Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/729

, etc., was put into trunks and boxes; and for convenience in selecting and cheapness in transporting, was marked "Kansas party baggage, care B. Slater, St. Louis." Generally this was consigned as freight, in the usual way, to the care of 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 owners paid the usual extra freight. Each passenger or party paid his or their own expenses; and the only benefit they derived from the society, not shared by all the people of the territory, was the reduction of about $7 in the price of the 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 the statements made by the newspapers and by the 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 of them were found upon 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 others of a similar character, to control the domestic institutions of the territory, and then overturn those of a neighboring powerful state.

In regard to the second charge: There is no proof that any man was either hired or induced to come into the territory from any free state, merely to vote. The entire emigration in March, 1855, is estimated at 500 persons, including men, women, and children. 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 Xth district, and at Pawnee in the IXth district. Their purpose and character are stated in a former part of this report.

The third charge is entirely groundless.

Your committee are satisfied that these charges were made the mere pretext to induce an armed invasion into the territory, as a means to control the election and establish slavery there.

The real purpose is avowed and illustrated by the testimony and conduct of Col. John Scott, of St. Joseph, Missouri, who acted as the attorney for the sitting delegate before your committee. The following is an extract from his deposition:

"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 comes to be a state, and we would not come but for that purpose, and