The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-12-25

,ly such conventions can be called sover-
20 a. have been truly elected by the REQ.
ie and represent their will. On reierence,
owever, to my address Of the 10th ofSept.
.st, on the qualification question, copy
which was Immediately transmitted 70
GU for the information Of the President and
,abinet, 1t il evident that the Lecompton
invention was not such body That con.
entiOn had vital, not technical, defects in |
he very substance Of its organization under
he Territorial law, which could only be |
cured, in my judgeme' I, as set forth in my
and other addresses by submission
II the Constitution for the ratification Of
The people. On reference to the territorial
sw under which the convention WIS Assem-
bled, thirty-iour regularly organized coun-
ties were named a. election districts for del
egates to the convention. In each and oil
VI these counties Il was required by law that
. census be taken and the voters registered.
and when this was completed, the delegates
70 the convention should b. upportioned &C
cordingly. In nineteen of these counties
there was no census, and therefore there
could be n appointment there Of delegates
upon such census, and in fifteen Of these
counties there was no registry OF voten.-
These fifteen counties, including many Of
the oldest organized counties in the Terrific
~. were entirely disfranchised, and by no
isult Of their own, could not give solitary
vote for tie delegates to the convention.-
Tbs result was superinduced by tie fact
that the territorial Legislature appointed al
the Sheriff. and Probate Judges in all these
counties, TO whom o. assigned the duty by
law, of making this census and rrgstry.-
These officers were political partizans dissent
ing from the views and opinions Of tie PEG.
Pile Of these counties. AZ was proved by the
election in October last. These officers,
from want Of funds as they alleged, neg
10 ted or refused to take any census VI make
any registry in these counties. And there
lore, they were entirely disfapchised, and
could not and did not give single vote at
the election for delegates to the Constitution
al Convention. And here I wish to call at
tention to distinction, which will appear
in my inaugural address, in reference to
those counties where the voters were fairly
Registered and did not vote. In such coun-
ties, where full and free opportunity was
given " register and vote, and thy did not
cho, 20 to exercise such privilege, the qucs-
ton is very different from those counties
where there was no census or registry, and
no vote was given. or could be given, how
ever anxious the people might DO to particle
pate in the election OF delegates TO the Con-
vention. Nor could IL DO said these coun-
ties acquiesced; tor whenever they endeav-
ored, by subsequent census or registry of
their own to supply this defect, ocGisioncd
by previous neglect Of the Territorial officers,
the Delegates thus chosen were rejected by
the Convention.
repeat that IN nineteen counties out OF
thirty.four there ives no census. In fifteen
counties out Of thirty four there was no
Registry, and not a solitary vote was given
Or could be given for delegates to tho Con-
vention in any Of these counties. Surely
then it cannot be said that such Conven-
ton, chosen by scarcely more than one-tenth
of the present voters Of Kansas, represented
the people Of that Territory, and could
rightly impose o Constitution upon them
without their consent
These nineteen counties in which there
was no census. constituted o majority of the
counties Of the Territory and theso fifteen
in which there was no registry, gave
y much larger vote ut the October election,
even with the SIX months qualification, than
the whole vote given to the Lec"mpton Con-
sututional Convention on the 18th Of Nov.
last. If then sovereignty can be delegated,
and conventions as such arc sovereign, which
deny, surely it must DO only in such cases
rs when such convention. are chosen by the
people which we have seen was not the case
Is regards the late Lecompton Convention.
1t was for this, and other, reasons, that,
in my inaugural and other addresses, l in
,lsted that the Constitution should DO sub
nitted to the people by the Convention, a.
Tho only means OF curing this vital detect in
In organization. II was, therefore, among
,ther reasons that when, rs you know, the
called the Topeka State gov
,rnmeut was made, and Is consequence an
Inevitable civil war and conflict must have
,nsued, THESE results were prevented by my
not "the abolitioniSts,' AZ has
,een erroneously stated, for my address was
rot to them, but to tho neople Of Kansas,
hat. IN my judgement, the Consultation
sould be submitted fairly and freely Tor
atifcation or rejection by their vote {: and
hat If this was not done,l ould unitewith
hem (th people) rs now do, in lawful op-
'osition to such procedure.
Mr.. Walker goes on to say that rs the
Inference between him and the President is
'on vital question involving practical re-
Its and new instructions" it is therefore
more respectful TO the President for him to
esigo than to force him to remove him E.
Of instructions"
THIS latter course, In my judgement
rould be incompatible with . pr. per respect
Or the Chief Magistrate Of the Union in
onsistent With the rules of moral recntud.
r propriety. and could be adopted with no
ther view than TO force the President " re-
,oye me from Office
Such a course, 1t is alledged, would pre-
snt me to the public as o political martyr
a the defence Of the great principle Of self
overnmsnt; but to 20 " Ransas with an
UGH purpose, or with certain knowledge
hat such result must follow, would be
like unjust and improper. My only alter
alive, then, is that Of y respectful ruigna
ON, in the hope that Kansas and our below.
country may be shielded from that civil
ar with which fear both are Threatened
y any attempt to force the 10 called Le
,mpion Constitution upon the people OF
ansis
l state it as fact, based on q long and
ltimate ASSOCIATION with the people oil Kan.
IS, that IN overwhelming majority OF that
eople are opposed to that instrument, and
y letters state that but one out OF 20 VI the
ress Of Kansas sustain 1t. Some oppose It
,causs % many counties were disirsnchised
nd unrepresented IN the Conventions
,ms who are opposed to paper money, be-
.use 1t authorizes bank Of enormous cap.
al for Kansas, nearly unlimited in its issues
nd in the denomination Of It's notes, from
10 dollar up and down; some because or
hat they consider q know-nothing clause.
, requiring that the Governor shall have
zen 20 years citizen Of the Unised States,
,r,e hecause thu elective franchise il not