Kansas weekly herald., 1855-08-04
MENGoRIAL
FROM THE LEGISLATURE OF KANSAS.
TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES.

UNITED STATES.
To HIS ErcsHsncy, Eranklin Pierce, President of
| the United States:
The undersigned, your memorialists, members
OF the Council and House Of Representatives. of
the Territory of Kansas, respectfully represent
that crisis has at length arrived in the affairs
| of this Territory, which makes it imperative
that you should interpose, so that our government
| (the wheels of which have been dragging so
heavily heretofore, and which have at last come
to stand, may be relieved Of the clog which
has been attached to 1t, and be enabled to move
| on once more in its regular course.
/ A brief history of our Territory, written and
| unwritten, since its organization, will enable
you to see the causes which have conduced to
this end; and the remedy being in your own hands,
we trust and believe you will not hesitate i'm
Imediately to apply it.
| On the 30th Of May, 1854 (more than one year
since) the bill opening the Territory for settle
ment, west Of Missouri and Iowa, was passed
| The public, excited by the glowing descriptions
of those who had been in the Territory, and by
the debates in Congress regarding the future
political destiny Of this newly opened country,
Immediately rushed in by thousands from every
ry ever organised by this government has been
peopled with half the rapidity of this, save
| California, owing to the unnatural stimulus
above alluded to. A people thus numerous,
| thus diversified from birth, education, previous
| associations, and present intention and objects
Required, it seems to US, for their government,
the most prompt action on the part of those CALI
ed on to preside over them. From the month of
May until October there were no officers here;
the Governor appointed to organize the Territo-
ry, under the provisions of the bill, arriving in
the latter month. So soon as it was ascertained,
by rumor, that he had arrived, (for he never in
any way made it public,) it was presumed that
he would Immediately order the census Of the
| Territory to be taken, an election for members
of the Legislative Assembly to be held, and call
them together at once, SO that laws might be
enacted for the preservation Of the public peace
and veal. But what was the course pursued by
that official? The citizens of our Territory re-
ceived him with open arms, and even in Missou-
ri, the State bordering on our line, he was ten
dered supper Oh the day of his arrival, to ena-
BILE him to meet with the distinguished GENTLE
men of that section OF Missouri, together with
the private citizens of the vicity. Received thus
frankly and cordially, both in Kansas and on the
border, urged time and again to provide for the
| election of Legislature-the people knowing
of no laws in force, and the Governor himself
having no settled opinion upon the subject-ap-
Psntlng justices OF the peace in various sections
of the Territory, some Of whom enforced the
Pennsylvania, the Ohio, and some the
Missouri code, acting matter of course under
his instructions-still, with all these various
imperative necessities urging his compliance, he
needed them not, but assumed himself to act as
the law making power, by prescribing the va
r1ous codes above, and usurping the powers of
the judiciary in issuing writS, and sitting as an
examining court upon charge of ffassault with
intent to KILL the prisoner being at the time in
carcerated within the walls of a prison, and be-
fore discharging him demanding his recogn-
izance, which was taken however by a Judge
whose district had as yet not been assigned him
In the midst of all this confusion, turning cool
ly from those who had thus warmly welcomed
him, associating with those only from one par
ticular section of the Union, persisting in not
adopting that course which alone could produce
order from thischaos, iti not singular that loud
pIa nfr.cyo ohorll ha a>rI
motives should be attributed to him for his con-
duct.
The Governor then commences his course of
speculation, beginning by raging himself di-
rectly in opposition to the opinions Of the Gen
sIal Government, as expressed By the Attorney
General, in relation to Delaware lands, by pur-
chasing property On those lands, and stating that
the opinions of the law officer Of the General
| Government were incorrect, and of no force if
correct; thus setting an example of insubordina-
tion to those less informed, and which may end
/ in conflict between the people of this Terrific
ry and the General Government, unless the rights
of the squatters on those lands are recognised
in conducting the sales of them. He then com
menceS tour Of observation through the Ter
ritory, for the ostensible purpose of preparing
for a census, &c, but which from his subsequent
sonduct proved to be only one Of speculation,
for he was known to be large shareholder in
many Of the various town companies throughout
the Territory. Finally, in the month of Febru-
ary, when the snow was some two feet In depth,
he orders a census to be taken, (the herculean
task which had SO alarmed him,) and it was so
taken in about three weeks, under the unfayor-
able circumstances above stated.
A proclamation was then issued for an eIec-
ton of members to the Legislative Assembly, to
be held on the 30th Of March, 1855, said procla-
nation containing section claiming, by the
Governor, the right to decide contested Elections
thereby virtually claiming the right to override
the will of the people, as expressed through the
ballot box, and to fill the Legislature with whom
soeFer he chose-virtually DISTINGUISHING every
man in Kansas Territory, and also enacting a
Maine liquor law by providing for the destruc-
tion Of liquor under Certain circumstances. Af-
ter the contest was over and the result known,
he delay ed the assembling Of the body until the
I'd day Of July, more than three months after
wards, and that too when the whole Union was
conVulsed on account of alleged outrages in Kan
sas Territory, and yet no law for the punishment
or prevention of them. When at last they did
meet, upon the call of the Governor, at a point
where they had previously in informal man
ner protested against being called, with an avow-
al of their intention to adjourn to the point at
which they are now assembled, for the reasons
that the requisite accommodations could not be
had; where there were no facilities for commu-
nicating with their families or constituents;
where they could not even find the common food
to eat, unless at an enormous expense, there be-
ing no gardens yet made by the squatters; where
: the house in which we were expected to assem-
BILE had no roof or door on the Saturday preceding
the Monday of our assembling, and for the COM
pletion of which the entire Sabbath day and night
was desecrated by the continued labor Of the
mechanics; where at least one-half of the men,
: bers, employees, and almost all others who had
assembled there for business or otherwise, had
} to camp out in wagons and tents during rainy,
hot season, and where cholera broke out as
consequence of the inadequate food and shelter,
and where under all these circumstances of an
fnoyance they finally passed an act adjourning
to this point, where ample accommodations are
previously made it the seat of government, they
ware met by his veto. which is herewith trans