The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-09-29
Proclamation

and provided by the act OF congress Ior
the organization of our Territory that
we, the lawful resident voters of the said
Territory, shall, at all times, be represen-
ted in the House of Representatives Of
,he United States. by Congressional
Delegate elected by ourselves: and where
as, in the said act, Congress themselves
provided all the machinery of the first
election, and devolved upon the Terrific
rial Legislature the duty of providing for
the second, saving and excepting some
restrictions upon the qualification of yo-
ters: and whereas, we have been preyen-
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 ben
in force in our Territory, regulating all
our internal affairs, and among them es
pecialiy 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
perpetuation 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 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 ourselves
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 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 ''Places for Polls"
in the fifty-eighth line, to the words, elm
structions to Judges of Election" in the
one hundred and fifty-ninth line, inclu-
sive, shall be and is hereby declared part
Of this Proclamation. 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 =
|, do swear that l will perform
my duties as udge 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 l will keep a 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 inhabitant and resident of said
Territory on the day of the election, and
sFhona 1 slaaH not honestly believe 20 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
am ignorant of the voters right, 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, 1856, previous to
opening the polls, before me.
They shall keep aud 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 elec-
tion proclaimed, and duplicate returns
made out and signed by the Judges; which
together with the tally lists, lists of vo-
ters, DC, shall be despatched by Judge |
from each precinct, appointed by the
board of Judges for that purpose, to the
Chairman of the Territorial Executive
Committee. % at the town of Lawrence.
on or before the 18th day of October
next.
In case it 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
nracinets af the nIacaS ahoua dos;ea