The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-11-14
KANSAS AFFAIRs.
EX-GOVERNOR REEpERS SPEECH AT
EsSruN.
TERRIToR

Fix Gov. heeuer, on his arrlEal a.
Eastoh on the 9th, was received by :
speech from G. w. Yates. Esq., t
which he replied at some length. W
copy the the following extracts as pub
iished in the Eastern Ezpress:
In spite of a chaotic mass af scatter
ed men. each struggling among the hard
ships aud privations of a frontier life
to provide food and shelter for them
selves and families aud not knowing
friends from enemies, Individuals AND
whole neighborhoods strangers to eacl
other, without organization ror concet-
ed action, they Rave become now al
organized and efficient party, conduct
ing their primary misunderstanding
their committees and subcommittee
throughout the Territory They have
met in regular convention of delegates
with every district represented, have
adopted a platform of principles which
in its conservatism and liberalify, puts
to shame the intolerance of our oppo-
nents and gives the lie direct to the
unmeaning cry of Abolitionism, with
which it is sought to brand every man
who will not proclaim that negro sla-
very is a blessing in itself, and that
white slavery should be tolerated with
out a murmer. They have, for the first
time, had an opportunity to know their
strength, and are cheered with the con-
viction that their numerical superiority
are as three to one, and that they have
outnumbered all the vote of their oppc-
nents including even the non-residents.
They have seen, as the mist of SANDER
and misrepresentation cleared away,
arge numbers of late misguided aud de-
ceived opponents, Aocking to their stand
ard aud rallying under their flag. They
have openly repudiated the vile code
of a foreign-elected legislature, aud by
the moral power OF their position they
have seen its whole machinery made
impotent and stationery-its magis
trates disregagded and ashamed of their
~functiou-its court silent aud empty
it's officers idle-its taxes uncnllected,
eveu from it's own political frieads-and
its unconstitutional penalties a scott
and a by-word. They have seen men
who. Ia March last, came into our Ter
ritory as part of the force that invaded
our polls, recent become residents and
Join the ranks of the Frce-State party,
and having held an election with all the
forms and all the correctness that would
do credit to any community, they have
elected fifty-two delegates of character
and intelligence, representing every
district, who are now engaged IL the
formation of a State Constitution, to b.
submitted to Congress.
They have seen former opponents sub
dued and convinced by the contrast be-
tween the enormities of the Legislature
on the ole hand, and the liberallty Of
the Free State platform on the other
carry their slaves to the States and re-
turning with the proceeds in their peck
cts, take a firm and open stand with tue
friends Of self government and free in
stitutions, AID uudcr the same iLfuen-
ees they have seen struggling minorities
in certain districts change into over
whelning and triumphant majoritics.-
-Ailthis has been the glorious work of
the last six months, and it has filled the
of our friends with hope and con-
1idence- Nor is this all. The sober
second thought Of the people in the Dor
der COUNTIES of Missouri is taking the
right direcsion-a conviction of the
wrong Inflicted upon US and a epug-
nance to its repetition. is steadily gain
ing ground among them 1t becomes
ey dent that these invasions of our polls
produce no permanent effect, except in
their recoil upon the men who make
them, and they become weaker at each
repetition. At the election for county
Sc of Leavenworth county, the bitter
chalice came back to the lips of those
who filled it, and men who had previous
ly gone into Missouri and solicited votes
for tie Legislature, were found loudly
complaining OF. the foreign vote which
had secured a majority for "a rival town
| have spoken to you in general terms
of the acts and conduct of the Legisla-
tnre, aud it may be well to refer to
them4more IN detail.
First, as to It's organization,-contain
cersorieus gentlemen who sit quietly at
home and philosorh:ze tie natter i'll
their own way, undertake to find faulr
with me for granting any certificates of
election at all. Without stopping to
enquire whet. er these gentlemen would
not have granted them all, had they
been in my situation, | will only say
that su b "a charge betrays Ig~o a ce Of
t le facts IN the case. Each distr ct and
precinct must, of course, stand on its
merits, aud it would have been rid
i~culous to set aside all of them because
votes had been polled in some
It weuld ave been equally ridiculous to
set aside a district in which | did not
know that illegal votes had been polled.
gentlemen take the absurd opin-
ion that my action then should be judg-
ed by the knowledge we have nO10. L
had provided for the voters of the Ter
ritory, the opportunity, the mode and
the time to complain of llleg1l votes, aud
the right to q full hearing, and in none
of the districts in which certificates were
granted was there a protest filed as di-
by the proclamation, nor was at
the time made acquainted with facts to
Justify a refusal. Seven election dis
we're set aside, all for disregard of
the forms prescribed by the proclama-
ton, and those comprised all and more
than all of the cases In which complaints
had been filed New elections were
then ordered and upon them certificates
granted, which the Legislature at their
meeting disregarded, and although by
the organic act the certificates of the
z xes utiYe a 9 made he evidence of du,
dee IN by legal votes, aud 10 power is
to the Legislature to judge of the
qualifications Of members, a number of
members who had such certificates we're
and their places fllcd by men
who had no title to seats whatever.