The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-03-12

upwards AFTER the election Is IL probable or even posi-
bic, that Kansas could have been oyerruu by military
force and literally subugaed In March, without the gov
errors having heard Of 1t by the "a ofJuy2 That the
day on winch the legislature met The houses orSahAeo
usual Committees appointed by each 10 wait upon
and notify the governor, usual and ina reply, Hs VIII
be seen on page IL journal the governor sent them
message commencing in these words:
10 e Honorable e Council and House Of Representatives.
III T. Of ne 1ariory Of Kansas:
Having been duly notified that your respective
bodies have organized for the performance Of your official
functions, herewith submit you the usual executive
communication relative 10 subjects of legislation which
universal and long.counued usage in analogous cases
would to demand although express requirement
Of 1t 10 be found in the act of Congress which has
brought into official existence and prescribed
erl duties. The position which we occupy, and the
solemn that eonfded u.s. for organizing the laws
and institutions and moulding the destnes OF Il
public,P &c
This certainly quite sufficient to show that Governor
Reeder the 3D. day of July did consider the bodies
OF men he was then addressing set Of border ruf
fans holding the important and Solemn trust couhded'
10 them legislators for "the destines of republic
by better right than that of seilng the polls by vio
ence, and carrying election by force, intimidation,
fraud and corruption. And who believe that IL what
he now says was true touching the March election, he
would not by that time have known il and knowing IT,
who believes he would have recognised them proper
constituted legislative body In this very message as
will be seem he invited the special attention of the legs
a'ure-eonsltnied ms II was, and he knowing all about
its organzaiionto several matters olegsaton Amongst
other things he said them Tbe provisions for county
courts and the officers connected with them and the other
he lars for regulating and holding elections; The gulfca-
tons q poter &c These submitted to them
Tor their appropriate action upon. But now, strange
say the law regulating elections &c. under which the
undersigned elected his present seat passed by thai
very body, according the special recommendation Of
Governor Reeder himself is at this time alleged by him to
pe inVald and void because, he says these
whom he commissioned to sit Legislators, who were
ognsed such by him. and who were urged by him to
pass some law of the kind not properly elected and
had no proper authority to pass such Il law Is not
Governor Feeder esopped from these his official
from dsputng the authority of the Kansas legislature
pass the law under which the undersigned was elected
But again the 9th of July Governor Reeder returned
10 The house in which it originated bill moving the place
OF the sitting Of the legislature for that session from Paw
nee City to Shawnee Mission with his This will be
seen on 20 of the journal This veo or disapprova
OF their action that BILL not founded in the slight
est degree upon any fact matter the organization
OF the houses either of them He withheld his approval
solely upon the ground of the of power n the egs
aure under the organic law in his opinion change the
place of holding its session. But both houses however
passed the bill, with than a third vote; and il
was accordingly carried over the
One other act of Governor Reeder the undersigned
wishes to call the attention of the committee After
the legislature adjourned from Pawnee City to Shawnee
Mission as late July 81, he again addressed them 10
communication veoing other bills. This second veto
message is important to be noted in this: Up thai
hmehe 2lst OF july nearly four months after the March
elecuon-the governor makes mention complaint OF
the election of the members of the legislature nor does he
say anything against the propety OF the action of either
the council the house in the of the district cleo
tons set aside by him. This all done before thai
message but he places bis of the 2st of July solely
upon the grounds that the legislature his opinion
no power to adjourn from Pawnee City to Shawnee
Mission. Up that time let it be noted then that
moi word heard from Governor Reeder about the
military invasion the Both March before Now as Gov
erno Reeder had the absolute control of the election of
the legislature far the arrangement of the districts
concerned aud fixing the times and places for voting
the appointment of all the judges Of election and esab
fishing the rules and regulations for the returns to be
made TO him and he judged himself of the returns in
each and commissioned duly elected every mem
took h.
on and recognised both branches properly elected and
organized by repeated messages and his sole reason
for vetong their official and legislative was his dis
agreement with them 10 their power change the
place of their sossons, the undersigned most respect
fully again asks 10 he not estopped and ought not 10
be held TO be estopped from resortng this thought
OF setting up the pretext which he Is attempting
that the members of that legislature were not proer
ly elected Tie whole merits Of the case presented
by Governor Reeder against the validity the under
which the undersigned elected according hs posi-
ton on the 2lst of July last rest solely upon the fact OF
the adjournment of the legislature from one place TO an
other before stated and will he clearly perceived 10
his message OF that date referred That point the uu
dersigned will not argue hetoe the committee He refers
them to the opinion Of the supreme of the Territory
10 be found ia the journal page l. of the appendix The
opnion there the undersgned deems conclusive upon
the point Governor Reeder himself must have become
satisfied of the weakness Of the position then assumed and
hence his attempt made reopen the closed question
Of the election of the members OF the legislature
The undersigned in this Communication does not wish to
indulge IN any commns upon the motives of Governor
Rceder and DIS official misconduct which led 10 his re-
GOvs If he might be aasfg ned for the veto
Of the act moving the legislature from Pawnee City 10
Shawnee Mission stronger than that be found In the
logic Of his argument Bot the undersigned cannot per
init what s said in the paper he replying about the
general character Of the people Of Kansas pass
nced. L 10 sad 10y this who would lie forced upon
them by Of the House their representative on the
floor Though upon trial he found be unfit TO be
their governOr) THAT menace, intimidation and in-
proper influences rife in the ENTHUSIASTICALLY on
the border. Mems rights held in regard official
authority commands no respect and have no
tpudp tbe Of h.l
country hangs n thread TTegpasses assaults
aud murders openly committed, and one thinks
of appeal for gedrrss the law because from that
source redress be had To Whatever extent this
statement may be true Governor Reeder ought best 10
know why It is Who but himself and those deluded
removal from office setting themselves up against all Law
and order IN the Territory have produced this Of
thtnR'2 Who but those under his inHuence-not bonn
pie settlers in Kansas but emssares mischief sent by
his coaborer elsewhere FOR purposes Of civil streare
now engaged in insurrectionary movements with view
overthrow the constituted authorities Of the Terary and
TO break down the only government aud system laws
which the people look for The protection of life liberty
aud property The RcluRl residents Of Kansas have just
appreciation ct good government and for law
II they have lately been uuduy excited by matters orgina-
ting with others than themselves they 10 be
censured therefor and particularly by those wicked pSoc
of the evils by which they are molosed No society
community he altogether quiet when treason agaiust
US very existence plotted in Its bosom Late information
from kansas however represents the Of the public
mind there much less excited than Il has been and war
rants the indulgence Of hope that the threatened conc,
between the revoutioniss and those who stand by the
laws Of the land will not take place OF one thing the
undersigned feels confident thsi nothing could do more to
leopard the peace Of that Territory and with H. perhaps
the peace Of the whole Union than for the omen and