New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-10
KANSAS.
THE TERRITORIAL ELECTION.
From Our Special Conespondcnt-


have already given the readers Of rHE TRIBUNE
IN elaborate explanation Of the apportionm mt
made for the October election. ] recur 70 the
subject again because this ia an alLimportant mat
ter Involving the future peace aud security Of the
Territory, IL not Of the whole country. Let il be
Skny understood.
The determination of the Free State men that
tAey eouid seizc the territorial legislative powers
in October, has forewarned and foresrmed the
Runian party. The most active preparations are
being made in Missouri to-day to carry tina. cleo
ton. The subject of interfering with any terrific
rial election at any time, or under any circumstan
ces s very grave one, and has been most seriously
weighed by the Free State men. Those le,ders
who have the largest share of the peoples conf
dence wished to avoid public action on this
matter. They desired thorough aud quiet
organization so as to carry the election but that
forewarning trumpet should be blown announcing
such determination. 1t would have been easy to
have carried the June election in that way for the
Border Ruffians, seeing that the Free-State men
were not going TO vote, saved themselves the trouble
and expense OF an invasion from Missouri-that s,
all save few nearest the line But the publicity
given to this determination has been hard neces-
sity wrupg reluctantly from the Free-Statc leaders.
Some few sound Free-State men and some DOT 80
sound have sedulously labored to demonstrate that
the leaders who cluDg to the Topeka Constitution
did not intend eCing into the October election in any
case. This, Of course, was false. There was an
earnest determination to safe all power that could
be useful. Walker has nstigated many weak men,
who are proud OF being admitted to the confidence
Of Governor, to SOW discOrd where they could
on this ground. The only men whom the Gov
ernor or the Pro-Slavery party fears are the
Topeka Constitution men. All their efforts and
htrgues are directed against them, and what
force and Misrepresentation cannot do treachery
hbers to accomplish. A torrent of abuse has as
sailed the band who have remained true to The stand
ard of Freedom. They have been accused Of being
fanatics, seeking war, denounced the Do Nothings,
&c. 1t has been meany thrown in their teeth that
they cluDg to the State organization because they
held Office under it, when the fact Was that two
thirds Of the prominent men most devoted to it had
no Office under the Topeka Constitution. Some few
Of those who had office have been tempered with,
and have afforded no aid to their cOmpeers IN the
struggle But this common argument, and potent
with the suspicious, vulgar mind, which rarely stops
10 investigate anything. But the worst part Of the
storm ragged outside of Kansas. Such papers as
The National Era and ". y. Times turned their
batteries on the devoted men who had to stand in
the breach before the whole Federal power, with its
corruption; the BOrder-RufhaDs, with Missouri at
their back; and the weak and gulible men Of their
own party. Their motives and their Judgment we're
impugned. The best policy they could adopt was
liable to misconstruction. Fearing they were
net to be sustained in course which their
Judgment and experience told them was
all important, and smarti0g under all these stings
enc or two faltered and Immediately fell in the esti
nation Of the people of Kansas. They were be-
tween two fires. Let he irresOlute fearful man,
who will bend before storm, aspire to be leader
In the Free-State party in Kansas. No situation is
more precarious. single error in Judgment is fatal
to mans popularity. The people are in strait
where they cannot afford to have false prophets. A
single slip and the people sweep the man aside for
another. The dsafection thus created in the Free
are concerned, but then, what it lacked in numbers
It made up in noise. The snake was small stubbed
one; but then it all sting. The disaifected We're
. few men who had nothing TO do but to spread dis
affection. They had either contracted ant'pathy to
stDe prominent nan before the people, or were
sspiraDts never yet receiving the public confidence,
who hoped to take position more palatable
to their vanity by some change. Selling
on the desire of the Free-State leaders to
keep quiet about the October electien they
thought they had got something out of which
capital could be made, and they came out for what
they assumed to be "a new policy" and one of
"their own" viz: to go into the October election.
Possessing neither the judgment nor the prudence
for enterprise 80 difficult and precarious, they
made up for their lack of any plan by empty noise
about the bare outline of policy. IL was thus that
the question presented before the last Conven-
ton. The cool and sagacious leaders who had the
popular confidence had already determined; III fact,
determined last March, that the October election
should be carried if at all possible; that even seri
Gus obstacles must be overcome to do so. Their
choice was to have left the action of tue Convention
silent on this subjects to have taken steps for the
thorough organization of each precinct and while
not word would ever have been uttered publicly
inf. fha ,t.ar
election, Or at least not word about the mode,
that careful preparation should be made. But the
matter was thrust upon the Convention and could
not be svaded. A few aspiring, thOught'ess men,
who were carrying out the wishes of men not
half 30 good as themselves, determined to make
a stand this point. They could have
been defeated. Those who are truly the apos-
ties of the people could have brought it
to an issue, and defeated them and the measure by
two to one; but as they calmly investigated all the
aspects Of the case, they saw it might create
schkm, while roting doton such proposition would
have bad effect on tho Interior policy. 1t was In
tAis situation Of affairs that they consented to give
publicity to their policy and to commit themselves in
party convention to public declaration for such
eouise. The growing Of few that compromise
had been efecte6-that the maintenance Of the To.
peka Constitution to the last, and voting at the Oc-
tober election that the power Of the Territorial
Legislature might be obtained for it's destruction
were the ficO pfdnkS IN the PLATFORM was SIMPLY n
diculous. AN that these restless, thoughtess Free
State men outside Of Kansas and 10 it have gained
IL that they have turned their cards to the iuspec
ton Of gambler before commencing the game
with him.
But the step has been taken, and the future laoms
up in fearful significance. The apprrtioument just
made ties the Free-State Samson with cords after
he has been shern Of his locks. Never was battle
6eld more skillfuuy planned than the apportionnent
Of the October election. These men profit by
their own experience. Instead Of foO,ishlY disfran