CHAPTER VII.

THE SETTLEMENT OF KANSAS.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act-Preparations by Pro-Slavery and Anti-Slavery Parties to occupy Kansas- -Early Settlement-Kansas City again Recognized-Development of Kansas-Navigation of the Kaw River-The Kansas Troubles-The Effect on Kansas City-Col. Coates.

With the concentration of the Indian and Santa Fe trade at Kansas City, there was here a sufficient business to have made a town of ten or twelve thousand people, had there been no increase of business until the capabilities of the town had developed to an equality with it. But at this time other events were transpiring which were destined to give the place an unprecedented forward impulse. These were the events attending the organization of the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska, and the opening of them to settlement. These events, however, were attended with circumstances that made the settlement of Kansas troublous, which injuriously affected the development of the trade of the young city.

The events leading to the organization of these Territories began as early as December 13, 1852. when Hon. Willard P. Hall of Missouri introduced into the House of Representative at Washington, a bill to organize the Territory of Platte, which was to embrace both Kansas and Nebraska. On the 2d of February, 1853, Hon. William A. Richardson, of Illinois, introduced a bill for the organization of the Territory of Nebraska. Neither of these bills proposed to extend slavery into either of these Territories, as it was already excluded from the country embraced in both by the Missouri Compromise of 1820. On the 10th of February, Richardson's bill passed the House, and on the 17th it was reported in the Senate by Hon. Stephen A. Douglas. Nothing was done however before the adjournment and expiration of that Congress.

At the meeting of the next Congress, Hon. Augustus C. Dodge, of Iowa, introduced into the Senate a bill for the organization of Nebraska. This bill, like its predecessors, did not provide for slavery. On the 4th of January it was reported in the Senate by Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, and on the 23d of the same month Senator Douglas offered a substitute providing for the organization of the two Territories of Kansas and Nebraska and containing this significant clause:

"That the Constitution, and all laws of the United States which are not locally inapplicable, shall have the same force and effect within the said Territory of Kansas as elsewhere within the United States, except the eighth section of the act preparatory to the admission of Missouri into the Union, approved March sixth, eighteen hundred and twenty, which, being inconsistent with the principle of non-intervention by Congress with slavery in the States and Territories, as recognized by the Legislature of eighteen hundred and fifty, commonly called the Compromise Measures, is hereby declared inoperative and void; it being the true intent and meaning of this act not to legislate slavery into any Territory or State, nor to exclude it therefrom, but to leave the people thereof perfectly free to form and regulate their domestic institutions in their own way, subject only to the Constitution of the United States, provided, that nothing herein contained shall be construed to revive or put in force any law or regulation which may have existed prior to the act of sixth of March, eighteen hundred and twenty, either protecting, establishing, prohibiting, or abolishing slavery."

This clause was the result of hostility, on the part of Senators and Representatives for the slave States, to any bill looking to the extension of freedom in the

Territory of the United States, and its exemption of Kansas from the operations of the compromise measures referred to was regarded as significent of a determination on their part to make Kansas a slave Territory, and subsequently a slave State. This led to one of the most memorable contests in the history of the American Congress, during which were aroused those passions and sentiments and antagonisms which subsequently led to open conflict in Kansas, and, in less than ten years, to the most stupendous civil war in the history of man.

This bill passed the Senate March 3rd, by a vote of thirty-seven to fourteen. The House passed it with amendments May 22nd, by a vote of 113 to 100, there being twenty-one members absent and not voting. It passed the Senate again without discussion, May 24th, by a vote of thirty-five to thirteen, and was signed by President Pierce May 30th.

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While these events were transpiring in Congress, the Indian titles were being extinguished to all save small reservations. The country became intensely excited. It was understood on the part of the slave States, that Kansas was to be made slave, and the free States equally understood that such was the intention of the slave States, and there was an equal determination on their part that it should not be so. While the bills were pending in Congress, both parties in their respective localities were preparing for the expected struggle. The Pro-slavery party were open in their expressions of intentions to use force, if necessary to accomplish their purpose. To this end there began to be secret societies organized in Missouri and throughout the slave States as early as February, 1854, called "Blue Lodges," "Society of Friends," "Sons of the South," Social Bands," etc., the distinctive feature of which was a solemn oath to make Kansas slave territory at all hazards, and keep out by force, if necessary, the Abolitionists, as all opponents were opprobriously called. On the other hand, the Anti-Slavery party were less open in their boasts. If they had any intention of using force, that intention was not expressed; but, depending upon the right of local settlement of the slavery question, they seemed to rely more upon the votes of larger numbers of immigrants; and, therefore, took steps to fill Kansas with anti-slavery voters as speedily as possible. On the 26th of April the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Society was organized by act of the Legislature of that State; in June another society was organized in that State, and on the 24th of July the New England Emigrant Aid Society was organized, in Boston. The purpose of these societies as expressed by their articles of agreement was to "assist emigrants to settle in the west," Kansas being the particular part of the west meant.

THE EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

Such were the circumstances under which the settlement of Kansas was begun. As soon as the Territory was opened to settlement people began to flock in from the adjac nt parts of Missouri. The Leavenworth Town Company was organized at Weston, Mo., on the 13th of June, and the Atchison Town Company was organized in Missouri, on the 27th of July; and about these dates the sites of these two places were taken possession of by the Missourians who were determined to make Kansas a slave Territory.

The pioneer party of anti-slavery emigrants left Boston, July 17th, and arrived in Kansas City July 30th, under the lead of Charles H. Bramscomb. Dr. Charles Robinson and S. C. Pomeroy, since Governor and Senator respectively, of Kansas, came with this party. The first named of these gentlemen proceeded with the party into Kansas, arriving on the Wakarusa on the 1st of August, near where they soon afterward founded a town, which, on October 6th, was called Lawrence, in honor of Amos J. Lawrence, of Boston, one of the principal benefactors of the society. The other, Mr. Pomeroy, remained in Kansas City, and purchased the Union Hotel, (now the old Gillis House on the levee,) to be used as a rendezvous for immigrants, and agency of the society. Great excite

ment and enthusiam attended the movements of these societies in the east, and the immigrants were cheered on by orations from the leading men of that section, and by poems from the pens of such distinguished writers as Bryant, Whittier and Lucy Larcom.

On the other hand, there was an equal excitement and enthusiasm on the part of the pro-slavery element, but it took the form of prevention of anti-slavery immigration, as much as that of fostering pro-slavery immigration. In July a number of meetings were held in Missouri, near the border, at which resolutions were adopted, to the effect that Kansas should be slave at all hazards, and that Abolitionists should receive no protection in the new Territory. The speeches made at these meetings were of a most inflammatory character. Missourians continued to pour over the. border in great numbers, but the emigrants from the east continued to arrive and unite with the Lawrence settlement with equal rapidity, and thus for a time Leavenworth and Atchison as pro-slavery, and Lawrence as anti-slavery, grew rapidly. The excitement along the border, meantime, was intense, and the friction between the settlers of the different parties in the Territory very great and very irritating.

KANSAS CITY'S LOCAL ADVANTAGES AGAIN.

At the time these events were transpiring, steamboats were running freely on the Missouri River its whole navigable length, and being the only method of transportation at that time, other than stage coach across the State of Missouri or private wagons, offered equal facilities to all river towns. Independence and Westport had already been overcome by Kansas City, but Parkville, Weston and St. Joseph, all of about equal size with Kansas City, afforded equal advantages for immigrants with Kansas City, except on the one item of easy access to the new country. The new towns of Leavenworth and Atchison were also in the field, but aside from their newness, were lacking in this essential feature, also. Hence, while Missourians passed across the border at the nearest accessible ferry, the emigrants from the east came by way of Kansas City. Subsequently when parties began to come from the south, they came here also, and for the same reason. Thus the movement of population into this new country, like the Indian fur trade, the Santa Fe trade, and the late Indian trade, found this the line of least resistance and followed it. From the settlement of the new Territory, all the border towns, and especially the new Kansas towns of Leavenworth and Atchison, expected great advantages. However, owing to the facts and principles above mentioned, Kansas City, from the first, was most benefited.

DEVELOPMENT OF KANSAS.

The political antagonisms already mentioned were destined soon to affect materially and detrimentally the development of both Kansas and Kansas City, as the record of events will show.

Hon. Andrew H. Reeder, of eastern Pennsylvania, was appointed first Governor of Kansas, June 29th, 1854. He took the oath of office in Washington, July 7th, and arrived in Kansas, October 7th, temporarily establishing the executive office at Fort Leavenworth. He soon became aware, however, of the superior accessibility of the Territory from the mouth of the Kaw, and hence, November 24th, removed the executive office to Shawnee Mission, eight miles southwest of Kansas City, and on the road leading from this angle of the river into the Territory.

One of his first official acts, while yet at Leavenworth, was to divide the Territory into sixteen election districts and order an election for delegate to Congress. This election occurred November 29th, and J. W. Whitfield, proslavery, was elected. This election was the occasion of the first invasion of Kansas by the people of other States, mainly from Missouri. They were deter

mined to control the political affairs of the new Territory in the interests of slavery, and,to that end, hundreds of them went into the Territory and voted, thus electing a pro-slavery delegate to Congress. These events aroused the bitterest feelings of the free-state people in the Territory, and led to the holding of free-state meetings for the purpose of organization. The first of these meetings was held at Lawrence, December 23d, and on the first of February following (1855), the Free State Society was organized at Lawrence.

On the 8th of March, 1855, Governor Reeder issued a proclamation ordering an election for members of the Legislature, March 30th. This election was the occasion of another and larger invasion from Missouri, the pro-slavery people of this State being, by this time, most thoroughly aroused by the free-state movements in Kansas, and determined, at all hazards, to make Kansas a slave Territory. The excitement along the border and throughout Missouri was at this time intense, and public meetings were of frequent occurrence. At these meetings speeches of the most inflammatory character were made, and resolutions adopted strongly denouncing the Abolitionists, and justifying any means that might be adopted for their extermination.

The election of the 30th of March resulted in the election of a pro-slavery body, the Missourians attending and voting by the thousands. Its first session was held at Pawnee, a new town adjoining the Fort Riley military reservation, whither the executive office had been removed by Governor Reeder, June 27th. The Legislature met here, July 2d, as ordered by the Governor, and immediately adjourned to meet at Shawnee Mission, July 16. Here the first session was held, and the first code of laws adopted for Kansas. These laws were largely copied from the Missouri statutes, but the provisions for the protection of slave property were more stringent than were ever enacted before. This law made it a penal offense to deny the right to hold slaves in Kansas, or to have in possession books or papers that denied such rights. It required all officers of the Territory and counties, judges and clerks of election, and all lawyers practicing at the bar, to take an oath to support the fugitive slave law; and made ineligible as jurors, in cases where any questions affecting slaves or slavery was to be decided, all persons who did not believe in that institution. It was provided, also, that all officers of the Territory, and of the counties, were to be appointed by the Legislature, or by some officer appointed by it, and at subsequent elections for members of the Legislature, judges and clerks and voters, if challenged, were required to take an oath to support the fugitive slave law. The effect of these laws was, of course, to prevent free-state men from holding office and to disfranchise them, while any manifestation of anti-slavery tendencies, even to the extent of reading an antislavery paper, was a penal offense, and subjected the offender to liability to imprisonment at hard labor and in chains. Before this Legislature adjourned it fixed the permanent seat of government at Lecompton. Governor Reeder having previously located the seat of government at Pawnee, held that this Legislature had no right, under the act of Congress, to sit elsewhere, and could not enact valid laws elsewhere. His refusal to recognize the Legislature led to his removal by the President, who was in sympathy with it and not with him. Notice of his removal was communicated to him August 16th, when Mr. Secretary of State Woodson became acting Governor.

PAWNEE NAVIGATION OF THE KAW.

The town of Pawnee, as above stated, was located on lands adjoining the Fort Riley military reservation, which was within a few miles of the junction of the Republican and Smoky Hill Rivers, which form the Kaw. It was a freestate town, and hence soon became the object of hostility of the Pro-Slavery party and of the President, so in the summer of 1855, Jefferson Davis, then Secretary of War, issued an order so extending the military reservation as to include the