The daily union., 1856-04-01

verify The certificates by their paths that they were ali legal
voters when such not the fact This accounts for the
that In each where there potess
allegations o. fraudulent or illegal voting fled there APP
such descs or omissions on the face OF the returns
made by the judges ~ raised tho presumption that the a
cations were IN some degree true But II does not by
means follow 10 the fact as innaed although mot
directly stated IN the minority report that the governor
did not go behind the returns hut confined his action to
the defects and omissions apparent their face ~ f
The fact that the governor did 90 behind the returns
and invesgae the legality Of the proceedings At the polls
stated In the report Of the minority OF the
COMMITTEES on eedentals In the Kansas legislature and
the evidence Of this fact 10 set forth 10 my report from The
Committee on Territories. Hence the ntmaton in the
minority report that Governor Reeder acted oaly upon
what appeared on the face Of the returns and did not de-
eide upon the legality of the elections not only unsup-
ported by testimony but expressly contradcted BY the
record Unwilling however 70 rely upon the assumption
thatseyen out Of eighteen constitute ost Of the stric
and that the governor did not venture go behind the
returns to Investigate fraudulent voting, ths minority re-
port proceeds 70 assign why there protests
and allegations OF Illegal voting a the other seven dis
Il ooaiiasz.ion Of what las. read, i. says; ~ I,
In relation 70 others covering in oil, majority of the
two houses equally vicious in fact but apparently good by
formal returns the inhabitants thereof borne down BY said
violence and intimidation, scattered and discouraged, and
nnde apprehensons OF personal violence reaned
and desed from presenting protest to the In
relation thereto and Be. then relation thereto
NAL returns to have been elected" [" -'' '"''
Here the statement Ia that In the other eleven districts
where there protests alleging fraudulent voting
where ten could be found to sign where no one
could be found to to one, the people
intmidaed and thoroughly conquered and
that they dared protest s this assumption sustained
justified BY the history the transaction What por
ton of the Territory was reached by this influx Of voters
from Missouri How far did they penetrats3, What
places formed the principal theatres Of their operations2
Were they not Leayenworth and Lawrence and the pre-
cncs between them and in their vciny2 Yet ut those
very places where the largest number of illegal votes
poled where the Of violence and intimidation
chiefly located protests filed and allegations OF frau
duent voting made and the elections set aside and new
elections ordered by the governor upon the ground that
in those districts there to apprehend that
the voice Of the bona fde inhabitants and legal voters Of
the Territory had been freely and fairly expressed at
the election. II at Lawrence and Leayenworth and those
points where it is alleged that the invaders .ade their
most efectual efforts, the people were not inundated and
through fear from protesting against these law
less proceedings and eonesng the election In consequence
of them, what there suppose that the people
completely conquered and subjugaed that they
dare protest against their wrongs and petition for
redress of their grievances In other districts remote from
the Of trouble which the inruders did not pene
any considerable numbers if at all and where the
did not learn that there had been unrnes
in the elections until he removed from Office by the
President more than four months aferwards2 The mi
uory report says that the being UslsFoHD in
relation thereto issued certcss the members Uho appeared
by said formal returns 10 have been eecd The inference
s that II the governor bad been informed in relation to
this pretended invasion into those eleven districts he would
not have issued the certificates. s.....
From this IL appears that the governor did consider him
self authorized go behind the sad formal returns and
investigate the legal qualifications Of The voters and the
fairness Of the proceedngs and thai he would have done
in those eleven districts had he known been Informed
that the alleged invasion had extended from the other
districts into those eleven But unforunaely the
governor uninformed In relation thereto ut the time
be cavnEsed the votes and Issued the certificates Ger
tainly the communication not cut off between the
governor and those districts The highways open
people allowed to pass and rspass for In
formed that the returns had at that time been daily made
the governor by the judges Of the election in every
returns" duly made The governors proclamation under
which the election held expressly provided that zone
copy 1 the OATH lis, Of voters tally list and return shall
be taken by The judges who sha deiipr ne
PERSON 10 Tie According to the minority report
judges whom Gov Reeder selected to conduct the eec
ton "arge bodies Of armed from the State Of
Missouri appear at the polls In most Of the districts
them overawe the deenceess inhabitants and by their
elect large majority Of the members OF both houses
of said assembly" 1.-THE legislature saw the inhabitants
borne down by said violence and nmidaton-and that
after witnessing all these appalling scenes these same
Judges wrote out and signed return In which they stated
that the election had been fairly and honestly conducted
and that the said return ncd statement OF the
votes poed by lawful voters and that these judges then
verified the truth OF the return by their oahs and
then delivered the same TO the governor h person without
communicating him the fact that the Territory had been
thus invaded and that the governor being unnormed
relation thereto" issued the certificates 10 the thus
suduenty elected under the suppostion that the cleo
ton had been fairly and honestly conducted In all OF those
eleven districts The Senate and the country asked to
believe this incredible story the authority Of the mi
norty signed by member Of the committee out Of six
unsupported by sngle fact and without particle Of
evidence sustain IL impst plausibilty T. Before
Gov Reeder believe the story he must convict each
one Of the judges whom be selected and appsned
duct the election Of perjury 10 swearing the truth Of
the returns Were the judges honest and impartial
men Did Gov. Reeder believe them 10 te such when
he appointed them When did he 6rst make the discovery
that OF them bad betrayed bis trust and violated
his oath Is II not amazing that In the selection OF thir
three 70 conduct the election In those eleven dis
trc the governor should have been able TO find
honest man. who feared God and loved bis country enough
TO refrain from committing perjury BY swearing TO false
returns and inform the governor that his own Terri
rolled, by an invading army from foreign State and
that the people were much intmtdsed and frightened
that they dare not protest against the outrage petition
for the redress OF their grievances even tell their own
chief magistrate how great calamity had beaen them
while he remained wholly "uninformed in relation thereto
Kansas conquered and subjugated, and without the
knowledge OF the govefnor The po SEIZED aud election
controlled by large bodies Of armed from Missouri,
and the judges concealed the fact from the governor who
appointed theml The people "borpe down by said vo-
lence and intimidation" "scaered and discouraged" and
filled with approximations OF personal violence such
extent that they did not dare to whisper into the cara OF
their avorite but "unnfomed governor the rad tale OF
their overwhelming calamtes How long did this reign
OF ast1 When did Gov Reeder become informed
in relation therefor How, when, by whom and what
evidence these startling facts brought TO the knowl-
edge Of hs excelrncy7 II he did know the facts
had be ascerained them the l7th OF the same month
when he published bis proclamation commanding each one
OF these fraudulent members TO assemble and organize
spurious legislature" nj Pawnee City the I'd day of
July? Had be become informed Of the facts when more
than three months after the election he sent his st
blessings Of Divine Providence upon them while engaged
In the performance of their hph and patriotic duties