New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-03-10
FROM WARRINGTON.
THE PRESENT KANSAS QUESTION

House or REPRESENTATIONS,
WASHINGTON, March s, l556.


devotion to Liberty and devotion 20 the Union,
propose 10 state the case-Dot one SIDE Of it, bat
the whole case-as briefly and clearly as | car
With this siew, will throw the antagoDis. az
sertions and positions into the form Of dialogue
between Whitfield, RetdoT and the Hoaso--as fsl-
lows:
Bhtfeld. preseu; my credentials ss Dele
Rssder gate elect from Kansas
I'll, H0sse-Stand back, gentlemen. Which Of
YOU has the certificate of the legal returning
oficer'
WLlssd. Il have. Here ii is,
III. Hcnse.-yery good. You are thereby en-
titled to take the oath and the seat until an iavesn
CATION can be had. Mr.. Reeder foa must co.,
test and send in ycur memorial. Ii shall be duly
considered. Mr. whitfeld's certificate is Pri~s
face evidence Of his right but nothing more.
Bring on your proof that be was not fairly elected
and that you were, and you shall be sdssitted IA
his stead.
P,eder.-well, gentlemen | am here - co.,
testant, then, if you will have il 80. challenge
the right of John W. Whitfield 70 sit as Delegate
for Kansas, and claim to be myself the true and
fairly chosen representative Of the actual settlers
of that Territory.
The Hosx.-HOw do you propose to prove this
Reeder.-By showing that the alleged Legislatu
which passed the election laws under which aud
prescribed the day on which Whitfield claims to
have been elected, was no Legislature Of Kansas
that il was chosen by the votes OF residents Of
Missouri mainly or wholy-that those residents
were enrolled, organized, and Offered in Missouri
through secret societies operating for weeks before
the eiectiOn-that they came over in large armed
bands on the day before and day OF election-that
steamboats, black with them landed them in Kansss
on the day of election, and took them away after
voting. before night-that esvalcades OF them went
over on horseback and in wagons, took possession
of nearly all the polls, as had been preconcerted-
that. when the judges of elections hesitated or
fused to allow them to vote, they expelled those
officers BY violence aud terror and appointed their
own creatures in their stead-that BY this astound.
ing conspiracy and outrage the voice Of Kansas was
stiaed and Pro-Slavery Legislature imposed on
her By residents of MssOuri-a Legislature which
in no manner represented Kansas, and could not
hind her-a Legislature whose existence she
ignored and whose acts she has always repudiated
HHifeld-O this won't do This same Reed.
err. who now contests, was Territorial Governor
through the first half Of last year and himself com.
missoned the Members Of this same Legislature.
He s thus estopped from denying the validity OF it,
acts.
R,edey.-NO, sir | expressly rejected the
claims of about one third of the Members, who
- 4 ia amin TAD
me that they were returned by conspiracy, cor.
ruptop, violence and fraud and on the strength Of
those proofs refused them certificates and ordered
new elections to fill their places. In one case,
fresh Eruption from Missouri secured q return
he same Members by repetition of these ont
ages, but no legal evidence Of such repetition Of
buse was seasonably submitted to me, and CON.
missioued the members returned. In every other
case of a seconed election, new members were
chosen all Free State men. Yet, when the preten.
ded Legislature assembled all these Free STATE
members-the only members honestly elected BY
residents of Kansas-icerc expelled from their seats
and he eitet Of the Border RrtFans at the regular
election ers pitched into their places and helped make
the laws under which Whitfield Claims seat here,
Hhitfeld-Wel, suppose this third of the Men,
bers merc bogus-the other two thirds were all
right-or at least you are estopped from question
ing their right, for you commissioned them.
Rseder.-True, Sir gave certificates to all those
returned to me as duly elected except those with
regard to whom evidence was submitted to me that
they had been returned by fraud. i had no die
erection in the premises. But does it follow thai,
because was not legally informed of specific
frauds and usurpauODs within few days after
certain election, that / should be estOpped from
proving such frauds and usurpations several months
afterwarJ, when l had been apprised Of thsm'
Shall my ignorance of most important facs ia |
April or May of last year deprive the People Il
Kansas of the power and right now to urge tAos
facts in bar of perpetustion and aggravatiou J
the fragrant wrongs to which they bad been sub |
jected
Whlfeld-This Legislature, after being organ
lied, was recognized and addressed BY you %
legal body, aud you must now abide by that recy
milton.
Rseder.--No, Sir not the Legislature under
whose acts you claim a seat here. When the d.
legged Legislature first met at Pawnee City, DID
recognize it, but when it proceeded forthwith 70
adjourn to Shawnee Mission, l Immediately notified T
the members that would not recognize them "s
Legislature after such removal The organs
Kansas Nebraska act gave to the Governor
Kansas the power to .fn" the place Of meetings.
the Territorial Legislature; fired it accordingly
at Pawnee; VETOED the act By which the Legiss