The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-26
AFFAIRS OF KANSAS.



10 TaA SENATE AND HousE OF REPRESENTATIVES,:
Circumstances have occurred to disturb the course OF
ssd produces there condition things which renders
6cumbent on me TO call your attention he subject
and urgently 70 recommend the adoption by you such
sasnrss Of sg1saton ~ the grave s1ssaciss OF the
bret exposition of the circumstances refssd to- and
,a sa causes viii % necessary e the fu
snbmit
me at to organize the Territories of Nsesasks and
kApsss manifestation OF the legislative opinion Of
Ongess two great points OF constitutional construc
snn-one that the designation Of the boundaries of
nsw Tritory and provision fur its political organisation
snd administration IS Territory which OF
ygh fall within the powers Of the general government
sad the Other that the inh.osnts OF any such Terri
Of self to determine FOR themselves
what shall be their domestic Institutions subject
Congress under it. and to the power Of the existing States
dec according 10 the provisions and principles Of
tAs constitution At what time the TERRITORY shai be- re-
srived IS state into the Union. Such are the great
pohtio. rights which are solsnny declared and affirmed
by that act.
eaeh Territory the outlines Of republican govern.
nent, distributing pubic authority among law
!oy created agents-sxecutive, judicial and leyis-
6uve-to be appointed either by the general
government or By the Territory. The legislative
functions we're entrusted to Council and House Of
the local laws which they might entail to their
prosperity happiness, and good government. Acting in
tbs s.e spirit, Congress also defined the persons
we're in the FIRST instance to be consde ed people
q cash Territory enactng that every fee white In
hAhtant of the above the age Of years.
BEING sn actual resident hereof and possessing the quail
AeaioDs hereafter described % entitled TO vote at
e frat electi and be eligible any office Within the
Ierrtry; but that the qualifications Of voters and hold
ing office 1T all Subsequent elections should be such
might be prescribed by the legislative assembly: Provd
90, however, that the right OF suffrage and of holding o.
noe should be exercised only by citizens OF the United
htaee and those VITO should have de Shared tner
N enticD to become en- have oath sup
port the constitution OF the United states and the pro-
aofG he Ard idaA fnrt hap hat
Ger, soldier, seaman, Marine other person in the
army navy Of the United Sses attached troops
IN their service, should be allowed to vote hold Of
6ce in either Territory by of being service
therein
suoh of the public officers of the Territories as BY the
40 were to be appointed by the general government in
eudng the governors were appon cd and com issioned
IN due s.son the law having been ted the 3Oth
# May 1854 the commission of the Governor 6 the
f-rritory of Nebraska being dated the % day of
1854 and of the Territory of Kansas the 10th
day of June, 1854
Among the duties imposed by the act on the governors
vas that OF directing and experimenting the political or
ganxAtn OF the respective Territories The Governor Of
the Inhabitants and qualified voters of the severed
hes districts Of the Territory. to be taken by such
parsons and in such mode he might designate and
pet to appoint direct the time aud places of bold
ing she frst elections and rhe Of conducting
them, boh as to the per 70 superntend such ees
lions ard the returns thereof TO declare the number of
the memters the Lscn House OF Representatives
r each county district to declare what persons might
appear TO be duly elected and to appoint the time and
psee of the st meeting Of the legislative assembly In
sasstance the same duties we're devoved on the Cover
Of Nebraska.
While by this the principle of constitution for each
u the Territories and the same and the details
of organic legislation regarding both were as nearly
csud identical and while the Territory of Nebraska
TRANQUILITY and successfully organized in the due
OF It's first legislative assembly met the
hing delayed and has been attended with serious difficult
Ties and partly the consequence of local
mai ad ninistraton and partly OF the urjastabe inter-
ference OF the inhabitants Of OF the States foreign
y residence interests and rights to the Territory
Tie Cover Of the Terrory Of Kansas, commissioned
saed the Goth OF June 1854 did reach
eneusg Cot ber and then failed to make the first
step in Tvs legal of ordering toe
or enumeix ration Of its innaoitants-unii late q
day that tue election of the members of the legis
Ative assembly did not take place until the 30th of
1865 So hat for year after the Territory const
tinted by the act OF Congress- and the officers to be
pointed by the edera Executive had been commissioner
II wss without complete government, without any
legislative authority, without local law, aud Of course
Without the ordinary guarantees Of peace and public
ogcer.
In other respects the Governor instead of exercising
vigilance and putting forth all his energies 70
counterfeit the tendencies 10 iiiegaty which
pcone TO exist in ali i'm perfectly organic and WY
associated munities allowed his attention be or
ed from official obligations by objects and nim
self set example Of the violation of In the per-
formapce of acts whih rendered my duty in the Sc
met him from the Office OF chief executive
ma istrate of the Territory.
Before the requisite preparation was accomplished
or election OF lFXhubtuse an eleCtion
Of Delegate to Congress had been held in the Terri
tory, on the Goth cay OF November 1854, and the
DeIersts took bis seat in the House Of Representa-
1aves without challenge. II arrangements had BEEN
perfected BY the Governor that the election for
members OF the legislative assembly might be held IN
several precincts at the same time as Tor to
Congress- any question appertanng to the qualification
Of the voting as people OF the Territory would
ksve passed necessarily and at under the super
vision OF Congress- the judge of the validity of the
the delegate, and would have been determined
before conflicting passions had become inamei by time
and BEFORE oo1a nave q
This interference, so far as concerns fts primary
causes and immediate commencement was one Of the
INCIDENTS OF that perncious agitation the subject of
oondiion Of colored persons held to service in
Of the States which has 70 long the re-
pAuie and law abiding TO toll with misdirected zeal
the attempt propagate their social theories by the
peverson and abuse of the powers Congress To per-
the les the tenor Of the act to organ
ne the Territories of Nebraska and Kansas hward in
impose through the agency of Congress-
their particular views OF social organization on the people
Of the future States percevng that the policy
leaving the inhabitants OF each State 10 Judge for them
selves in this respect ineradcaoy rooted in the
convictions Of the people OF the Union then nd
IN the pursuit of their general object 70 the exraord
nary Of pTopagancist colonization OF the Terri
tory to the Tree and natural act on OF
i In its internal organisation, AMI thus TO
cipate to force the discrimination OF that ques ion
IN " IL inchoate State.
of the Stses their purposes proclaimed through
the press language extremely irritating AMI offensive
whom cofOnlt6 were 70 become net&n
bors Those designs and acts had the
quence to awaken emotions of intense indignation in
States the Territory Of Kansas and especially in
tts adionng State Of Missouri whose domestic peace
thus the most d ecty endangered but they Tar from
justifyipg the illegal and rsprehensible counter-move
menfs which epsued.
Uncer these ina uspcious circumstances the primary
elections tor mempers Of the legislative assembly were
he'd In most all Of the precincts at the time and
the places and by the persons designated and appointed
By the Governor according tolaw.
Angry accusations that illegal votes had been po1cd
abounded all sides, and mputatons were made both
Of fraud and violence But the Governor in the exercise
Of the discharge of the duty conferred and
Imposed by law him alone officially received and IN
the declared large msjonty OF the mem
bers Of the Council and the House Of Representatives
suly Withheld certificates from others because
a alleged tgalty Of votes, appointed election TO
,p place Of the persons not certified and thus At
lsueth in ali the forms Of statute and with his Off
sial naturalization, complete legality given to the
6rst Legislative Assembly Of the Territory.
Those OF the returning soers and OF the Gov
esnsr are na except that BY the Parliamentary
the country applied to the organic law tmay be ded
That each house the Assembly must
in the resort the quahcau and