Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/738

 the government, will show how groundless were the pretexts which gave rise to it. A community in which no crime had been committed by any of its members, against none of whom had a warrant been issued or a complaint made, who had resisted no process in the hands of a real or pretended officer, was threatened with destruction in the name of "law and order," and that, too, by men who marched from a neighboring state with arms obtained by force, and who, in every stage of their progress, violated many laws, and among others the constitution of the United States.

The chief guilt of it must rest on Samuel J. Jones. His character is illustrated by his language at Lecompton, where peace was made: "He said major Clark and Burns both claimed the honor of killing that d—d abolitionist, and he [sic]did'nt know which ought to have it. If Shannon  [sic]had'nt been a d — d old fool, that peace would never have been declared. He would have wiped Lawrence out. He had men and means enough to do it."

Shortly after the retreat of the forces from before Lawrence, the election upon the adoption of the state constitution was held at Leavenworth city, on the 15th of December, 1855. While it was proceeding quietly, about noon, Charles Dunn, with a party of others, smashed in the window of the building in which the election was being held, and then jumped into the room where the judges of election were sitting, and drove them off. One of the clerks of election snatched up the ballot-box and followed the judges, throwing the box behind the counter of an adjoining room through which he passed on his way out. As he got to the street door, Dunn caught him by the throat, aud pushed him up against the side of the building, and demanded the ballot-box.

Then Dunn and another person struck him in the face, and he fell into the mtid, the crowd rushed on him and kicked him on the head and in his sides. In this manner the election was broken up, Dunn and his party obtaining the ballot-box and carrying it off.

To avoid a similar outrage at the election for state officers, etc., to be held on the 15th of January, 1856, the election for Leavenworth district was appointed to be held at Easton, and the time postponed until the 17th day of January, 1856. On the way to the election, persons were stopped by a party of men at a grocery, and their guns taken from them. During the afternoon, parties came up to the place of election and threatened to destroy the ballot-box, and were guilty of other insolent and abusive conduct. After the polls were closed many of the settlers being [sic]apprehensvie of an attack, were armed in the house where the election had been held until the next morning. Late that night Stephen Sparks, with his son and nephew, started for home, his route running by the store of a Mr. Dawson, where a large party of armed men had collected. As he approached, these men demanded that he should surrender, and gathered about him to enforce the demand. Information was carried by a man in the company of Mr. Sparks to the house where the election had been held. R. P. Brown and a company of men immediately went down to relieve Mr. Sparks, and did relieve him when he was in imminent danger. Mr. Sparks then started back with Mr. Brown and his party, and while on their