New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-02-26

The majority of the Senate Committee appointed
to lubricate the Lecompton COnstitutiOn-since
even the Senate cannot swallow that enormous
mouthful till it has been well slayered over-afect
to atcrbe decisive importance to the cO6pera-
ton Of Acting Gov. Stanton in bringing the Lee
compton Convention into being. They even 60
20 far as not only to represent that action on his
part as conclusive as against him of the legality
and even the fairness of that Convention and its
proceedings but to urge the neg ect of the body of
the people of Kansas to vote for delegates to it as
estoppiDg them, as the lawyers say, from being
heard in objection TO what it has done.
1t would no doubt have been altogether better,
as we saw and pointed out at the time, and as Mr..
Stanton himself now fully admits, if in c0nse-
quence of the imperfect census, DISTINGUISHING as it
did so large proportion of the counties and the
citizens of Kansas, he had declined to make any
apportonnent of delegates on 80 imperfect and
unfair basis, and so had crushed this LecomptOn
cOchatrice in the egg Undoubtedly Gov. Geary,
had he remained in Office would have taken that
course But whatever else may be thought or said
of the conduct of Acting Governor Stanton in
making On appOrtiOnment, and thereby contributing
an essential step toward bringing into existence
monster which is now seeking to swallow down the
Liberties and rights of the people of Kansas, 1t Is
only by most disingenuOus cOncealment on the
part of the majority of the Senate COmmittee-a
concealmeut in character we may observe, with
the whole tenor Of their repOrt-that even an at.
tempt can be made to set up this apportionment as
estopping either Mr. Stanton or the people Of Kansas
from claiming il as the right of the body Of the
people TO be heard on the question Of the recOgn-
ton of the work Of that Convention as the State
Constitution of Kansas.
The Committee know perfectly well that Acting
Governor Stanton, in making this spportiOnment
on the basis Of censu which he admtte at the
time TO be imperfect-though his recent arrival in
the Territory, aud the company by which he was
then surrounded, prevented him from anything
like full knowledge Of the imperfections, it, in
deed, they ought not rather to be called frauds of
that census-they know perfectly well that Acting
Governor Stanton expressly took the ground aud
justified his acting in the matter, on the ground
that whatever objections might be made to the
Convention itself, to the act under which it was
called, to the census, to the apportionment of the
deepatea. or to the limitation of the right of suf-
frsge on this occasion, the people of Kansas held
in their own hands, and would be sustained BY Gov
ernor Walker by the President, and by Congress,
in exercising, the means Of protecting themselves
against any action on the pant of the Convention
not in conformity ~ their opinions or pref
erences. At the very time that Acting
Governor Stanton made this aPpOrtionment
which the msiority of the Senate Committee are
now SEEKING to represent as al absolute surrender
on the part of Mr. Stanton of the people of Kansas,
into the hands of this Convention, to be dealt with
by it, in all that concerned the organization OF Kan
sas as State, as that Convention might see hit, and
as shutting up his mouth from any protest against
their proceedings-in the very act OF thus unfor-
tunately assisting to usher into the world TINS Ill
conditioned monster, which it is now attempted 10
represent as having, as soon as it was born, swa
lowed down the people Of Kansas Acting-lio'-
ernor stanton excused himself for acting as mid
"he on THIS occasion, on the express ground
that the Constitution to be framed must and
woui be submitted to full and free vote Of all the
resident inhabitants of Kansas, and that il not 80
submitted and 80 approved the President would
recommend and would urge its rejection by
Congress. Surely Mr.. Stanton j, not e.topped
from complaining that the Lecompton Cynven-
ton, by refusing 10 submit their Constitution to a
| popular vote has violated the fundamental condition
under which BE- assisted in giving vitality to it;
AL slce the pec.e 81 Rsasa', il sp.e e:tto Coz.