Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-03-19
THE PREsENr KANSAS euEsTIor

Horace Greeiy, writing from W ashlngton
under date of March 9th, gives the following
view of the Kansas Question, which will per-
haps give the reader pretty correct compre-
hcnson OF it.
The Kansas question is up, and, while Mem
bers are debating it in long and logical speech
es, full of devotion to Liberty and devotion to
the Union, I propose to state the case-not
one side of it, but the whole case-as briefly
and clearly as I can. With this view, will
throw the antagonist assertions and positions
into the form OF dialogue between Whitfield,
Reeder and the House-as follows:
Whi5deia, I l present my credentials as a
Rsedsr, Delegate elect from Kansas.
TIE HOuSe-Stand back, genflemeni Which
of You has the certificate OF the legal return
ing officer7
HAufeia-I have. Hero it is
The HoUse-Very good. You are thereby
entitled to take the oath and the seat until an
Investigation can be had. Mr.. Reeder You
must contest and send in Your memorial. 1t
shall be duly considered. Mr. Whitfield's cer-
tifcate is p,iraa facie evidence of his right,
but nothing more. Bring on your proof that
he vas not fairly elected and that you were,
and you shall be admitted in his stead.
RsedeT--Well, gentlemen I am here as
contestant, then, If you will have it So !
challenge the right of John ". Whitfield as
Delegate for Kansas, and claim to be myself
! the true and fairly chosen representative OF
the actual settlers Of that Territory.
| The Eoase--liow doyou propose to prove
! this?
Rseder-By showing that the alIedged Legis-
! lature which passed the election laws under
| which and prescribed the day on which Whit
/ field claims to have been elected, vas no Le-
! gislature of Kansas-that it was chosen by the
! votes of residents Of Missouri mainly or who'll
/ ly-that those residents were enrolled, organ
/ lied. and Differed in Missouri through secret
I societies operating for weeks before the cleo
/ tion-that they came over inlarge armed bands
/ on the day before and day of electi01-that
! steamboats, black with them landed them in
Kansas on the day Of election, and took them
/ away after voting, before niglit-that cayal-
cades nf them went over on horseback and in
| wagons. took possession of nearly all the polls,
rs had been preconcerted-that when the
! Judges OF elections hesitated or refused to al
/ low them to-yote, they expelled those officers
! by violence and terror and appointed their own
creatures in their stead-that by this astOund-
! ing conspiracy and outrage the voice Of Kan
! sas was stihed and Pro-slayery Legislature
! imposed on her by residents OF Missouri
] Legislature which in no mrnBer represented
! Kansas, and could not bind her-a Legislature
! whose existence she ignored and whose acts
she has always repudiated.
Ithifeld-O this won't do This same Rec
! der, who now contests, was Territorial Cover
nor, through tie first half Of the last year and
1 himself commissioned the Members Of this
same Legislature. He is thus estopped from
denying the validity of its acts.
Reedsr-No, sir! I expressly rejected the
| claims of about one third of the Members, who
! sat in that Legislature. Proofs were submit
ted to me that they were returned by consplr-
/ acy. corruption, violence and fraud, andon the
strength OF those proofs | refused them cerI-
ficates and ordered new elections TO fill their
! places. In one case, fresh irruption from
( ty repetition 81 these outrages, bat no legal
evidence of such repetition of abuse was sea-
| Sonably submitted 10 me, and l commissioner
| of 4 second election, new members were cho-
! sen all Free St te men. Yet, when the pre-
| tended Legislature assembled, all these Free
| State AeH6ers-the only members honestly e.
/ iected by residents of kansas-IcRre erpel!e3
from their 9sGts aa1 the elect Of The Border Ruf-
fans al ths rseuiGr election 5eere pitched INTO
their Pfaces, and helped make the laws under
which htlieli claims a seat here.
Whtgfeld-Wcl ell, suppose this third of the
Members lCers bogus-the other two thirds
were all right-or at least yot are estopped
from questioning their right, for yeu commits
stoned them.
Reoder-True, Sir, gave certificates to all
those returned to me as daily elected except
those with regard to whom evidence was sub
| initted to me that they had been returned by
fraud. had no discretion in the premises
But does 1t follow that. because was not le-
gaIIy informed OF specific frauds and usurpa-
tons within a few days after certain election,
that should be estopped from proving such |
frauds and usuIpationS several months after
ward, when ka3 been apprised of then p
Shall my ignorance of most important facts in
April or May Of last year deprive the People
of Kansas of tie power and right now to urge
those Facts in bar of perpetuation and aggra-
vation of the fragrant wrongs to which they
had been subjected
iVti5iei2-This Legislature, after being Or
ganized, was recognized and addressed by you
as a legal body: and you must now abide by
that recognition.
Reeder-No, Sir not the Legislature under
whose acts you claim seat here. When the |
alleged Legislature first met at Pawnee City, !
| did recognize it; but when it proceeded I
forthwith to adjourn to Shawnee Mission, L i'm |
mediately notified the members that | would |
not recognize them Legislature after such /
removal. The organic Kansas-N ebraska act |
gave to the Governor of Kansas the power to /
'fr'' the place of meeting of the Territorial
Legislature Il tieed 1t accordingly at Pawnec /; /
vetoed the act by which the Legislature !
sought to remove to the neiEhborhood Of their |
Missouri homes and, as they persisted, new |
er afterward recognized them as Legislature. |
All the laws in question, including, that under !
which you claim TO be elected, were passed af- /
ter that remoyal-passed at q place where no /
Legislature was ever legally convened. Ifyou /
mean to be technical, therefore, and stand on
your legal advantage, / tell you that you have
none to stand on.
T1iffeld-But if that Legislature is not
legal body, there is no lawful authority in +
Kansas, and chaos is come again.
Reeder-Oh noi there are the Constitution |
of the United States, the laws of the United I
States, including the organic law OF Kansas, /
and the officers of the United States-Goyer-
nor, Secretary, Marshall, Judges, and others.
All these are authoritative in Kansas, and the
People cheerfully obey them. 1t is your fraud
- a.. . 4l,s.-r