The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1857-06-26
Communications.
For the Jclfrrsnnan.
Ought the Free State Men of Kansas so
tn the Election!


Ought the Free State Men Of Kansas so
to the Election!
"Of cousc they ought" says our Demo-
ratio friend. "Of course they ought" say /,
We all, eli justice is done them" "of
course we would" says the Free State men,
'if Justice would 5e done us, but here is the .
Jos,,Is, the laws were not designed to do
slavery men a chance to arnn,'n.rjye pro-
possible. 70 drive US from the territory
Let us now examine the position ol the
Free State men. and see il it is correct
All admt-Democrat admit itwith the rest
of mankind-that the first legislature was
elected by Missourans Even Mr.. YATES
admits in his letter that this is the case, but
promises no more such. The only diller-
ence, on this point, then, between Demo-
Gratis and Republicans, is this: the Demo
Gratis say that the action of Governor REhD-
ER made that legal, whi,h was Al INTO, IL
legal, while the Republicans dcny this IN
TOTO, aud say the Governor had no such
power; that he went there merely as the
executive, and had no power to create
legislature. The Democratic supposition is
contrary to squatter sovreignty--that which
they pretend to upold and advo ate. They
say that every power lies in the people OF
the territory; aud yet, when they think 1t
will benefit their mas ers-thc slave holders
-th.y oiothe the President with all pow ar
over the territory, executive, legislative ana
judicial. RgEpER was the appoint ec OF the
President, and all the powcrs he possessed,
| he got by virtue Of his commission. Now,
! il the President had no power to appoint n
legislature, he could not confer that power
upon REEoER; and il REEDER possessed no
power to APPOINT one, he could not RIcoG-
sIzE one that was illegal. 1t matters little
whether the farce of an election was gone
through with or not, for il the election was
illegal, lis members had No more power to
legiSlate for the territory, than would the
legislature Of Ohio. Suppose Governor
REEDER had issued n call, convening the
legislature Of Kentucky, at Pawnee, COM
municate with them aud recognize them /;
would their acts have any binding force'-
To suppose that RgEDER's act could give
them the effect Of law, would be to suppose
that all legislative power rested in him alone,
theory somewhat at variance with "popu-
lar sovereignty" But suppose that he had
power to create egslature, does that help
the matter! The power which creates has
the power to destroy, and If he had the pow
er to create the legislature, he had the pow
er to repudiate it; and he did repudiate il
and ifhis recognition was valid, hls repudi-
alton wus equally so. "But" say our Dem
ocrats, "he had no power, by the Kansas
Bill, TO destroy legislature We reply
ne had no power conferred on him by that
bill to create one. II what they claim was
among the implied powers OF that bill, what
we claim is equally so.
"But let the Free State men waive this,
however just the position, and vote, now
that fair election is ofreled them" The
Office holders at Washington have offered q
"fair election" ga full expression OF the
whole people at the ballot-box." But have
they not promised that many times before!
General PIERCE would say that III the elect
ions held under his administration were
fair" Buchanan promised "fairness,''
! but he appointed none but Southerncrs,
many of them the basest Of border ruihans,
to Office. Emory, Whitfield, and others, are
examples of tins. So far as Washington
the word "fairness" as synonymous with
"whatever will benefit slavery Had
Noah WebSters lived in this day, he woult
probably so defined it in his dictionary.
But the legislature of Kansas, and the ac
itself, promise "lairness.' So far as th'
act itself is concerned, il has been analyze,
completely, and its injustice shown. Blu
when you rely on the legislature for fair
ness, you rely for support upon a slenie
thread. II is composed of the same materi
al, nearly, as the first legislature-of me,
who were engaged in those invasions fror
Missouri, of which the CouRiVR's CORES
pondent speaks,-of the very men who hav
done their best to crush out the Free Stat
men, for two years--of the men who hav
been engaged in arson, theft and murder
; OF the men who sacked Lawrencej and YET
} although Democrats admit all this, thong
} they say eve know they have been villains
guilty Of all that has been charged, but
they have suddenly become honest, and 20
shopld trust them!" Our Democracy al
good logicisns, truly. ".'
The Census-takers will act "fairly," wi
, theyi Let us see. They are the creature
Of the legislature. the Sheriffs and thei
Deputies. Will a dishonest Legislature
striving to gain dishonest point, sppoin
honest men TO execute their iaws' "Bu