The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-05-15
THE UN ION
EASTERN JOURNAL
FRIDAY MORNING. MAY IS. 1857
Tho Coming Election in Kansas.

The Coming Election in Kansas
The proposition Of the Free State men Of
Kansas, to participate in the election of del.
egates to form constitution, made to act.
ing Governor Stanton, was this
Two persons-one from each party-se.
lected from each district, TO correct the reg
istry list, to proceed together and register
legal voters (; the Probate Judge to correct
the FIRST lists, and an apportionment Of del
egates 70 DO made according TO these returns.
Four Judges Of Election, two from each par.
~, to DO elected in each precinct" The
names Of three Of said Judges are required
on certificates.
Stanton's letter declining the proposition,
is dated April 80, 1857. We copy such e.-
tracts as seems to meet the proposition. He
says:
If I believed-as do not believe-your
assertion that the laws Of Kansas "were en-.
acted by Legislature elected by the people
Of an adjoining State," still 1t would be
impossible for me to act them aside-the at
tempt to do 50 would be an act Of gross usur-
patton, not less Objectionable in it, charac-
ter and effects, than the fraudulent inter
ference which you attribute to the people OF
Missouri. must, therefore, say to you in
the most explicit language that ! can do
nothing which denies tho authority and va
lidity Of the laws enacted within this terri.
tory. Congress alone has power to abrogate
them.
Ihave no authority over the Probate judges
1t IL not my province to advise them in 70.
lation to the performance Of their judicial
functions. Yet il will not be improper for
me to say, that it would be very judicious
and becoming in them to obtain every posi-.
BILE information from respectable men OF
both parties, in order to enable them to
correcI the list Of voters. Ifsuch impartial
men of their own will and within the time
limited by law could take new census and
present it to the Probate Judges with sufii.
cient proof Of its fairness and accuracy,
think the Probate Judges would DO bound
to dept it. and return it to the governor as
the true list legally corrected.
In reference u your proposition to appoint
four Judges Of Election at every place OF
voting, Ihave To say that the law very WISE
ly authorizes only three. The Governor has
nothing to do with their appointment. II
is not in my power, therefore, to adopt your
suggestions in this particular.
So long as the Federal Government Is de.
termined to recognize the validity ofthe 30
gus laws, there can be no hope for any &c
commodation in the matter. The proposition
of the free State men shows they were will
ing to vote provided there was any chance
for fairness, and the justice Of their propo
sition is too manifest to require remark.
Under thu Census Swindlo Of the Border
Ruihans, with decided majority Of the Fre'
State residents purposely left of the regis
try, while thousands upon thousands Of Mis-
Sourians were listed upon it, there would be
Us fair chance for Freedom in Kansas u,
there would DO for carrying France for Re-
publicanism at an election ordered by Loui'
Napoleon and presided over by his minions
The Herald Of Freedom, which is printed
on the spot by an intelligent man who sus'
tanned Geary's administration, and ought tc
know the situation Of things in the territory
gives the following reasons why the Free
State men should take no part in the up
preaching election:
"To show how much voice the people are
to have in the convention, VIC will state the
fact that in "Jobnson county," embracin!
the Shawnee reservation, and which is moi
open to settlement by the whites, and in
which 50 bona.fide settlers do not reside
some THREE THOUSAND names are reg.
istercd. These names are the membeN OF a
secret lodge in Missouri. who have pretended
to take claims on the Shawnee reservation
continuing their actual residence all the time
ini Missouri, and are carrying on business
there, as if they had never been IN Kansas
as nine-tenths Of them never have; save
when here on their plundering or voting OK.
petition. These non.residents form the basis
Of representation in the Constitutional Con-
vention, and are entitled 10 one delegate in
that body for every sixty registered voters.
The 5000 names will entitle them to fifty
representatives. With the view Of silencing
the Lawrence district, il is said we were de.
tached from Douglas County on tho eve Of
the closing Of the bogus legislature, and ut.
tached to johnson county, Of which the Re.
serve is composed, with the design Of neu.
trail zing our votes by non-rcsidents from
Missouri.
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, Breckin.
ridge, and several other counties, where a
heavy free State vote would have been polled,
If the people chose to vote, the officers APP
pointed to take the census have resigned or
declined the appointment. In tins way the
voters OF these districts will 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 Us though they had no
existence. What is true of these We have
no doubt will be true Of all the inland dis.
tricts where there is nothing else than Free
State voters"
It would be but rushing to certain de-
struction should the free State MN partici.
pate in the coming election. They would
be ovcrbornc by this fraudulent registering
AMI by bullies from Missouri IL is fair to
conclude, that with their acknowledge Of the
facts in the case. and their opportunity to
survey the whole ground, that they havo
decided wisely.
In connection with this matter wo arc
clad a see published an address to the
American people. prepared by n Committee
appointed by the Free State Convention held
ut Topeka on tho 10Th Of March last giving
brief history OF tho events which have trans
pired in Kansas since the passage Of the Kan.
sls- Nebraska act and defending the course
Of the Free State party and defining their
position. In their Introductory remarks
the committee say:
"Ths free State men have violated no law,
for that which is not just is not law. and
that which Is devoid Of justice should not
be oheyed. The code attempted 10 be forced