Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-04-24

: istence, and no act Of the Governor can lie
galize a Legislature thus created, especially
= when said Governor is not elected by th,
people, but appointed by other authority
In the opinion of your memoralists the is
suing Of certificates by the Governor to those
not legally elected, cannot legalize the elec'
sion. Hence, even admitting the right o.
Congress to extend a Territorial govern.
ment over territories. the Legislature elect.
ed on the 3Oth of March 1855. having been
elected in violation OF the organic act, and
in the manner before described, can have nc
legal existence, and their enactments are a
nuliity.
Notwithstanding the injustice done to the
people of Kansas; notwithstanding three
invasions of the Territory for the purpose OF
controlling the elections, the people SUBJ
mitted, preferring to respect laws enacted
by b. dy imposed upon them by fraud and
violence, to living longer without govern
ment. Wishing to preserve the peace and
quiet. and to promote the prosperity of the
country, and they took no measures for
throwing off the burden thus forced upon
them. But when further Developments of
this system Of tyranny were made when the
laws enacted by the Legislature proved con-
cusively to your memoralists determina-
ton to enslave the people, they, conscious
of their rights as Freemen, with the Con-
stituton for their guide, resolved to fall back
upon their inalienable rights, and throw a.
round themselves that protection which IS
afforded by State Government.
| Your memorialisis respectfully present
for your consideration, some selections from
the Acts of the Territorial Legislature, which
the people of Kansas, while conscious of
their rights as American citizens, could not
submit to.
The eleventh section of an act entitled
.An act to regulate Election," says:
Every free white male citizen of the Uni
ted States, and every free male Indian, who
is made citizen by treaty or otherwise, and
over the age oftwenty-one years, who shall
be an inhab.tant of this territory, and of the
county or dis trict in which he offers to vote,
and shall have paid a territorial tax, shall be
a qualified elector for all elective oficers;-
and all indians who are inhabitants of this
Territory, and who may have adopted the
customs of the white man, and who are LA
BILE TO pay taxes, shall be deemed citizens"
As this does not require that voters shall
have inhabited the Territory any stated time,
il allows our enemies to take advantage
! + l. 81, N
entering the Territory, voting and returning
to their homes, in an adjoining State, on the
same day, claiming at the same time, that
those who were at the polls at the time oil
voting, were actual inhabitants. 1t is be-
lieved that this act was intended to invite il
legal voting and it is feared that so long as
the people of Kansas remain under Terri
torial Government, the right of the people
to the elective franchise would; be wrested
from them by overpowering invaders.
The twelfth section Of the act entitled
.-An act to punish ofenses against slave
property declares that:
"If any free person, by speaking or by
writing, assert or maintain that persons have
not the right to hold slaves in this Territory
or shall introduce into this Territory, print,
publish, write circulate. or cause to introdu-
| ced into this Territory, written, printed, pub
lished, or circulated in this t, r. itory, any
book paper, magazine, pamphlet, CT circular
containing any denial of the right of per-
sons to hold slaves in this Territory, such
person shall be deemed guilty of felony, and
be punished by imprisonment at hard labor
| for term of not less than two years."
Your mcmoriulists represent that this act
DESTROYS the Freedom of Speech, controls
the Liberty of the Press, and is an innova-
ton upon those rights guaranteed by the
Constitution Obedience to it would be an
act unworthy an American citizen.
The thirteenth section of the same act
reads as follows:
mo person who is cors s,ientiously opro
scd to holding slaves, or who does not ad-
nit the right to hold slaves in this Terrific
ry, shall sit as juror on the trial oil any
pros ccuiions for any violation OF any OF the
sections of this act.'
1t was the enactment of such laws that
forced the people of Kansas to take the in-
ii itorv steps towards the formati' n Of State
Government, believing that by such organi-
cation they might throw off an oppressive
burden, and secure their safety for the fu-
ture.
This State organization, to which your
memorialiSts would now respectfully request
tie attention Of your honorable bodies, orig
mated in call, of which the following is a
copy, and which was signed by many cit.
zens:
"MASS MEETING.
"The Squatters of Kansas Territory, with
out distinction of party, will assemble in
mass-meeting in Lawrence, on Wednesday,