Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1857-09-19
The Free State Mcn Of Kansas.


The people of Kansas, at their recent COM
vention at Grasshopper Falls, adopted res.
olutioh to participate in the election Of
members of Territorial Legislature and
delegate to Congress in October next, and
appointed committee Of twenty to address
the people at large with respect to this inn
portant action. The address has been pub,
lished. 1t is the joint production of Gen.
Lane and Mr.. Conway. We are sorry We
have not room for it entire. After advert.
ing to the primitive policy of the free-Stats
men OF the Territory-the adoption of
State Government--and the difficulties that
have attended their efforts, the address pro-
ceeds thus:
We acknowledge that our chief incentive
to the adoption Of this measure participation
in the ensuing election, was the urgent APP
penls made in favor Of it by many Of shoso
| who stood by us in the free States in all our
past struggles. But zee frankly auu,o our:
selres not sanguine Of success. 1t is true
| that MIR. Walker, our federal Governor, has
declared that he will afford US, to the best
of his ability, a full and fair election befors
| impartial Judges; bur, with our past exper-
fence, we find it difficult to indulge in any
hope of justice from the agents of the feder-
| al administration. BY the law of the elec-
| ton all but those who have resided six
months or more in the territory are exclud-
ed from the polls. The system of district
ing and apportionment for members of tho
Legislature shows an unquestionable deter
minatlon to Introduce voters from abroad.
Sixteen counties, strongly free-State, con-
tainin e nearly one-half the entire population
of the territory, are not allowed single
representative in either branch. OF the thir-
teen members Of the Council, all but three,
and of the thirty-nine members of the House
of representatives, all but ten, are to be
elected in districts bordering on the Mssou-
ri line. Topeka is connected with Fort
Scott, and Lawrence is attached to the Shaw
nee Mission adjoining Westport. The Law
renee district is also made to embrace an
indefinite extent of country, having no geo.
graphical connection whatever with it, away
off in the Rocky Mountains, occupied only
by an Indiin trading post, here and there, at
which fictitious precincts may be made, and
from whidl returns may be sent in, at any
time after the election, to overcome the free
State VOTE. Besides these things, our enc
mics have complete possession Of all the
machinery of the election. Establishing the
places for voting, declaring the result of the
election, and all other matters of detail, are
in the hands of the county commissioners,
who wert themselves elected by fraud and
violence f., m Missouri.
Mr.. Abe, partner of Stringfellow, says
that ''Ka nsas must not be given up," and
| Gen. Atchson sounds the note Of renewede
preparation to South Carolina, and declares
| that s'wiA one more effort the work is DONE"
| With the administration against us, with one =
half the six month voters virtually disfran-
chised, with an election law framed express
| ly to keep the newly arrived emigrants from
! the polls, with the hellish sys EN- f district
| ing and apportioning staring US in the face,
! with mott Of the officers of the election, bor-
der rufians Of the deepest dye, with the slave
party il Missouri boldly avowing through
Gen. Atchison their determination to invade
us, with only henlready haIf-riolated prom
use of Goo. WALKER to rely on; we do not
feel at liberty to cherish any very lively ex-
pectations of favorable result. But we
yield to the solicitation of our friends. We
wish Justice and freedom, but we will do our
best to secure them without imperiling the
publcpeace We have fearful odds against
us We must Try 10 overcome tnen. Dut
should we be overwhelmed, will the federal
government still regard with disfavor our
application for admission as a State into the
Union9 In that event, will not all good
men sustain us in giving effect to our State
government at all hazards? At any rate.
this may be regarded as the only attempt
which will ever be made to adjust our great
difficulty under the territorial government.
What may be done after that, however, it is
not our province to declare.
After generating the people Of Missouri
as a body from the outrages committed by
those lawless hands who invaded Kansas
from that State, and imploring those who
We're guilty to refrain from it in the future,
the address concludes thus:
The committee would conclude by exhort-
ing ali the people Of Kansas to 90 to the
polls on the day of election, in pursuance Of
the action of the convention, and deposits
their ballots for candidates of their choice.
Whatever may be the result of the election,
we believe our cause will be strengthened by
such course.
New COnstitutfOn and the Public