New-York daily tribune., 1858-02-19

f,sudusest yoe. s.e 70 be thrown, or If these
-bouH happen 10 be lacking. forged returns 'nau
be eopcocted sufficient 10 give LeccmPton MAJOR
ity. sDd to Keep the Legislature and the STATE al.
ministratioa in the hands Of the Pro-os'ery a'd
Border Ruffsn minority. II wa indeed giSen ou'
that Calhoun. alarmed a: the proof which has been
accumulated Of what be must 81 along have per
feotiy vel knowu-the forgery employed ID geVuns
VI the returns-hsi resolved 10 give the certncs'e'
Of election 10 the Free State men. 1t "a asserted
that Calhoun himself stated a. much to hI. Doug
Ia. snd Others. But this WA before the VOC
Of the House on Hsrrrs resolution; mee
Border -RuAi.n strstagen-for men VINO mste
business Of forgery, Of course Will not ''cA
at Ett.e ly;ng-in hopes to take IN
few Douglas Democrsts. Upon RECONSIDER
alton of the matter, Calhoun has come to
the conclusion, in which be 10 sustained BY the
whole Lecompton party in Congress Snd wnicn
is set forth in his letter published in smother
part Of this paper that be has no power 70
20 behLd the returns; thst the Lecompton
schedule ordered the returns to be made TO him
for the express purpose Of facilitating frauds that
under that schedule, il has become bis Official duty
to give effect to fraud and forgery, and that to hes
tate about doing would be sbetrsys OF his trust
and, upon the principle of honor among thieves
Calhoun aid his hackers, in and out of Congress
are doubte.s right II the frauds and fske returns
of the election Of the 4A of January are TO bs
ripped up, why stop there The very assumption
that the Lecom ptontes are not privileged to cheat
to any extent that may be necessary for their pur-
poses. is an attack upon the fundamental principle
upon which the Territory has bsen ruled from the
dsy Of the first Territorial election down to the
meeting Of the existing Territorial Legislsture-a
Legislature from which Walker, in violation Of the
established principles Of Border Rufiansm excluded
the members who claimed an election By virtue OF
forged returns and false votes, but all whose acts
the Lecompton echedule has declared void before
hand thus counter-workinS Walker and Preserv-
ing the Border -Rufisn legislation intact. To
countenance this going behind returns signed, or
seeming to be signed, b. Border -Ruiian returning
officers, or any inquiry into election frauds on the
part of anybody except the majority which the re-
turns in question have created, would be to fall into
the sane error which caused Reeder, Geary,
but 10 be read out of the Democratic party. 1t
would be TO cast stone Of reproach at ex-Pres-
dent Pierce, at President Buchanan, at the Senate
and at the Democratic portion Of the last Congress-
by whom the sole capacity Of determining upon its
own Legality has ever been maintained to rest ex'
clusiyey with the bogus Territorial Legislature,
and by whom the decision of that bodyas to its own
legality has ever been received as settling the
question.
OF course the penons outside of Kansas, and
especially those at Washington, who have been ap-
psaled to for aid in forcing the Lecompton Con-
stitution on Kansas, in undertaking that operation
will not leave Regent Calhoun behind. He and
his certificates, and q State Government inau.
sursted under bis auspices, speedily TO produce
tuo additional Border -Ruiaian ornaments 10 the
Senate-such are the actual objects for which it is
proposed TO continue Kansas in military occupation,
since nobody imsgines that the Lecompton Govern
ment could bs organized except under powerful
escort of Federal bsyonets.