The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-04-03

half the outrages which are here published to the
world with impunty by the Missourians, do you
believe the facts would have been smothered up
| by this report? The most Objectionable features
in the transactions of that Society set forth In
| the report and is there anything in them to COM
mare with what the Mssourians boast of having
done? Two hundred horsemen were following IN
the rear of the army as it returned from Kansas
the army which, in the language OF Governor
Reeder, while Governor, had conquered and
subjugated" the people of the Territory. And
| this we are told was an organization similar 10
| the Emigrant Aid Society.
| Next. Mr. President, the report gives in detail
| the proceedings of Governor Reeder preparatory
to the election the orders which he issued for
protecting the polls, and various matters con-
nected with the election. Bear in mind that it
| does not deny this invasion from Missouri. No,
sir that fact is too well authenticated; but it ar
cues that the persons elected as members OF tbs
| Territorial Legislature received certificates of
election from Governor Reeder, were recognised
by him as a Legislature, and therefore its acSs
| are bindingl That is the substance of the arg,t
ment. 1t does not pretend to deny that the els'i-
tions were carried by fraud; that the people'Sf
Kansas were conquered and driven from the pol 5,
as was published and alleged all over the cou l.
| try and is fact well known to every intel l.
gent man in the land as it is that the English aid
| the Russians have lately been at war.
But, sir, it is said that the laws passed by this
spurious Legislature binding, and are to be
enforced at the point of the bayonet; and those
who deny their validity are to be treated as in-
surrectonists and traitors. The action of Govern
or Reeder is referred to as giving validity to the
Legislature of the oppressors. Can that give any
force to these acts if the facts alleged be true2
Does the report meet the real question at Issue
If it be true that the elections in any Territory
of this Union were carried by people from
neighboring State or from foreign country, and
a Legislature were thereby imposed upon the
people of the insulted Territory, l ask, is there
| a man in America who would have the hardihood
| to say that the acts of the Legislature must be
| obeyed, because the Governor of the Territory
had recognised it, or because those elected by
| the invaders decided their election to be valid
| OF course the Legislature SO decided. Did you
ever know tyrant or despot trampling on the
| necks of his subjects deny his own right to do
SO? Such an act would be the most remarkable
exhibition the world saw. And yet it is
gravely argued in this report, that, because the
| oppressors decided that they had the right to
oppress we cannot, therefore, inquire into the
fact whether they were OppresSors not. 1t
has been contended, in debate here, that we are
estopped from looking into the transaction, in
consequence of the acts of Governor Reeder.
Sir, who was Governor Reeder2 An instru-
ment in the hands of the Executive, appointed by
the President of the United States, and removable
at his will. 1t has been contended that the Kan
sasNebraska act established the principle of self
government and popular sovereignty in the people
of the Territory; but when you look into the act,
you find that the Governor is not elected by the
people, that they have no voice in his election, or
in his removal, but that he is the instrument
of the President, and liable to be removed at any
moment.
| deny that Territorial Governor can make
valid the acts of assembly of usnrpers, by,
recognising them as a Legislature. The great fact
remains, and it is not met by the report that the
people of Kansas have been conquered, as the
Governor himself once said and Legislature
has been imposed upon them by violence. With.
out denying this the report, to legal phrase,
demurS to the declaration, thereby admitting the
charge, but denying that it affords any reason,
why the acts of such Legislature should not be
enforced!
But, sir, attempt is made to get rid of the
odium justly attaching to many of the acts OF
this spurious Legislature not by directly deny-
ing the existence of the obnoxious acts, but by
introducing into the report the proceedings of S
Convention of the people of Kansas, composed
chiefly of office-holders, as it would seem-the
Governor, judges, marshal, and district attorney,
being present-which undertook to say that the
laws of the Legislature had been most grossly
msrepresentsd. ] wish to look little at the
justification thus set up, and whether it is
warranted by the facts. That Convention de-
clares:
1t has been charged, and widely circulated,
that the Legislature in order to perpetuate their
rule, had passed a law prescribing the qualifcs-
ton of voters, by which it is declared that any
one may vote who will swear allegiance to the
Fugitive Slave Law, the Kansas and Nebraska
Bill, and pay one dollar such is declared to
be the evidence of citizenship such the qualifi-
cation of voters. In reply to this we say that
no such law was ever passed by the Legislature.
Ioxx
expressly provides that to entitle person to
vote, he must be twenty-one years Of age, an
actual inhabitant of this Territory and of the
county or district in which he offers to VOTE
and shall have paid Territorial tax. There is
no lac requiring him to pay dollar tar as fudf-
gfcation TO cote"
We happen to have the laws here, and wish
to call attention to some of their provisions in
chapter 1873 of the Kansas Statutes is this pro-
vision:
ain addition to the provisions of the act ensi-
tied An act for the collection of the revenue,
the sheriff of each and every county shall, on
or before the first Monday of October, 1855, col
lect the sum of one dollar, poll tax, from
each person in the said Territory of Kansas who
may be entitled to vote in said Territory, as is
provided in the said act to which this is supple
mentary."
In chapter &C of the same book, the qualifi9a-
ton of voters is prescribed as follows
Every free white male citizen Of the United
States, aid every free male Indian who is made
a citizen Oy treaty or otherwise, and over the
age Of twenty-one years, who shall be an IN
habitant of this Territory, and Of the county or
district in which he offers to vote, and shall
have paid Territorial tax, shall he qualified
voter"
Section thirteen declares:
1t shall be the duty of the sheriff to have IBIS
Textbook at the place of holding elections, and
to receive, receipt for, and enter upon his tau
book, all taxes which may be rendered him on
the day of any election"
Do not these statutes prove the truth Of the
allegation which the ofice-holders' Convention
has undertaken to deny2 Is it not true that any
inhabitant may vote who will pay his dollaEsax
Is not every voter required to pay the tax? Is
not the sheriff required to be present at the polls
to receive it? Is any residence necessary? Not
q day. 1t is enough if he who claims the right
of suffrage is at the time "inhabitant" of the
Territory and district where he offers to vote.
We all understand how this word "inhabitapt"
may be construed so to require nothing more
than inhabtancy at the moment of voting.
Mr.. COLLAMER will remark to the gem
tleman, if he will allow me, that the law requi-
ring poll tax, and providing for its collection,
was to take effect Immediately; and the otherdaw
which he has read was to take effect in October,
1856. One was the dollar tax, and the other
fifty cent tax; and provision was made for pay
ing at any time a man pleased.
Mr.. TRUMBULL. / think, then, that the alle-
cations which have gone abroad are fully gus
tanned by examination OF the statutes them
selves, and that the Convention of Kansas Office
holders were themselves mistaken. Another
section of the election law declares that any
person Offering to vote shall be presumed entitled
| 10 Int; Z x:ohf ic chor1a he is