The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-21
I! INTERESTING FROM KANSAS.


Meeting or the Legislature-Alieged Altern-
tons III the LecompSom Coustiiution-The
Topeka Constitutions Il. be Submitted 90 the
People Mass Convention mt LecoInpton, SC.
From the St. Louis Democrat, Dec. IT.
We in possession OF from Kansas TO the 10Th
In the counties along the Missouri river attempts
being made to get up companies OF voters to
Kansas on the 2lst meeting held ut Lexington
Saturday for that purpose but the proceedings were kept
secret as far as practicable The proposal dd not meet
ard county meeting for the same purpose was held
Thursday, and number Of volunteers obtained Along
the border the blue lodges cnskvoring to rcorga
nze and vote claim holders in Johnson countythat IL,
men residing Platte and jackson, who have driven
stakes Kansas government lands Large preparations
being made for fraudulent returns the bogus
constitution. The nulliers had held convention to
inmate candidates under the state organization 1t was to
have been held at ecompon the 7th, bu. some fifteen
hundred free state from Lawrence came over giving
three cheers for frcc Kansas whom tho nnllcrs some
three hundred in ALL adjourned across the river and made
their nominations en- home. Calhoun was, by acca
nation rendered the race for Governor, but he declined
the aerng honor Mr. Marshall then selected as the
candidate for that post, and Mr.. Matthias, former
Speaker Of the House Of Representatives, was nominated
for Lieutenant Governor In the Territory the people are
pdse opposed to the bogus convention and all its
dongs. They will not submit 70 II under any terms Only
newspaper supports the constitution with any hearth
the Territory. The Legislature in session and had
fully organised The nulers returned as members from
eavcnworth had been thrswn out and their seats given
TO the free Ste men, which secured the later iuii con
troll by more ban third Of both branches. The
of policy had been fully determined upon but
believed they would repeal the act auhorising the
Calhoun convention Mr. Henderson (who recently figured
at Washington) had passed up en- Monday, bearing as
reported, Secretary Denvers commission, and in
structons to Calhoun The proceedings OF the Legisla
urc reported very fully in the Ieavenworth Times Of
the 12th which has been kindly forwarded to us. We
subjon the most important items. The mass convention
OF the free State men, which had adjourned from
Lawrence, and which met at Lecompton on the 7th is
ed in procession, fully armed each man with Sharp's
rife and revolvers, presenting very formdaoie appear
ALTERATIONS OF THE KANSAS CONSTITUTION.
il that General Calhoun and his committee who
have keeping the bogus constitution have not been idle
since the adjournment of the convention, but have chang
cd that instrument will to suit their views Every
change too has made the body Of it radically pro-
slavery Our correspondence from Kansas day audes
to these alterations and we may as wen point some OF
them ont. They chiefly in the schedule, and the
important OF the additions TO the eighth and
fourteenth Thus they have inserted in the eighth
section the words % to be conducted tho election pro
vidcd the seventh section of this article aud this
done the control of that election out Of the hands
Of the Territorial Assembly, and invos Calhoun with the
power OF appointing judges selecting precincts falsfy
returns and recognizing the members OF the future state
Legislature. This language was not in the orgi-
nal draft Of the schedule, either as printed in
the Territory, or as printed from official tran
script sent the Washington Union and has been in
since the adjournment TO the end desgna
ted The next alteration is in the fourteenth section and
amounts to the perpetuaton Of slavery in Kansas for all
time to come II is in regard to the calling OF new con-
venon after the year 1854 to revise the constitution and
the sentence surrcptousy put in is as follows But no
alteration hall be made to affect the rights Of property in
the ownership Of slaves This clause not in the
first publication OF the instrument and is papable in
terneatlon. Now, when We remember that the same
constitution prescrbes as rule for judicial decision that
"the right of of slave TO such slave and its
increase IS the and as nvioabc rs the right OF the
Of property whatever will be readily seen
that the effect Of the candestne addition is to make Kan
rrevocaby slave State the future The last change
that shall notice is in the seventh section, where
lsh precincts for voting and to polls to be opened
such places they may deem proper in their respective
counties" This is enlargement Of the power of the
commissioners to disappointed by Calhoun to control the
election and its object manifest TO be dwelt upon
Several other minor substutions might mark but, as
they are unimportant they need not be specified How
many more phases the constitution will undergo before
the 21st purely conectura but as the people are moi
to be permitted 10 vote on the instrument we suppose
Gen Calhoun in his character OF dictator, will consider
himself perfectly at liberty 10 amend, change or strike
out at pleasure until the appointed time, when his work
made slave State Any one wishing to verify the
foregoing facts do so by comparing the first pubca
ton Of the schedule in the Washington Un,on of the sth
with the publication Just made in the same paper.
The schedule was originally az given, not only IN the
Democrat and the Territorial papers but also in the Official
organ the administration and the alterations took place
under the direction Of Calhoun and his committee nearly
after the Convention had adjourned They also took
occasion to add few names TO the whole instrument
were authorzed-names of men who now disavow
the signatures Such the last development in connec
ton with this attempt Of the nuers TO install their bogus
constitution the heads OF the people OF Kansas.
IFrom the same paper Of same date
| MASS CONVENTION AT LEcoAPToS-FIFrKES THOU
SAND FRER STATE MEN IN ATTENDASCE-THB TER
RIToRIAL LKGIsLATuRE oRGASIziNG.
IscoxfToS, X. I. Dec 8, 1857
Yesterday the day designated by the proclamation
Of Frederick r. Stanton, acting Governor Of Kansas, for
the Territorial Legislature 10 convene in extraordinary
session at this place for the purpose OF eessing upon
The Iecompton Constitution.
The delegate convention held at Lawrence on the %
inst also adjourned meet in Lecompton the
day in convention. Since the publication OF Stan
toms proclamation the deunct Legislature, Of Shawnee
notorty avowed their intention 10 answer the call and
their seats the legislative halls thereby causing
the country TO be filled with the exuberan threats OF the
pro slavery party that Achson Kickapoo and the border
counties Of Missouri would send up their blue lodge
cruts TO aid and assist these scoundres IN their Infamous
proceedings
menced raining ana the roads and weather wore
propituus appearance Tor so important day in the his
tory Of Kansas. But, Notwithstanding the adverse ap
pcarance OF the uncomfortable elements the people
solved 10 put their Legislature IN possession OF the halls
and there defend them. u necessary. Between twelve
and fifteen hundred assembled at early hour, headed
by the Lawrence brass band marched into this citadel Of
border rufsDsm 70 the clarion notes OF hail Columbia
Gen Lane rode IN the and gave the word halt
OF the legislative halls and then proposed three cheers
for the Topeka constitution and three groans for the Le
comp,on swindle simultaneously three multtusnoIs
cheers went up for the Old Banner-Frec Constitution
which inscribed q banner borne by the Topeka
company and three groans none the less significant for
the Leeompon swinde. Gov. Robinson called 10 the
chair and stated the object OF the meeting after which
committee was appointed on resolutions Gen lane being
chairman said the committee would repair Immediately
TO the grocery" Groceries, shops about the
| only buildings accessible in Iecompton.
The meeting was addressed by lane, Robinson Conway
Phillips, and other distinguished speakers after which
| the following resolutions were adopted -
Resolved, That We, the people Of Kansas In mass Con
vcntion assembled at Lccompon this seventh day OF De
cember 1857 fully earnestly endorse the proceed
ipgs of the Delegate Convention assembled At Lawrence
he ID inst, which proceeding we hereby submit
Part OF thcst resolutions.
Resolved, That do hereby enroll our names In the
league and covenant formed by that Convention and
pledge ourselves individually and collectively TO oppose
10 utsermoe the constitution adopted Iecompton
and 10 resist every sttemr; which may be made 10 put
into operation a government under the same
Resolved That rciteraio adherence and devotion
10 the Topeka constitution and government and express
unaltcrablc determination, when the proper time
shall have arrived W give force and effect In pursuance
| Of the principles upon which II originated.
The Legislature failed If quorum in the lover House
yesterday. Both branches have organized today, and
| read Stanton q message.
Tho following letter from Kansas correspondent
though late others have published, yet
tans some information that my be Of interest,"
LAWRENCE Dec, 1857
eaaa.i....ia.. L.. h.a ai.a.ai - man. .ar.tia