The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-11-26

are to De made to the President, who is to re-
ceive, examine, count the votes, and declare
who are elected. Everything is placed in the
hands Of the President of the Convention,
whose power is irresponsible, and from whose
decision no appeal can be taken. Not the
slightest safeguard against fraud is provided.
The clerks, the judges, the commissioners, the
President, are of one faction-a faction which
numbers but oneeighth of the voters Of the
Territory, which acquired power through fraud,
has maintained it by fraud, attempted to con-
tnue it by fraud in the late Territorial election,
and now seeks to perpetuate it by fraudulently
denying to the People the right to vote for or
against the Constitution. Can they expect to
be trusted by the Free State men? What
guarantee have we that MCGEE, Oxford, and
Lesvenworth, will not again return thousands
of spurious voters? This faction and its friends
in the South, having denounced Walker for not
receiving the fraudulent votes from MCGEE and
Oxford, have fully advertised us what is to be
the action of Mr.. President Calhoun in similar
cases. There is nothing in their character, in
their principles, in their acts, to authorize, but
everything to repel, the superstition that the Peo-
| pie of Kansas can secure fair and full express
sion of their opinions at any election thus con-
trolled.
| Letter-writers in Kansas say that the dishon-
est and cunning policy of the Convention has
taken the Free State men by surprise, and they
are perplexed as to the proper course to be
pursued. Some talk of revolution; some pro.
pose an extra session of the Legislature some
regard the whole thing with utter contempt,
and seem willing to leave it to the decision OF
Congress. Report says that Governor Walker
is the real author of the mischief-that after
all his professions, calculated to beget conf
contrived the trick for forcing vote for the
| Constitution in any event-that he is now on
his way to Washington, not to Ieturn, and that
Secretary Stanton, who will act as Governor
pro tenn, has sent in his resignation to the
President, to take effect on the 3lst December.
If this be 30, the Governor will not respond to
the demand for an extra session of the Legsla-
| ture.
The Washington Union halls the action of
the Convention as perfectly just, honorable, and
peace-making, and predicts speedy end of the
Kansas troubles. The New York Herald,
which understands Northern sentiment some
what better, sneers at the Union for its short
sightedness, and predicts that the trick of the
Convention, so far from putting an end to the
trouble, will complicate it, and revive fearful
~ I Il.
out various reports of the policy of the Admin
istrstion. Some say it is entirely satisfied with
the course of the Convention, and will sustain
it-some, that it is rather embarrassed by it,
and will leave the whole question to the decis-
ion CT Congress-.
AS to the course Of the Kansas Free State
men, opinions differ. The New FORK Herald and
some otherpapers of that class are under the i'm
preston that they will refuse to have anything
to do either with the vote On the Constitution,
or that for State officers. The National Intel
ligencer, which severely condemns the Conven-
ton, ventuers on no practical suggestion. The
Press, of Philadelphia, (Mr. Forney's paper,)
hopes that no Pennsylvania member of Con
gress will give his vote for the Constitution
when it shall come before that body. The New
YORK Times, which supported Fremont, but
whose position now is rather indefinite, advises
the Free State men to vote for the Constitution
without Slavery.
A letter from prominent Free State man in
Kansas, dated November 9Th, contains the fol-
lowing paragraphs, printed in the New York
Tribune:
"The Constitution without Slavery is a
Pro-Savery Constitution, and we have no vote
against it. 1 do not know what will be done,
but think we shall not vote at all upon it till
the Territorial Legislature meet, and provide
for submitting it with the Topeka Constitution
to fair vote Of the people. We can do moth
ing by voting before. The President of their
Convention, j. Calhoun, very ultra man, ap-
points the judges of election, and counts the
votes, and he censured Governor Walker for re-
jecting the Oxford and MCGEE frauds. Should
the above course be pursued, we trust our friends
in Congress will keep off the vote on the Le-
compton Constitution till we have had our vote
upon it.
"They have State election about the lst of
January, and under the auspices of the same
President. If they succeed with this Constitu-
ton, they will retain the Government in the
hands of minority so long as they please, un.
less there should be a revolution"
The Tribune, commenting on this, suggests
that the better course for the Free State party
Is, under the circumstances, "to organize, can
vass, and prepare to poll their full vote on the
2lst of December, voting ballots endorsed Just
as those of the usurpers are, but bearing on the
inside the words, For the Topeka Constitu-
ton, and No Slavery at ALL These votes, be-
ing folded, the swindlers cannot reject, though
they will probably refuse to count them. Very
we'll: Let measures be taken in advance for
sending up from each poll sworn statement of
the number who voted this ballot, and let Mar
Gus j. Parrot, the Delegate elect to Congress,
submit these returns, with the Constitution to
which they refer, to Congress. If Congress sees
ut to reject the Constitution which large ma
jority of the People will have ratified, and &C.
cept instead one which they have Indignantly
rejected, be the consequences On TIE heads of
those who perpetrate the fragrant injustice /"
We cannot exactly concur in any of these
propositions. The entire action of the Conyen-
ton is so base fraud, that no countenanee
ought to be given to it, directly or indirectly.
Its denial to the People of an opportunity to
vote for or against Constitution of State
Government, framed by the minority of Con-
vention, representing only an eighth of the
voters of Kapsas, is so palpable violation
of the Principle of the Kansas N ebraska act.
which guarantees to the People the right to de.
termine their own institutions-a Principle de-
clared by the Convention that nominated Mr.