Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-07-17
Judge Collamer's Minority Report,
on the Senate Kansas Bill

bill GS. i7s) .'to authorize the people ot
'the Territory of Kansas 10 form Con-
.'stitulion and Staie Government prcpar-
"a.ory to their admission into the Union
"xhelj thes have the >eqnisite population"
e,td :iie .,neaancnt proposed thereto BY
Sir. Seward, and the amendment intend
ed to BE- proposed oy Mr. Toombs 10 the
said uill, and 10 whom we're referred the
bill Is. 342) "to retiore order and peace
in Kansas" the bill Is. 3I3) supple
"mentary to an act FOR organize the Ter
"rit.ries OF Ncbrask, sud Kansas" and
The bill IS. 3jD, supplementary TO an
"sct TO organize the Ter tories of Ne
ab-aska and kansa-. md 70 provide for
",ae faithful execution OF the sad act IN
'tae Ter-itory of Haasas, according to
"thr true intent and meaning thereof
the following, which sas ordered TO be
printed, ard 10000. siiM nal copies be
mihied Is i'm Rep,r No. 1873:
IL is now g-orceed to pass the bill to en-
able the present Inhabitants of Kansas to
choose delegates to form State Constitu-
ton, II is well understood that the only
topic of difficulty there, is the subject OF do
uesiic Slavery. A there is not the number
Of inhabitants there to cntitle them to
representative, according to the present sp-
portionmcn,, il is entirely matter Of Con-
grcssional discretion whether n State SHALL
be formed at this time.
If the state of circumstances there be such
as 10 iurni.h q we'll l-founded expectation
that fair. just. and impartial expression Of
the Opinions and wishes Of The octual bona
fde inhabitants Of tic Territory cannot now
lie obtained, then this experiment should
rot be attempted at this juncture Of their
affairs A euccinct statement of recent
events in relation 20 that Territory, its pre-
srnt unhappy and unsettled condition, and
the causes which have produced it, viii
iuIly show that no fair election Of delegates
10 just expression Of opinion no true de-
clsion, can, at present, be there obtained.
In 1854 when ,he Lill establishing the
Territorial Governments Of Kansas and Ne.
braska was passed, it was enacted that they
should, when admi tilted as States, be admit
led ':with or without Slavery, a. their Con-
siiiutions should provide" This, however,
was MT satisfactory to the Saveholding
States, and, therefore, that provision OF the
Missouri Compromise which forbid Slavery
inrerer north of 36 deg. so min. north lat.
that bill OF resposc for which the Slave
iyidihg States had received and secured for
ever their confederation, and which had
leen sanctioned by thirty years OF acquies-
fad 4
men: was prolcssedy instituted Of submit
ting the subjeci 10 the people who sfould
come into the Territory. Tbis was done to
admit Slavery into the Territory, which that
compromise forbade. This breach of iaith
was effected by making another plight Of
faith. that is. by providing that the settlers
of Kansas should be perfectly free to form
and regulate their domestic institutions in
their own way
= Relying on this last national assurance,
many people lrum Fee States, as well as
from Slave States, settled in Kansas; and
how has that assurance been keit' Meth
er'ibe Executive nor Congress has redeemt d
that pig bted faith or executed that law. l
rtste, from information which | regard as
entirely reliable, and Us facts which | be-
lie,e capable Of the most uuquestionable
proof, which can at uny time be present. d,
that IF the 6,S3l Eotes cast in March, 1855,
for the election Of the Legislative Assem-
bly, OF Kanras. i.92l of them were cast by
armed bands OF tine inhabitants Of Missouri,
who invaded Kansas for that purpose on
that orcasion; ,lral only / ,ll0 legal votes
were cast, and msjorty of those were for
the Free State candidates, though must OF
the Free State voters were driven from the
polls. This invasion extended to all The
Council Districts, and 10 all the Representa-
I've Districts but one, and elected and con-
iroiled large maturity OF both Houses
The people Of the Territory have not been
left free, but have been invaded and subju-
gated, and they are, and their institutions
have beer. controlled by the people of Mis-
so,ri, through and by the iyrannic laws en-
acted by that Assembly, and more tyrannic-
ally enforced BY the officers by them ap
pointed. These laws, so made by usurpa-
ton. the Executive OF this Government has
aided 10 enforce, and in Congress no relief
has been granted. The complaints and re-
presentations of this usurpa,ion and pr.
version Of the organic act have been repre-
eented here as complaints !of mere IRE
;u!arity. and been treated by The Senate
with apparent Indifference and neglect, as
no measure even of inquiry in:o their truth
his been Instituted.
Tie peop'e of Kansas, thus oppressed
and sutjugated, have complained and strug-
II in lain. They have done as they un-
.crstood the people of other Territories had
done before them: that is, formed a State
Constitution, inviting all to participate there
ic, and presented the same to Congress for
admission. All such attempts have but
brought down on them tae reproach of be-
ing traitors and subverters of authority.
Abandoned to their oppressors, the Free
State people of Kansas have been pursued
~ them in the sumo spirit which made the
invasion. The acts of raid Assembly have
hy their officers beea made the color fJr all
f"ImS of pol teal persecution and Oppres-
eion. Indictments for constructive treasons
and pretended nuisances prive them Of lb-
eriy and destroy their pr periy. Ender the
form 0f Sheriff S possess, armed bands o!
people from without the Territory Prowi
over it ard take and destroy property and
lives, and intimidate and drive off the Free
State people. These people have thus, for
several months past. been harrassed and
scattered and any attempt at seli-defense
has been repressed oy the army of the Unit
ed States, or been declared constructive trea-
son, and treated accordingly. The settlers
have thus in large numbers been drivenfrom
their settlements and from the Territory -
This is but brief and feeble statement of
she facis. 4 full picture of the public
atrocities and private violence which have
been committed with impuni,y upon thc
Free State people Of Kansas would excite
and areu-e the deepest sentiment CT indig-
nation.
il would scem to be demanded by sense
nt common justice, and hy what this nation