Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-05-14
Admirable Letter OF Secretary
stanton to the FactiOuS Free
StRfe Men in Kansas.

Admirable Letter Of Secretary
Stanton to n FactiOuS Free
State Men in Kansas. |
We take pleasure in laying before our
readers the following excellent letter
from Secretary Stanton, Of Kansas Ter
ritory, to some of the factious Free State
men there, who propose not to vote at
the coming election of Delegates to the
Constitutional Convention, unless some
inadmissable terms which they propose
are acceded to, the substance Of which
will be garnered from the Secretary's re-
ply. Mr.. Stanton is proving himselfthe
man for the crisis in Kansas. The fol-
lowing is the letter alluded to:
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
Lecomton, K. T., April 80, 1857.
Gentlemen: Yours of the 18th inst,
reached me only by fast nights mail. II
proceed without delay to reply to the
proposition you makein reference to the
election about to be held for Delegates
to q Constitutional Convention.
As I take a different vicw.of the laws
ofthe Territory from that which you ex-
press, it will be impossible for me to
consent to n new proceeding in oppos-
ition to that which has been sanctioned
by the legislative authorities. t
I did not hear from General Maclean
any such admission as you represent
him to have made. That gentleman
spoke only of his individual action in
the particular mentioned, and whether
that action was right or wrong, or wheth-
er it occurred in that individualinstance
only or in a thousand others, by men
either from Missouri or Massachusetts,,
it could not invalidate the laws which
now prevail in the Territory. If 1 be-
lived-as 1 do not believe-your asser-
ton that the laws of Kansas. were EN-
acted by a Legislature elected by the
people of an adjoining State lit would
still be impossible for mel.to set then
aside-the. attempt to do SO would be an
act of gross usurpation, not less objec-
tionable in its character and effects than
the fraudulent interference which you
attribute to the people of Missouri. Il
must, therefore, say to you in the most
explicit language, that [ can do nothing
which denies the authority and validity
of the laws enacted within this Territory.
Congress alone has power to abrogate
them.
1 have no authority over the Probate
Judges. 1t is not my province to advise
them in relation to the performance of
their judicial functions. Yet it will not
be improper for me to say that it would
be very judicious and becoming in them
to obtain every possible information
from respectable men of both parties, in
order to enable them to correct the list
of voters. If such impartial men of
their own will and within the time limi-
ted by law, could take a new census
and presented to the Probate Judges
with sufficient proof of its fairness and
accuracy, l think the Probate Judges
would be bound to adopt it and return
it to the Governor as the true list legally
corrected. I should be sorry to see any
Probate Judge in the Territory refus:
to receive the sworn testimony of two
respectable men, differing in politics, as
to any matter within their knowledge
connected with the residence of citizens
and their qualifications as voters. I dc
not believe such a wrong car possibly
have occurred, and 1 therefore say that
if you had been DESTROYS of obtaining a
correct list of voters for the coming
election, you had in your power to ac-
complish that object in perfect conformi-
ty with the law.
1t is not my purpose to reply to your
statement of facts. l cannotdo so from
any personal knowledge, enabling me
either to admit or deny them. l may
say, however, 1 have heard statements
quite as authentic as your own, and, in
some instances, from members of your
own party-to the effect that your poll
; teal friends have very generally, indeed
, almost universally, refused to participate
in the pending proceedings for register
ing the names of the legal voters. In
some instances they have given fictitious
names, and in numerous others they
have refused to give any names at all.
You cannot deny that your party have
heretofore resolved not to take part In
the registration; and it appears to me
that, without indulging ungcnerous sus-
picions of the integrity of officers, you
might we'll attribute any errors and
omissions of the sheriffs to the existence
of this we'll known and controlling fact.
I forbear to say anything of the unrea-
sonableness ofyour requirement hat We
shall set aside the law in order to accom-
plish what you have refused to do in
obedience to its provisions; but | will be
most happy to learn that you, gentle
men, and your party friends generally
have been at work in earnest, with q
view to enable the Probate Judges tt
present a true and perfect list of the lie.
f gal voters of the Territory. You have
had power to correct the lists-if yor
have failed to do it the fault WILDE YOU
own.
, In reference to your proposition tt
appoint four judges of election at every
place of voting, L have to say that the
law very wisely authorizes only three
The Governor has nothing to do with
their appointment. 1t is not in my
power, therefore, to adopt your sugses-
tions in this particular. fl had any
authority in the matter, l would, II
every instance, appoint as judges Of
election one Republican of your party
one National Democrat in favor ola free
State, and one National Democrat il
favor of making a slave State. This
would be quite as fair and impartial a
mode of proceeding as ever is, or indeed
| can be adopted by political parties IL
any country. l must sincerely hope