Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-07-24

IL
days in this Hall and in the Senate. II is
that the ground taken in the early part of the
session with respect to Kansas is abandoned
by the men who resisted the appointment OF
any committee to investigate the transactions
IN that Territory, alleging that no frauds or
violence had been committed. and even if there
had this House had no power to control or re.
dress them.
Now, propositions for settling the troubles in
Kansas, and profesSedly to prevent the repeti-
ton OF the wrongs and injustice perpetrated
upon her people, come from those who strenu-
ously opposed the appointment of that COM
mlttee, and justified or apologized for the
wrongs which their report exposes ard the
ground taken i'll the opening of the session, that
Kansas must have a population of ninety-three
thousand four hundred and twenty before she
could be authorized to form State constitu-
ton, is profesSedly abandoned on all sides.
That was really the only plausible objection
that could be made to her immediate admission.
and that yielded, what objection can there be
save that her constitution prohibits slavery :?
! The proposition is now to admit her as a
State into the Union, without regard to the
number of inhabitants, after taking a census.
| Why delay her admission, then, for the taking
of census, when it is proposed to admit her
whatever her population may be l appeal
to every gentleman here who proposes to ad-
nit the State of Kansas, after the taking of
| census, without regard to the number of her
inhabitants, why not admit her at once, and
put an end to all these troubles?
Some gentlemen say, we ought to take no
action upon the subject until the Investigating
committee which was sent into Territory have
made their report. Now, that report, so far
as the question of the admission of Kansas in
to the Union is concerned, it seems to me is
wholly immaterial, except as furnishing an ad-
ditional reason for her admission, in order to
relieve the people from great wrongs But if
it is considered necessary, that commission has
returned, and any member who is not satisfied
as to the condition of things in Kansas can
satisfy himself by an appeal to the members of
the commission.
The question now before US is whether the
people of Kansas are to be relieved from their
expressions and wrongs by its immediate adj
mission as a State into this Union So far
as that question is concerned. it makes no diff
ference whether the Kansas legislation was
valid or invalid. Even if valid, and elected
without fraud or violence the pretended laws
they enacted and which were transmitted to
States, are disgrace to any civilized people
The only question is, whether you will relieve
these people from that despotism and wrong
hy admitting them now rs State into the
Union There is no other way in which YOU
can effectaaily relieve them, and prevent con-
slant invasion Of their rights by non-resdents.
But it is said that if the laws enacted by
this Legislature are wrong, they can be re-
pealed-that the ballot-bOx is the proper place
to change unjust laws As general PROPOSE
ton, that is true. But this legislation was
forced upon the people of Kansas, through
fraud and violence, by an invasion of non-resi-
dents. OF the six thousand three hundred and
thirty-one votes polled at that election but
fourteen hundred and ten were legal votes, as
asccEained by the Investigations of the COM
mittee sent by this House to Kansas. After
enacting laws which even Southern Senators,
rising above the prejudice of their section have
declared on the floor of the Senate to be cruel,
oppresslre, and p0lpaJig unjust TO one section of
the Lnjon, and an insult TO AoaOrd6k men, they
provided against their repeal by disfranchising
at the polS--by unauthorized test oaths-all
who were opposed to them. They provided
for their execution in the spirit in which they
were enacted, by taking from the people any
voice i'll the election of their officers
There is not an officer in the Territory of
Kansas to-day, civil, military, or judicial, save
the thirteen members of the Council of the |
spurious Legislature, (who hold over another |
year, in the selection of which the people have
had any voice. The executive and judicial Of |
ficers were sent by the Federal Government, |
and the Legislature appointed, or provided for
the appointment, by their own appointees, of
the election boards, Sherf1S, conStabes, justi- |
ccs Of the peace, and all other officers in the
Territory. And then, to guard against the
change of any Of their cruel and unjust laws,
they require, as a qualification to vote and to
hold Office in said Territory, in addition to 9th
CT obnoxious qualifications, an oath to support
the fugitive slave law and they postponed
the next meeting of the Legislature till the
lst of January, 1851. But as the Council
hold over another year, no change can be made
in these laws by the people themselves, even if
they were not disfranchiSed at the polls, till af-
ter the 1St OF January, 1858 so that, from
the time Of passing the territorial law by Con-
greSs, which provided for annual sessions of
the Legislature, it will be almost four years
before a change can be effected in the Legis
lature, SO as to repeal these laws.
The egcntleman from Georgia Mr.. STEPHENS
the other day referred to legislation in his own
State which he believed to be unconstitutional
and oppressive but the courts decided that
it was constitutional, and he submitted to the
decision, as was the duty of good citizen
But if provision had been appended to that
law prohibiting any man from voting for its
repeal until he had sworn to support it, would
he have felt himself bound to abide by it p?
Sir, the people Of Kansas are in different
position from that of any people in any State
in this Union, in respect to any laws OF which
complaint was ever made. For the first time
in the history of the Government is an oath