founded a town which they named for the Senator and established a newspaper organ there, called the Squatter Sovereign. In an early issue this paper said:

"We can tell the impertinent scoundrels of The Tribune that they may exhaust an ocean of ink, their Emigrant Aid Societies spend their millions and billions, their representatives in Congress spout their heretical theories till doomsday, and His Excellency appoint abolitionist after free-soiler as our governor, yet we will continue to lynch and hang, tar and feather and drown, every white-livered abolitionist who dares to pollute our soil."

Early in 1855 Governor Reeder of Kansas ordered an election for a Territorial legislature to be held on March 30. Only two Free-Soilers were elected. Eight times as many votes were counted as there were legal voters in the Territories.

Protests were made against the election of four councilmen and thirteen representatives on the ground of fraud, and, on the presentation of evidence of this, Governor Reeder refused to issue to them certificates and ordered new elections to be held in their districts, whereupon the pro-slavery press of Missouri advocated "hemping" the "infernal scoundrel." At the second election all these districts but Leavenworth elected Free State councilmen and Representatives. These the legislature refused to admit and seated the men who had been supplanted. The legislature met at the call of the governor at Pawnee City, in the interior of the State, and immediately adjourned, over the governor's veto, to Shawnee Mission, on the Missouri border. Here

it adopted as the laws of Kansas Territory the laws of the State of Missouri, including those maintaining slavery and prohibiting the agitation of abolition and punishing the agitators. These acts were vetoed by Governor Reeder, but were passed over his veto. The legislature petitioned the President for his removal, which was in due time effected, Wilson Shannon, a Democrat from Ohio, who had been governor of that State, being appointed in his stead. Shannon took an early opportunity to declare that the acts of the legislature were legal and to announce himself in favor of slavery in Kansas.

In the meantime outrages were committed by proslavery mobs, one paper being destroyed which had advocated the rights of the Free Soilers under the law, and its editor forced to flee for his life; and a lawyer of Leavenworth, who had signed the protest against the election in that city, being tarred and feathered, ridden on a rail and finally sold to a negro, who was compelled to purchase him.

The Free Soil settlers held a convention at which they repudiated the legislature and its acts, refused to take part in the election of a delegate to Congress, which had been set by the legislature, and called another delegate convention and a constitutional convention. At the former they elected Governor Reeder as the delegate and at the latter, which was held at Topeka, they formed a Free-State constitution, under which they asked Congress to admit Kansas into the Union.

The events which took place in Kansas during the session of Congress, 1855-56, and to which allusion was made in the debates of the session, were as follows:

An armed conflict between pro-slavery and FreeSoil men arose out of the assassination, on November 21, 1855, of a Free-State settler, William Dow. On an appeal from the pro-slavery sheriff, Governor Shannon issued a proclamation calling out 3,000 militia to "execute the laws." In response to this a pro-slavery army came from the border and encamped on the banks of the Wakarusa River at Franklin, a pro-slavery town near Lawrence. During the encampment, Thomas W.

Barber (or Barbour), a Free State man of the neighborhood, was shot dead by some of the "militia." Finally an armistice was arranged between Governor Shannon and the Free State leaders, and the Missourians dispersed. Thus ended the so-called "Wakarusa War."

Leavenworth was also the scene of many outrages. A band of Missourians entered the town on December 20, 1855, and destroyed the office of the Territorial Register, a Free State paper.

On January 15, 1856, the territorial election under the Topeka (Free State) constitution was held. Charles Robinson (Free State) was elected governor (subject to the approval of Congress) and a Free State legislature was chosen. The organization of the territorial government was set for March 1, 1856, to give Congress time to act, it being hoped that Kansas would be admitted into the Union with the Topeka constitution, and the elections made under it would be ratified.

Congress assembled on December 3, 1855. The Democratic majority in the Senate was considerably lessened and no party had a majority in the House. After balloting for several weeks Nathaniel P. Banks [Mass.], a Know-Nothing and anti-Nebraskan, elected Speaker of the House.

The President in his annual message (on December 31) declared that nothing had taken place in Kansas which warranted interference by the Federal Executive, and expressed the hope that the people of the Territory, by exercising "their right to determine their own domestic institutions" under Federal protection from outside interference, would be able to suppress "organized resistance to territorial law."

On January 26, 1856, George G. Dunn [Ind.] moved in the House of Representatives to restore the Missouri compromise as a means of settling the agitation. The resolution was carried by one vote, 101 yeas to 100 nays, but failed of passage in the Senate.

Outrages by the Missourians, who were called "Border Ruffians" by the Free State men, continued. On January 21 and 22 Robinson and Gen. James H. Lane, 1See John G. Whittier's poem, "Burial of Barbour."