Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1856-02-08


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to any Office within the Territory; but
that the qualifications Of voters and
holding Office at ell subsequent elec-
tons should be such as might be pre-
scribed by the legislative assembly:
Provided. however. that the right Of
suffrage and OF holding Office should
be exercisad only by citizens of the
United States, and those who should
have declared on oath their intention
to become such and have taken an
oath to support the Constitution Of the
United States and the provisions OF
the act And provided, further, that
no officer soldier, seamen or marine,
or other person in the army or navy OF
the United Safes, or attached 70 troops
in their service, should be allowed to
vote or hold Office in either Territory
by reason Of being on service therein.
Such Of the public officers Of the
Territories as. by the provisions Of the
act, were to be appointed by the Gen.
|ersl Government, including the Cover
nors. were appointed and commission
ed in due season; the law having been
enacted on the 30th, Of May. 1854,
and the commission of the Governor
Of the Territory Of Nebraska being
dated on the Cd day of August. 1854,
and of the Territory Of Kansas on the
29th day Of June, 1854.
Among the duties imposed by the
act on the Governors was that Of d.
recting and superintending the political
organization of the respective Terri
tories. The Governor Of Kansas was
required to cause census or enume-
ration of the inhabitants and qualified
vsters of the several counties and dis.
tricts of the Territory to be taken by
such persons and in such mode as he
might designate and appoint: 10 ap
point and direct the time and places
/ Of holding the first elections and the
manner Of conducting them. both as
to the persons to s1perintend such
elections and the returns thereof; Ia
declare the number of the members
of the Council and House of Repre-
sentatives for each county or district,
to declare what persons might appear
10 be duly elected; and to appoint the
time and place of the first meeting ol
the legislative assembly. In SUBJ
stance the same duties were deyolved
on the Governor of Nebraska.
While, by this act, the principle ol
constitution for each Of the Terrific
ries was one and the same. and the de-
tails OF organic Legislation regarding
both were as nearly as could be iden-
teal, and while the Territory OF Ne
braska was TRANQUILITY and successful
~ organized in the due course OF law
and Its 1rst legislative assembly mel
on the 18th of January. 1855. the or
ganIzaticn ot Kansas was long delay
ed. and has been attended with serious
difficulties and embarrassinents. partly
the consequences oil the local mai-ad'
ministration. and partly Of the unjus'
titaoie 'nterierence OF the inhabitants
OF some OF the states ioreign oy resi-
dence, interests and rights to the Ter
'"o.y'
The Governor OF Inc territory o.
Kansas commissioned as before sta,
ted' on the xStn OF june 1904 did
not reach the designated seat OF HI
government until the 7th, OF the en-,
suing October; and even tAen failed
70 make the nrst step IN It's icgai or
ganIzation-that OF ordering te cen
sus or enumeration OF It's inoaitants,
until so late day that the election oil
the members Of the legislative assem-
oly did not take place until the 5O'n
OF March. 1855. nor Its meeting nnti'
the "a OF July. i8o5, SO that' Tor q
year alter the Territory was cons'ltu'
ted by the act of Congress. and the
officers to be appointed by the Federal
Executive had been commissioned II
was without q complete government
without any legislative authority, with
out local law, and of course without
the ordinary guarantees OF peace anc
public order.
In other respects the Governor, in
stead Of exercising constant yigilancs
and putting forth ail his energies te
prevent or counteract the tendeucie,
to illegality. which are prone to exis
in all imperfectly organized and new
ly associated communities, allowed hi.
attention to be diverted from official OBJ
legation by other objects, and himsel
set an example of the violation of Law
in the performance of acts, which rem
dered Il nv duty, in the SEQUEL. to re-
move him from the Office of chief ex.
ecutive magistrate of the Territory.
Before the requisite preparation wa,
accomplished for election ofa Territori
al Legislature, an election Of delegates
to Congress had been held in the Ter
ritory on the 29th day Of November
1854, and the delegate took his sea
in the House Of Representatives with
out challenge. If arr angements hat
bo.. xa~facfoJ bxx tho 1ovarncr c<