Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-02-02

without local law. and OF course, without the
ordinary guarantees Of pace and public Or
der.
In other respects the Governor, instead of
exercising constant vigilance and putting forth
ali his energies to prevent or cOunteract the
tendencies to illcgality which are prone to OK
isl in all imperfcctly-organized and newly-aSso-
GATED communities, allowed his attention to be
diverted from official obligation by other oh
iects, and himself set an example of the viola
ton of law in the performance of acts which
rendered it my duty, in the sequel, to remove
him from the office of chief executive magis-
trate of the Territory.
Before the requisite preparation was accom-
plisled for election of a Territorial Legi>Ia-
ture an election of Delegate to Congress had
been held in the Territory on the 29th day of
November, 1854, and the Delegate 10 K his
seat in the House of Representatives without
challenge. If arrangements had been per-
fcctcd by the Governor so the election for
members of the Legislative Assembly might
he held i'll the several precincts at the same
time as for Delegate to Congress, any qucs-
ton appertaining to the qualification of the
persons voting as people of the Territory would
have passed necessarily aud at once under the
supervision of Congress, as the judge of the
validity of the return of the Delegate, and
would have been determined before conflicting
passions had become infamed by time and be-
fore opportunity could have been afforded for
systematic interference Of the people of indi.
vidual States.
This interference, in so far as concerns its
primary causes and its immediate commence
ment, was one of the incidents of that PERM.
ciouS agitation on the subject of the condition
of the colorcd persons held to service in some
of the States which has so long disturbed the
repose of our country, and excited individuals
otherwise patriotic and l~aw-abiding to toll with
mlsdirccted zeal in the attempt to propagate
their social theories by the pervcrsion and
abuse Of the powers of Congress.
The persons and parties whom the tenor OF
the act to organize the Territories of Nebras
ka and Kansas thwartcd in the endeayor to
impose, through the agency of Congress, Their
particular views of social organization on the
people of the future new States, now p%erceiy.
ing that the policy of leaving the inhabitants
of each State to judge for themselves in thi,
respect was ineradicably rooted in the con
victions Of the people of the Union, then haC
recourse, in the pursuit of their general object
10 the extraordinary measure of propagandist
colonization of the Territory of Kansas, tt
prevent the free and natural action of its III
habitants in its internal organization, and thu.
to anticipate or to force the determination OF
that question in this inchoate State.
With such views associations were organic
ed in some of the States, and their purpose
was proclaimed through the press in language
extremely irritating and offensive to those oil
whom the ~colOniSts were to become the neigh,
borS. Those designs and acts had the neccs,
sary consequence to awaken emotions of in.
tense Indignation in States near to the Terri
tory OF Kansas, and especially i'll the adjoin.
lug State of Missouri, whose domestic peace
was thus the most directly endangered but
they are far from juStifying the illegal and rep
rehensible counter-moyementS which enSued.
Under these inauSpicious circumstances the
primary elections for Members of the I.egis
latiyc Assembly were held in most if not all
of the precincts at the time and the places
and by the persons designated and appointed
by the Governor, according to law.
Angry accusations that illegal votes had
been polled abounded on ali sides, and impu.
tations were made both Of fraud and violence
But the Governor, in the exercise of the DOW.
er and the discharge Of the duty conferred
and imposed by law on him alone, officially re
ceived and considered the returns declared 8
large majority of the members of the Counci
and the House Representatives " duly elected; >
withheld certificates from others because o
alleged illegality Of votes appointed 4 new
election to supply the place of the persons moi
certified, and thus at length, in all the form.
of statute, and with his own official authenti
cation, complete legality was given to the
first Legislative Assembly of the Territory.
Those decisions of the retur hing officers oil
the Governor are final, except that, by the
parliamentary usage of the country applied to
the organic law, it may he conceded that each
House Of the Assembly must have been com
petcnt to determine, i'll the last resort, tho
qualifications and the election Of its members
The subject was, by its nature, one appertain
ing exclusively to the jurisdiction of the Ioca
authorities Of the Territory. Whatever if
Irregularities may have occurred in the elections
it seems too late now to raise that question a.
to which, neither now nor at anv previou.
time, has the least possible legal authorit,
been possessed by the President of the United
States. For all present purposes the Legis
lative body, thus constituted and elected, wa:
the legitimate assembly of the Territory.
Accordingly, the Governor, by proclama.
tioa, convened the Assembly thus elected tC
met at a place cal'cl Puwlec City. The
two Houses met and were duly organized il
the ordinary parliamentary form ; each sent
to and received from the Governor the oficia
communications usual on such occasions al
elaborate Message opening the session was
communicates by the Governor and the gene
raj business of legislation was entered upon BY
the Legislative Assembly.
But, after a few days, the Assembly re
solved to adjourn to another place in the T<r
ritory. Alaw was accordingly passed, against
the consent of Governor, but in due form
otherwise, to remove the seat of government
temporarily to the Shawnee Manual-labol