Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1857-11-25
KANSAS CONSTITUTION.

to the 9th inst, giving the closing scenes of
the bogus Convention, and from Lawrence to
the 11th, giving further interesting advices.
We have now the Constitution and Schedule
in full, and their purport is given below.
But we must go back little and show the
origin and proper force of this infamous pro-
ceeding:
|. The Constitutional Convention, which
has just adjourned, was called by the last
Territorial Legislature, which was elected in
October of last year by a light vote of the
the Pro-Slavery faction and their Missouri
allies alone-the Free State men denying the
validity of the authority which ordered that
election, and refusing to take part in it.
II. The bogus Legislature, in the act calling
the Convention, directed census of the Ter
rtorr to be taken, with a Registry of the Le-
gal Voters-said Census and Registry being
committed entirely to Pro-Slavery officials
appointed by the Legislature or the county
officers created thereby.
III. Said Census was but partially taken,
many strong Free-State counties being utterly
neglected or omitted while the Registry was
so made as . contain but few names besides
those of known Pro-Slavery men. Even the
Mayor OF Leavenworth, Henry j. Adams, one
of the oldest and best known residents of
Kansas, was not registered, and hardly pre-
tense OF registering in Lawrence, Topeka,
Osawatamie or any Of the Free-State strong
holds.
". The law contained no provision by
which those who were purpoSely or heedlessly
omitted in the registration could compel the
registering officers to place their names on the
list. The original purpose OF forming list
of registered voters in which Pro-SlaVery or
National Democratic majority should be
certain, was hardly disguised.
V. The census and Registry, such as they
we're, being finished, and an Apportionment
of Delegates made thereon which rendered a
Pro Slavery triumph certain, the Free-State
men adhered to their original resolve not to
countenance the bogus Legislature nor any OF
its fruits, and took no part in the bogus Elec-
ton that followed. OF course, the vote polled
was very Iight-hardly 5000 in all-there
being no inducement to bring over great num-
bers from Missouri-and the ssNational Demo
Gratis" elected the whole sixty Delegates.
| This election took place in June last, but the
Convention was not TO meet till August; and.
when it did so meet, it merely apportioned
its labors, appointed Committees, and adjourn
ed over till the third week in October.
VI. Meantime, early in October, the regu-
lar Territorial Election recurred, and the Free
State men were induced, by the advice of their
friends in the States and the fair promises and
professions of Gov. Walker, to waive theiI
| Free-State organization and take part in this
| election. To accomplish this end. Gov. w
| spoke from place to place, assuring the people
| lIdl tHey SHOuiu nave d lali SiSSNiOh, "H'
| that, should any attempt be made to force
a Constitution upon Kansas without submit
| ting it to a direct vote of the People, he
would secure its rejection.
! VII. This Legislative election resulted in
| a decided Free-State triumph, the actual vote
cast standing more than two Free-State to one
| N ational Dcmocratic." By it, Marcus j
| PARROT. Free-State, has unquestionably beer
chosen Delegate to Congress. But the an a
| tional Democratic" faction attempted to up
set this result as respects the Legislature 10y
| returning over fifteen hundred votes as cas-
| on the second day at the little precinct o
| Oxford, johnson County, where no poll at al
was held on that day, and no votes then taken
| The Judges of Election at that poll took gooc
| care not to be sworn, and do not appear ever
| to have written down the names of the pre-
| tended voters at Oxford, but in their Missouri
| homes Just across the border. The names o
| those bogus voters were copied, seridftm, IRON
| a Cincinnati Directory, Gov. Salmon Z. Chase
| being one. These fifteen hundred votes, /
| counted. would have reversed the result il
the great central district composed of Dou
| plas and Johnson counties (Johnson havin!
been tackled on to Douglas for this very pur
pose), and thereby giving a''Nationai Dem
ocratic'; majority in either branch of the lie
gislature. Like frauds were committed il
| McGee, Marshall and other Counties, but the.
did not affect the result.
VIII. Gov. Walker, having been formal,
| apprised of this Johnson fraud, went persona
ly to Oxford. accompanied by Sec. Stanton
| found the evidence OF wholesale vlllalny un
mistakable, and rejected the return, thereb.
| insuring Frce-State majority in the neV
Legislature. which is to meet on the 1st O
January next. He says in his official reason
that he does this, though it turns the scal
against s.our party;'' and he was very active
and efficient in securing ssNational Demo
cratic'' triumph in Leavenworth County, b,
means of Missouri votes poled at kickapoo.
IX. Under these circumstances the consti
| tutional Convention rcconyened one montl
| since at Lecompton. John Calhoun, U. s
| Surveyor General for Kansas, was its Presi
dent. Many members hung back, and it wa
with difficulty that this body, elected by
handful of votes in opposition to the know
| sentiment of Kansas, could obtain and keep
quorum. Yet that Convention proceeded t
| frame State Constitution for Kansas, ant
| concluded its labors on Saturday, the 9TH inst
The Constitution so framed embodies the sron
gest kind of a Pro-Slavery article, not onl
recognizing Slavery as legally existing in Kan
sas but DENYING to the Legislature or Peopl
power ever to abolish it.
X By a ssSchedue'' appended to the Con
sttuton, it is provided that the Constitutio
so framed shall NOT be voted upon by the peo
pie, who (should Congress accept it, as tn
| President and Cabinet have already done) hav
no possible escape from or power to modif
this Constitution prior to 1864; nor thereafte
| unless two-thrds of the members of bot
Houses of the Legislature shall agree TO sub
nit the call OF a Convention to the People
nor even then unlss ';a majority Of all III
citizens of the State" (not merely majorit
of all who actually vote) shall ratify the cal
Practically, therefore, no change can ever b
made in this Constitution SO long as any porto
of the inhabitants desire to have it remain a
now fixed.
XI. A Constitutional Election is to be hel
on the 21st of next month, but not to deter
mine whether the people approve or disapprov