The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1856-04-23
NUMBER 6.

:. most of the districts; saw them 3" oserawe
the defenseless inhabitants, and by their
own votes elect a large majority Of the
members of both Houses of said ASSEM-
bly," (the Legisature;) saw the inhabit<
ants borne down by said violence, and
intimidation and that, after witnessing
all these appalling scenes, these same
Judges wrote out and signed return, in
which they stated that the election had
been fairly and honestly conducted, and
that the said return contained true state
ment of the votes 'polled by lawful voters;'
and that these judges then verified the
truth of the return by their own osths;
and then delivered the same to the Cow
ernor in person, without communicating
!, to him the fact that the Territory had
been thus invaded; and that the Governor
being uninforrncd in relation thereto, -
! issued the certificates to the men thus
fraudulently elected, under the supposition
that the elections had been fairly and hon>
estly conducted in all of those eleven dis
tricts. The Senate and the country are
asked to believe this incredible story, ens
the authority of the minority, signed by
one member of the committee oat Of six.
unsupported by single fact, and without
a particle Of eridence to sustain II or im- )
part plausibility to it. Before Goyernor
Reeder can believe the story, he nust
convict each one of the Judges whom he
selected and appointed to conduct the
election, of perjury in swearing to the
truth of the returns Were not tho
judges honest and impartial men3 Did
not Governor Reeder believe them to be
such when he appointed them? Whsn did
he first make the discovery that each one
Of them had betrayed his trust and yiela~
ted his oaths? Is it not amazing that
in the selection of thirty-thrss msn to-
conduct the elections in those eleven dis
tricts. the GoFcrnor should not have been
able to find one honest man, who feared
God and loved his country enough to sra-
frain from committing perjury BY sweasing
to false returns, and inform the Governor i
that his own Territory had been oveFrun
and suh)ugated, and its electiens controll-sh
ed. By an invading army from forsign
State, and that the people were xn mnch
Eintimidated and frightened that they dars .
not protest against the Outrage, or petit
ton for the redress of their grievances, or
even tell their own chief magistrate how
great calamity had befallen them while
he remained wholly uniformed in rela-
tion thereto?n s..,,.tr
Kansas conquered and suhjugated, and
without the knowledge of the Governor
The polls seized aud elections controlled
by large bodies of armed men from Mia
souri,, and the judges concealed the fact
from the Governor who appointed themI
Phe people, /" borne down by said violence
and intimidation,n y scattered and dis
couraged," /" and 6iled with .appfehensions =
of personal violence to such an extent
that they did not dare to whisper into the 8
ears of their fayorite, but nninforlned. -;
Governor the sad tale of their oyerwheim-
ing calamities How long did this reign
of terror last When did Governor Ree<lcr
become uniformed in relation rthereto?'t
How, when, by whom, and ON what ssvi-
'dence, were these startling facts brought
to the knowledge Of his Excellsncy? Ifss
he did not know the facts on the s5th off,
April, when he issued the eerti6cate6Sofa
election, had he aseertained. them on thc;i
18th Of the same month, when he pub4as
lished his proclamation commanding eachs
one of these ssfraurlulent nembers to
assemble and organize ga spurious Legis-
.laturc at Pawnec City, on the I'd day
of July Had he become informed Of the
facts when, more than three months after y
the election, he sent his first message to-
this "spslious Legislature y and invoked
the richest blessings of Divine Providence
upon them while engaged in the performs
ance of their high and patriotic dnties q
Had he heard of the alarming fact that
/" Kansas had been conquercd,s when he
recommended to the Legislature, thus
elected and organized, to pass lawsSfor
the government of the people of Kansas
apon the subject Of education, andreve-d
nue., and taxation, and courts and clcc-a
tions, and the militia, and, in short. npon
all rightful subjects of legislation? Had
he heard of the conquest" when he vetoed
the act of the Legislature removing tho
seat of government temporarily from Paw
nee City, and assigned. among other rea-
sons, that it would occasion /" u loss Of
time, the more valuable because their ses-
sious were limited by the organic Law Of
the Territory :" Who can conceive the
extent of the cyils resulting from the loss
of ten days. time by a spurious Legisla-s
ture, which was forced on the people bY
an invading army from foreign State
Was he "nninforncd . of the facts when
On tho . lSt of Iulv bo n icSe lxs,sl hiu ssSz1