The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-12-15


that Negro Slavery is a blessing in itself
and that white Slavery in Kansas should
be tolerated without a Inurmer. They
have for the first time, had an epportu-
nifty to know their strength and are
cheered with the conviction that their
numerical superiority is as three to one,
and that they have out numbered all the
votes of their opponents, including even
the non residents. They have seen. as
the mists of SANDER and misrepresenta-
ton cleared away, large numbers of late
misguided and deceived opponents,
flocking TO their standard and rallying
under their flag. They have open
ly repudiated the vile code of foreign
elected legislature, and by the moral
power of their position. they have seen
its whole machinery made impotent and
stationary-its magistrates disregarded
and ashamed of their function-its Courts
silent and empty-its officers idle-its
taxes uncollected, even from its own po-
litical friends-and its unconstitutional
penalties scof and by-word. They
have seen men who, in March last, came
into our Territory as part of the force
that invaded our polls, recently become
residents and join the ranks of the Free
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 in
the formation of State Constitution, to
be submitted to Congress.
They have seen former opponents sub
dued and convinced by the contrast be-
tween the enormihes of the Legislature
on one hand and the liberality of the
Free State platform on the other, carry
their slaves to the States and returning
with the proceeds in their pockets, take
a firm and open stand with the friends of
self government and free institutions, and
under the same influences they have seen
struggling minorities in certain districts
change into overwhelming and triumph
ant majorities. All this has been the
glorious work of the last six months, and
it has filled the hearts of our friends
with hope and confidence. Nor is this
all. The sober second thought of the
people in the border counties of Mis-
souri, is taking the right direction
conviction of the wrong inflicted upon
US and repugnance to its repetition, is
steadily gaining ground among them.-
1t becomes evident that these inyasions
of our polls produce no prominent eff
feet, except in their recoil upon the men
who make them, and they become weak
er at each repetition. At the election
for county seat of Leayenworth county
the bitter chalice came back to the lips Of
those who filled it, and men who had for
merly gone into Missouri and solicited
votes for the Legislature, were found
loudly complaining of the foreign vote
which secured a majority for rival town.
| have spoken to you in general termes OF
the acts and conduct of the Legislature,
and it may be well to refer to them more
in detail:
First, as to its organization. Ger
tain censorious gentlemen, who sit quiet
ly at home and philosophise the matter
in their own way, undertake to find
fault with me for granting any certificates
of election at ALL. Without stopping to
enquire whether these gentlemen would
not have granted them all, had they been
in my situation. I will ely say that such
a charge betrays ignorance OF the facts of
the case. Each district and precinct
mEst Of course stand on its own merits,
and it would have been ridiculous to set
aside all of them because illegal votes
had been polled in the same.
1t would have been equally ridiculous
to setaside district in which l did not
know that illegal votes had been polled
These gentlemen take the absurd posi-
ton that my action then should be judg-
ed by the knowledge we have now. /
bad provided for the voters of the Ter
ritory, the opportunity, the mode and
the time to complain of illegal votes
and the right to full hearing, and in
none of the districts in which certificates
were granted, was there protest filed,
as directed by the proclamation, nor was
/, at the time. made acquainted with
facts to justify refusal. Seven election
districts were set aside, all for disregard
of the forms prescribed by the Procla-
nation, and these comprised all and
more than all of the cases in which COM
plants had been fled. New elections
were then ordered and upon them certif-
Gates were granted, which the Legisla-
ture at their meeting disregarded, and
although BY the organic act the certif-
Gates OF the Executive is made the evil
denee of due election by legal votes and
no power is given to the Legislature to
judge of the qualifications of members,
a number of members who had such
certificates were elected and their places
| filled by men who had no tile to seats
whatever.
Of the removal to an unauthorized
place, l need not speak, as it involves a
legal question and has been already be.
fore the public, in the papers which il
evoked from the Judiciary and the Ex-
ecutive..
By their so called Slavery Act, they
harn rro,;dod tka4 &c