The Kanzas news., 1857-09-12

and be admitted to the confidence and re-
spect of the people, that crime may be pun
ished, and the fullest protection extended to
life and property. And,
WHEREAS, Gov. Walker has repeatedly
pledged himself that the people of Kanzas
shall have full and fair vote before impair
tial judges, at the election to be held the
first Monday in October, for Delegate to
Congress, members of the Territorial Leg
islature, and other officers, therefore
1. ResotUed, That we, the people of Kan
zas, in mass convention assembled, agree to
participate in said election In October.
= 9. ResolUed, That in thus acting we rely
upon the faithful fulillment of the pledge of
Gov. Walker, and that we, as heretofore,
protest against the enaetments forced upon
US by the voters of Missouri
8. RESOLVED, That this mass convention
appoint committee of five to wait on the
Territorial authorities ana earnestly insist
upon review and correction of the wicked
apportionment endeavored to be forced upon
the people of Kanzas for the selection of mem
bers of the Territorial Legislature.
4. Resolyed, That Gen. J. III. Lane be
authorized and empowered to tender to Gov.
Walker the force organized by him under the
resolution passed by the Convention held at
Topeka on the 18th of July last, to be used
for the protection of the ballot-box.
The report was received, and motion
was made for the adoption of the preamble
and resolutions.
Judge Conway then took the stand and
spoke against the adoption of the two first
resolutions. For three quarters of an hour
the convention listened to a most eloquent
defence of the past policy of the Free State
party, and a fervent appeal against the policy
of retrogression now proposed. The Judge
had the advantage of being thoroughly in
earnest, and of believing himself right-a
power which those who advocated the adop-
ton of the resolutions seemed to lack. He
for opposing this policy. In the first place
he did not believe in the very nice distinc-
ton sought to be established here of the
Free State party being one thing, and the
Free State men of Kanzas being another
This he considered Free State convention,
being called by the authority of previous
convention, and being composed of the MEM
bers of the Free State party. He apprecia-
ted the endeavors made to make this appear
not to be convention of the party. Those
who did so sought to preserve our glorious
escutcheon untarnished. There has never
hitherto been recognized, in Kanzas, any
elections, as such, but those held under the
State organization. 1t is proposed to recog
nize this proceeding in October next as an
eiectioTs d thing which We have hitherto
denied. There can be no election without
law, and therefore acknowledging the cleo
ton to be valid by voting at it, we recog
niZe the law, and therefore assert that the
body that made these enactments by which
This so-called election is governed, was le
gal body, and capable of governing the peo-
pie of Kanzas The moment the Free State
party take that ground, they abandoned the
position they have so long and honorably
occupied, and go over to the enemy. The
question before the world has always hing
ed upon this point, and the verdict that ma
tons have given has shown upon which
side the right rests. In thus going over to
the enemy, we destroy all hopes of reviving
the Topeka organization. My friend Red
path makes proposition that when once
we should abandon it for the Topeka Gov
ernment. When we once recognize the Ter
ritorial government, we cannot have the
State organization. That organization was
established and maintained because there
was no rightful government in Kanzas.-
If you win the election, then you cannot ex-
pect the Legislature to give way. 1t ought
not to do So The State viii then be a usur
per, and if the Territorial Legislature give
way it will only be to stultify themselves a
second time. The two forms are rivals
He always believed the Topeka Constitu-
ton and organization to be the right one
He held is to be the embodiment of the peo-
pies sovereignty and the Territorial Govern
ment was the representative of Missouri and
not of the people of Kanzas. Can we, who
have so often sustained that Constitution,
now repudiate it? Assuredly not without
stultifying ourselves. He alone who has al
ways opposed the State movement, can con-
sistently go into this present movement
We have spoken 1t to the world and reitera-
ted it time and again that we viii not pay
those bogus taxes. We have always dis
owned the authority that sought to impose
taxes upon us and have said In convention
that we ''would not willingly pay them. y
This has always been the position of the par
ty and the people everywhere. and it has al
ways been indorsed. In Lawrence the peo-
pie even said they would resist the Federal
authority rather than pay, and drove the
Assessor from their town. Can we Tecog-
aize the October farce as an election, with
cut recognizing their right to impose taxes
as prerequisite to voting? After the adop-
ton of this policy, the people of Kanzas can
no longer refuse to pay these taxes-no long
er take the high ground of non-recognition
of this iniquity on which they have stood be-
fore the world. Some say that they viii
overlook the past, and indorse their acts up
to this time, but viii endorse nothing fur
| ther. To do so would make US pdrfieeps
criminals of the whole. and We are response
bic for all the outrages and barbarities which
have followed. We can do nothing more
than repudiate the new fraud, for we accept
all the mast hv the nronosed action He