The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-10-06
ProeIamation

go IN the house OIL Representatives D
she United States, by a Congressiona
delegate elected by ourselves: and where.
as, In The said act, Congress themselye;
Iprovlded all the machinery of the irsI
election, and devolved upon the Terrific.
rial Legislature the duty of providing foi
the second, saving and excepting some
restrictions upon the qualification of vo-
ters: and whereas. We have been preven-
ted by an armed invading force, of su-
perior numbers. from an adjoining State.
from electing a Territorial Legislature,
and enacting for ourselves any laws what
ever, and in lieu of the statutes which
the Congress of the United States had
reason to expect and did expect to be now
in force in our Territory, regulating all
our internal affairs, and among them es-
peeially our elections, we are insulted by
the offer of a substitute in the shape of a
set of enactments proceeding from body
of men whom our invaders have put
through the empty form of an election.
at the polls where we were disfranchised,
which enactments, outrageous in them
selves, made in defiance of the Cons:itu-
ton of the United States, and the legis-
lation of Congress, and providing for the
tperpetuation of the oppression and dis
franchisement in which they originated,
have been, as matter of course. spurned
and repudiated by our whole people as
absurd mockeries and, whereas, we there
fore find ourselves still invested with the
right of representation, which the act of
Congress confers, but deprived of the
forms through which it was expected to
be exercised. by a contingency SO mon
strous and startling that the National
Legislature could not be expected to for
see it, it becomes necessary for us to de-
eide whether the deficiency of the forms
shall destroy the right of representation,
or whether the importance of this great
right has Vitality enough to originate the
forms of its own manifestation, in order
to avoid its own destruction we, there
fore, knowing that the subsequent sane
ton of Congress is in law and ethics
equivalent to their previous direction,
have not hesitated to supply for ourselvse
the forms which Congress would un-
doubtedly have enacted, if the present
contingency could have been foreseen.-
We do, therefore, proclaim to our fellow
citizens of the Territory, who have not
joined in this proclamation, if any such
there are, that an election will be held on
the second Tuesday of October, at the sew
eral polls hereinafter set forth in the Elec-
ton Districts and precincts, as established
by the Governor of the Territory, and
the additional precincts hereinafter estab-
lished for the election of a Delegate to
represent said Territory in the Congress
of the United States. The voting at this
election shall be by ballot.
The Judges authorized to conduct it
shall be the same as those commissioned
by the Territorial Executive Committee,
to preside over the election for delegates
TO the Convention for forming State
Constitution. And the Districts, Pre-
cincts and places of voting shall also be
the same as those enumerated in the
Proclamation of the Executive Commit
tee,-all of that part of said Proclama-
ton, from the words ''Pl faces for Polls, !"
in the tifty-eig nth line, to the words, "In-
structions to Judges of Election" in the
one hundred and ffty-ninth line, inelu-
sive, shall be and is hereby declared part
OF this reclamation. In addition to the
qualifications prescribed to said Judges
by said Territorial Executive Committee;
they shall take and subscribe the follow
ing oath; which, in the absence of du-
ly qualified Judge, or Justice OF the Peace,
they shall administer to each other =
l, do swear that will perform
my duties as Judge OF the election to be
held at the house of -- in the -
Election District of the Territory of Kan
sas, to the best of my judgment and abil-
ity that | will keep true, correct and
faithful record or list of all persons who
shall vote at said election. That I will
poll no ticket from any person who is not
an actual iuhabitant and resident of said
Territory on the day of the election, and
whom shall not honestly believe to be a
qualified voter according to the provisions
of the act of Congress organizing said
Territory; that | will reject the votes of
all non residents who shall believe have
come into the Territory for the mere pur-
pose of voting; that in all cases where l
am ignorant of the voters right, l will
require legal evidence thereof by his own
oath, or otherwise, and that will truly
count and record the votes received, and
make true and faithful return thereof
to the Executive Committee of Kansas
Territory.
Sworn and subscribed, Oct
ober 9th, 1855. previous to
opening the polls, before me.
They shall keep and preserve two sep
crate lists of the names of the persons
who may vote at said election and after
the closing of the polls, the votes shall
be counted and tally-lists of the same
kept. The tickets polled at said election
shall be preserved, the result of the cleo
ton proclaimed, and duplicate returns
made out and signed by the Judges; which
together ith the tally-lists. lists of vo-
ters. DC. shall be despatched by a Judge
from each precinct, appointed by the
board of Judges for that purpose, 10 the
Chairman of the Territorial Executive
Committee" at the town of Lawrence,
ON or before the 18th day of October
next.
In case ii should be found impractica-
bic in consequence of the intrusion OF
foreign votes, or from any other cause, to
hold the election, in any of the different
precincts, at the places above designa-
ted, the Judges shall be empowered to
remove the place of holding the election
to any other locality they may see ft,
after giving sufficient public notice of the
same. And in case any person or per-
sons shall desire TO contest the legality of
the election in any of the precincts or
districts of the Territory. said person or
persons shall present their objections to