Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-09-24
Address to the people

The Address to the People of Kansas by
the Committee appointed al the Grasshop-
per Falls Convention, is calm and well
considered document. 1t briefly recapltu-
Iates the past, defends the old policy and
expresses continued faith in it. and thus
speaks OF the new policy CT voting and its
prospects.
We acknowledge that our chief incentive
to the adoption OF this measure was The
urgent appeals made in favor of it by many
OF those who stood by Us in the Free States
in ali our past struggles. But ace trank!y
aUoU ourselves not Sangutac Of success. 1t
is true that MIR. Walker, our federal Cover
nor. mas declared hist be will afford Us, IL
the best Of Is ability, foil and !aIr e.ec-
ton before impartial Judges; but win our
past experlence,we fl.d It difficult TO lndu ge
In any hope OF justice from the agents Ui
the federal administration. Br the law oi
the election, all but those who have resided
six months or more in the territory are eX-
cluded from the polls. The system o! dis.
tricting and appor,ionment tor members OF
the Legislature, show an unquesticnabit
determination 20 introduce voters from
abroad. Sixteen counties, strongly Free
State, containing nearly one-half the entire
population OF the territory are not allowed
a single representative i'll either branch.
OF the thirteen members of the Council
all but three, and OF the thirty-nine mem.
| bers of the House Of Representatives, al
but ten, are TO be elected in districts bord-
erIng on the Missouri line. Topeka is con,
nected with Fort Scott, and Lawrence i:
attached to the Shawnee Mission, adjoining
Westport The Lawrence district is also
made 10 em brace all Indefinite extent o
country, having no geographical connection
whatever with it, away off in the region o
the Rocky Mountains, occupied only by an
Igdian trading post here and there, at swhicl
fictitious precincts may be made, and from
which fictitious returns may be sent in, al
any time after the election, to overcome the
Free State vote. Besides these things, oul
enemies have complete possession OF ell the
ma chinery of the election. EStab ishing
the places for voting, appointing the judges
canvassing the returns, declaring the result
of the election, and all other matters of de
tail, are in the hands of the county commits
sioners, who were themselves elec,ed b,
fraud and violence from Missouri.
Mr.. Able, partner OF Sringtellow, sayt
that kansas must not be given up unt
Gen. Atchison sounds The note of renewe!
preparation to South Carolina, and declare.
that with one more effort the work is done
With the administration virtually agains
US, with One-haf OF the six months voter
virtually Gisfranchised, with an election law
framed expressly to keep the newly arrive,
emigrants from the polls with the heIlisl
system of districting and apportiOning star
ing us in the face, with most of the officer
of the election border ruffians Of the deepes
> dye, with the slave party in Missouri bold,
avowing through Gen. Atchison their de
termination to invade us, with only the al
} rsadt half viOLaied promise Of Gou. Walkei
to rely on; we do not feel at liberty t,
cherish any very lively expectations of
favorable result. But we yield to the SO
licitation Of our friends. We wish justic
and freedom, but we will do our best +
secure them without imperiling the publ
> peace. We have fearful odds against us
we must try to overcome them. But shoul
. we be overwhelmed, will the federal gov
ernment still regard with dislavor our appli
catlon Tor admission as State into tb
. Union! In that event, will not ali goo
men sustain us in giving effect to our Stat
government at all hazards! At any rat
this may be regarded as the only attemr
| which will ever be made TO ADJUST our grea
difficulty under the territorial government
What may be done after that, how ever,
is not our province to declare.