Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-11-17
The Administration View of Governor
Reeder's Election.

concerning the course which the administration
at Washington will take in regard TO the late
election of a delegate in Kansas. The Wash
ington tnion, has given a sufficiently clear IN
timation of what it will be.
There are two persons claiming the seat of
delegate from Kansas-Niitfird, the candi-
date of those who are for establishing slavery
in the territory, and Reedcr,+ the candidate of
those who desire to make Kansas q free state.
Whitfield has on his side the forms Of an cleo
ton. Reeder the substance. Whitfield was
appointed by the MissourianS, at an election
held under an ordinance Of Tire mock 1cgiSla-
ture assembled at the Shawnee Mission. Reed
er was chosen by the people of Kansas, al. an
election instituted by themselves. Whitfield is
q pet of Shannon, the man sent out by. Mr..
Pierce to govern Kansas. Shannon rccognis-
ed the spurious Legislature and all its ordinan-
ces, attended the election held under them. vo-
ted for Whitfield, and to crown the farce, gave
him him a formal certificate that he had been
duly chosen as delegate to represent the terri
tory, The administration, of course, is pre-
pared to second the doings Of its creature,
Shannon, and accordingly its organ, the Wash
lngton Tn10n, presents an argument in favor
of the admission of Whitfield, and against the
admission of Rceder, 1t says
The law of Congress requires the. delegate to be cleo.
ted in pursuance of an act Of the territorial Legislature.
and the evidence of his election which the law preScribes
IL the eertifrate of the territorial governor. Neither Of
these requisites exists IN connection with Coy; Reeders
certificate but the evidence of his election shows that
h" has been chosen not only in violation of the act of the
territorial legislature, but that his claim to a scat can on
" be granted by overriding the act of Congress providing
for the organization of Kansas. It will be observed that,
il the House should declare Gen. Whitfeld's election void
because the law of the territory is void. the result ullces
him on exactly the same fOntiup with ftnv tpeninr Tn
each case the people assembled together Voluntarily. at
their places of voting, and made an election. The one
was chosen under color Of law, Gin the view we are now
taking.9 whilst the other was chosen in open defiance of
the law. = = = Until the House of Representatives
Il prepared to abrogate not only the election of the Iepis-
lators OF Kansas, the certificate of Gov. Recdcr, declaring
the election of members legal, the laws passed by the lie.
gi>lature so recognised as legal, the certificate of Gov.
Shannon that Gen. Whitfield was elected according to law.
and, last of all, the law of Congress providing a territori.
al government for Kansas, 1t is impossible that the qnes-
tlon u the admission OF Coy. Reeder claim can DC enter-
tanned. The contest, however, may serve the purpose of
sectional agitation. and we are wholly unable to discover
any other object that can be accomplished but to widen
ten the contamination of the great design of black repuI-
licani:m to array one section of the Union against the
other"
1t will be perceived that in this passage, the
doctrine OF "squatter sovereignty concerning
which SO much fuss has been made by the
champions of " the principle of the Nebraska
bill, is wholly diSOwncd. Congress and Mr..
Pierce's agent, Coy. Shannon, and the legisla-
ture elected by Atchison, and his %rufians. are.
it seems, to do everything, and the people of
Kansas nothing. The whole question is to
turn, not upon the will of the people, the SOW
ereigns who are SO much talked of, and whose
sovereignty is SO little respected-but upon
certain formalities and certificates. If the ad-
mlnlstration can have its way, it will not even
allow Congress to inquire what the will of the
people of Kansas is. FL.
The LniOn can see no result but what IL calls
Z" sectional agitation" as likely to be effected
by the late proceedings of the people of Kan
sas, and the election Of Gov. Reeder as their
representative. What does the IEnion mean
by sectional agitation ~ Is it sectional
agitation in the people of Kansas to disowna
Legislature they did not elect ? to DENY the au-
thority Of laws enacted by that legislature p
to refuse to be represented by a man whom
they did not choose or commission, and to send
to Washington one of their own members,
peacefully elected by a large majority of the
actual residents, to contest the seat of the in
truder! If the true representative of the peo-
pie of Kansas is received with respect, and his
right to a seat fairly discussed and considered.
is that likely to widen the breach between the
uli biC 'pittl . Is lIlc oOUJl So lIllp
influenced by Il regard to Justice that it will be
satisfied with nothing short of the summary adj
mission of Whitfield and the instant rejection
of Reeder?
There is no need of what the Tni0a calls
" sectional agitation, in regard to this ques-
ton. Let it be treated simply as n question
of justice to the people of the territory, and its
solution is easy enough. The people of Kan
sas saw their rights wrested from them by a
band of armed invaders, who usurped the legis-
latisc branch of the territorial government and
under whose auspices Whitfield was elected as
the delegate of the territory. They would have
been unworthy of the name of Americans if
they had submitted patiently to this usurpa-
ton and recognised this election. They took
the only course left them, which was to send
on a person honestly elected as their delegate.
to protest against his reception as delegate,
and to present an authentic commission, deriv-
ed, not from the MiSSourians and Gov. Shan
non colluding together, but directly from the
people.
The Washington Union processes great hor-
ror at the thought of Overriding an act of
Congress" 1t has none at the idea of over
riding the will of the people Of Kansas. If we
were to allow the entire force Of the argument
of the Washington Union, it is in the power
of Congress to cure the formal defect in Gov.
Recder's commission in an instant. If it wants
the quality of legality, Congress can give it by
a very simple enactment. 1t can dispense with
the formalities it has itself made necessary. 1t
can pass an act legalizing Gov. Reeder's cleo
ton, on the ground that it is the fair express
sion of the peoples will in the territory. The
southern members, if they are disposed to deal
fairly with the territory if their wishes are
not against the maintenance of peace between
the North and the South if they look at the
question without regard to their ~favoritc object
of the extension of slavery, will have no hesita-
ton in taking this course. The people of Kan
sas must maintain their rights, and the most
~effectual way to avoid the AGITATION Of which