The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-05-20
Executive Office,
LECoMProN, K. r., April 80, 81. {

G. w. Babcock.
ExEcUTIvz OFFICE,
LEooMProN, K. r., April 80, 81. :
GENTLEMEN Yours, OF the 25tb inst.
reached me only by last nights mall. j
proceed, without delay, to reply TO the
proposition you make III reference to the
election about to be hid, for delegates
TO u Constitutional Convention.
As l take Il different view of the laws
Of the Territory f:om that whicl you
express, it will BE- impossible or mo 10
co5sent to any. new proceeding IN oPpc-
siIi5u To that which has been sanctioned
BY the Legislative authorities.
| did not hear from Gen. Maclean any
such admission as you represent him To
have made. That gentleman spoke only
of his individual action in The particular
mentioned, and whether that action was
right or wrong, or whether it occurred in
that individual case only, or i'll a thou
sand others, by men either from Missouri
or Massachusetts, it could not iuvalidate
the laws which now prevail in tho TQr-
ritory. If l beiieved--as l do rot be
lieve-your assertion, that the laws OF
Kansas we've "euactcd by a Legislature
elected by the people Of an adjoining
State" it would he still impossible for
me to set them aside-the attempt to do
so would be an act Of gross %usurpation,
not less Objectionable in its character
and effects than the fraudulent ~interfe-
renee which you attribute to the people
of Missouri. l must, therefore, say to
you, in the most explicit language, that
L can do nothing which denies the au
thority aud validity of the laws enacted
within this Territory. Congress alone
has power to abrogato them.
L have no authority over the probate
judges. 1t is nos my province to advise
them in relation to tho performance of
their Judicial functions. Yet it will
not be improper for me to say that it
would be very judicious and becoming
in them to obtain every possible iuforma-
ton from respectable men of both par
ties, in order to enable them to correct
the lists Of voters. If such impartial
men, of their own will, and within the
time limited by law, could tako anew
census, and present it to the probate
judges with suficient proof of its fair
Less and accuracy, L think the probate
judges would be bound to adopt it and
return it to the governor as the true list
legally corrected.
[ should be sorry to see any probate
judge III the Territory refuse TO receive
the sworn testimony Of two respectable
men, differing IN politics, as to any mat
ter within their knowledge, connected
with the reside1ce OF citizens, and their
qualifications as voters. l do not be
lleve such n sroBg can possibly have
occurred, and | therefore say that if you
had been DESTROYS of obtaining a correct
list of voters for the coming election
you had it in your power to accomplish
that object in perfto: conformity will
the Law.
1t is not my purpose to reply to youl
statement OF facts. | cluuot do 50 from
any personal Knowledge enabling III,
either to admit or deny them. l may
say, however, | have heard statement
quite as authentic as your own, aud il
some instances from members of you
owD party, to the effect that your pc
%lricai friends have very generally, III
deed almost universally, refused TO par
t'eiPate i'll the pending proceedings 70
registering the names of the legal 20
tiers. Ia some instances they have giver
fictitious names, and in humorous other
they have refused to give any names a
all. You canno deny hat your part,
have heretofore resolved not to tax
part in the registration, and it appear
TO me that without INDUCING ungenerou
suspicious of the integrity Of officers
you might well attribute any errors o
omissions of the sheriffs TO the existenc
of this we'll known aud controlling fact
1 forbear to say anthiug of the unrea
souableness Of yaur requirement that "
shall set aside the law IN order TO &C
comrlish what you have refused to do i
obedience to its provisions, but l will b
most happy to learn that you, gentle
men, and your party friends generally