It proffered a magnificent bribe if the people would accept the Lecompton Constitution--five million five hundred thousand acres of public land should be given to Kansas; besides other munificent donations.

But the English bill also contained a menace as well as a bribe.

It threatened that if the people rejected this offer they should be remanded back for an indefinite period, to all the miseries of a Territorial life.
In the face of such a menace, and tempted by such a bribe, the whole voting population of the Territory turned out at the election, which was ordered to be held August 2, 1858.

At this election, 1,788 votes were cast for the Constitution, and 9,512 against it.

From whence then came this overwhelming majority?
The majority of the Free State party was about two to one.