Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-11-10
The Kansas Erection Frauds.
eOvrRsOa wALKrR's SECOND PROCLAMATION TO TIE
- PEOPLE OF KANSAS. D.
~ go Trco,rproH Oct 90 1887

- PEOPLE or KANSAS. - ~
- LrooHrros, Oct. %. 1857.
Since our proclamation of the 1eth iDs'aat, re-
iecting the so-c4Ied election retnrEs from The Ok
ford preeinct in johnson county, acother very simi
lar case has BEEN presented for our official aeton.
1t is that Of pretended returns from three precincts
of MCGEE county, in this Territory, containing an
aggregate of more than twelve hundred votes
This county located in the extrsm" southeastern
portion of Kausss is tifuted from the lands OF
the Cherokee Indians, which not yet open 10
pre- emption Of settlement, and is copsequeetiy Que
of the most sp3rs " populated counties of the Tel
ritory, containing less than hundred qualified
voters and giving last June but fourteen votes Tor
| delegates to the Constitutional Convention.
Indeed, al persons actually cOnversaDt With the
number of the population this county, treat with
| derison the large vote pretended to have been
/ given there Our Information also excludes the
idea that there any iDcursion of voters from
the neiehboring State OF Missouri whose people do
not seem to have interfered with the recent cleo"
ton. Il is, then, quite evident that DO such vote
"a is presented in these pretended returns was
/ given at the late election in this county.
Il is not however, on the grounds above stated
that reject these pretended returns; but feeling
| confident that no such vote given, or even
! one-tenth part of it. we are induced by such con-
slider atoms to give these allie ged returns the most
rigid scrutiny in order to ascertain whether they
are genuine, legal and valid.
From intrinsic evidence on the face of the pa
| simulated and fictitious. Besides they present no
| evidence that the oath required BY our statutes
was administered to the clerks judges OF the cleo
ton, to secure from each and all of them the I'M
partial discharge OF their duties according to la"
But in addition to these grounds OF decision
az inst the legality and validity of these pretended
returns there is yet a conclusive reason
which constrains not to count thrm. While the
names of the voters and of the candidates, all APP
pear be entered the lista, not one OF the oi'
ces il mentioned for which the candidates respec-
lively were intended to be designated. We cannot
determine therefore, from the face of those paper,
for what Office any of the candidates was sup
ported. The uniformity in this particular OF these
pretended returns from three separate and distinct
precucts especially the forms are not made up
in the same handwriting, nor-with certain e1cep-
tons, which only add force to the arsument-on
the same kind OF paper, renders with Other circuu-
stances conclusive TO our minds the conviction
| that they are, above stated fictitious and simua-
ted. II is most Extraordinary, also, that not sin
gle appears to have been given for any county
officers.
In rejecting these papers do not go behind
the returns, because no legal or valid returns or
. made Neither in thu former instance nor in thi:
have claimed the power to judge of the quahh
cations of voters, and to exclude votes deemed t.
b Illegal What constitutes a return is defined
by the Territorial statutes; and to reject pape
spurious or fictitious, BECAUSE in point OF vi
tai Importance, 1t deviates from the acquisitions
!
parlance, is not going behind the returns, as w
have been unjustly charged with doing
II these papers, like those from the Oxford pre-
clint, would increase by nearly twelve hundred tb,
apparent vote for the candidates OF party, 81
though the officers are not namei, our obligation
none the less paramount to reject them we nov
do, spurious and Illegal. An election secure,
through our sanction, by frauds monstrOus, would
be more fatal to our party than any defeat howeVe
disastrous. We deem it our duty to state that &C
IL a.
didates, who it was supposed might claim thei
election by these frauds, have refused to accep
any advantage under them.
These disIeputable attempts to destroy the elec
tive franchise, and all popular government ici
is based upon it, and to subject US to the responsi
bility of rejecting such papers, or rendering our
selves accomplices in the fraud, by giving it gu
endorsement and sanction, will meet, We doubt not
the serious apprehension Of honest men of all par
ties in this Territory and throughout the Union
The intense and dangerous excitement produced Il
this Territory, by these enormous frauds, has rem
deredit imperative upon US, in this public ofhcia
manner, to make known decision in regard Il
them, believing that Just AID impartial course 0
action on our part W II serve to restore peace ant
harmony to an agitated aud distracted people.
If Instead Of relying upon these papers them
selves authentic returns, it is sought TO deny tina
the results are spurious and simulated, We canno
doubt that Congress, upon the question OF admit
ting the delegate, would, bv an appropriate con-
mittee of one both houses, despatched TO thi
Territory, and clothed with authority to send TO
persons and papers, inquire fully into these trans
actions in order that the perpetrators OF such enoT
mites, their aCcomplices and cOnfederates, ma
2 be exposed and punished. 10 the mean time, "
shall cause to be published at an early day, con-
pete list of the names of these pretended vOters
that the people Of the Territory, and especially
the localities in which those frauis were perpetual
ed, may visit them with the appropriate cOndemna
non. As these pretented voters are alleged {
have come in large bod,s from Missouri, uude
claim of settlement on the Indian reservations
and as we have ascertined that this allie CATION
untOunded in fact, deem it duty to the peopI
: of Missouri, in order to prevent unjust preiudee
against them in this Territory, and throughout t'
Union, with ali its evil consequences, 20 give theI
. the means by publishing these lists OF hcutiou
names, to exhonerate themselves from such vi
| founded accusations.
Z R. j. WALKER, Governor
l of Kansas Territory.
FRED. P. STANTON, Secretary.