Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1857-05-06
KANSAS.

Recent advices from Kansas state that Sec
retary Stanton, who is the acting Governor in
the absence of Mr.. Walker, has issued adj
dress to the people of the Territory, in which
he saws the Administration has recognized the
authority of the Territorial Legislature and
the validity of the Territorial Laws, and has
especially recognized the act providing for
Constitutional Convention. Notwithstanding
the people of Kansas were promised by the
present head of the National Administration
that they should have ga free, independent
and uninterrupted expression of opinion" yet
he thus seems to be following the path of his
ssillustrious predecessor sanctioning the
frauds and outrages that have been committed,
and appointing the worst specimens of Border
Rufians to fill the important offices in the Ter
ritoFy. The direct tendency of all this is to
have pro-Slavery Constitution adopted by
the Convention called for that purpose. This
convention will be controlled by the Border
Ruffians, as not half the Free State settlers, if
they were disposed to do so, could vote for del
egates, as is explained by the following article
from the Herald of Freedom, printed at Law
renee, Kansas, copy of which has been hand
cd us by friend. The Herald says:
ssTo show how much voice the people are to
have in the convention will state the fact,
that in johnson county embracing the Shaw
nee reservation, and which is not open to set
tlement by the whites, and in which fifty bona
fie settlers do not reside, some THREE THOUs-
AND names are registered. These names are
the members of a secret lodge in Missouri, who
have banded together for fraudulent purposes,
and who have pretended to take claims on the
Shawnee reservation, continuing their actual
residence all the time in Missouri, and are
rying on business there, as if they never had
been in Kansas, as nine-tenths OF them never
have, save when here on their plundering or
voting expeditions. These non-residents form
the basis of representation in the Constitution
al convention, and entitled to one delegate
in that body for each sixty registered voters.
The 5000 names will entitle them to fifty rep
resentatives. With the view of silencing the
Lawrence district, il is said we were detached
from Douglas county on the eve of the session
of the bogus Legislature, and attached to John
son county, of which the reserve is composed,
with the design of neutraliziDg our votes by
non-residents from Missouri.
E.TO show that these fifty representatives
from the Shawnee reserve district are to con-
troll the Constitutional convention, we may
state another fact. In Shawnee, Breckenridge
and several other counties where heavy Free
State vote would have been poled, if the peO-
pie had chose to vote, the officers appointed to
take the census have resigned or declined the
appointment. In this way the voters of these
districts viii not be returned in the census,
will not be represented in the convention, and
though they are the most pOpulous portion of
the Territory in fact, they will be treated as
though they had no existence. What is true
of these we have no doubt will be true of all
the inland districts where thore is nothing else
than Free State voters.
1.-The pro-slavery party were anxious the
people of the territory should, TO some extent,
participate in the election, knowing this fact
would strengthen their chances at Washing
ton but if they do so they will do themselves
very great injustice. The plan is one which
was designed to seduce Free State men into
action for the purpose Of defeating them.
ssWe were willing to Join issue with the pro-
slavery party, and would be glad to do so at
the ballot-box; but we can Herer consent to
meet them while fraud and violence charac-
terizes every actien of theirs. Neither will
we consent to be permanently enslaved by a
set of scoundrels who have committed every
manner of exceSseS to carry their yillainOus
plans into execution, and who are non-resi-
dents of the territory"
With all the fraudulent demonstrations that
stare il in the face, and sanctioned as they are
by the President, the Herald does not despair
of Kansas becoming finally a Free State. 1t
thinks rineteen-twentieths of the population
are In favor of free State, and that this dis
parity is on the increase. 1t is true that the
ultra measures adopted to make Kansas a slave
State, have produced reaction, the direct
fruits of which are to be seen in the election
of a Free State mayor in Leavenworth City ;
and the success of the entire emancipation
ticket in st. Louis, in the slave State of Mis-
souri,, shows plainly that the feeling has spread
beyond the Territory. These things are all
calculated to enliven hope, which ''springs E.
ternal in the human breast,'' and assure us that
ultimately Kansas win be a Free State-no
thanks however, to President Buchanan. The
effect of the policy and course pursued by the
Administration will, we think, only postpone
the day of disenthralment and freedom for the
people of that Territory.