The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-04-22

in a fair and lepible hand, the names of all such
qualified voters ~ faeNs'Qe
Section seventh provides for an apportionment
on the basis of this, returned List. = sstx.s..r
Section eighth provides that no person shall
vote unless his name appear on the corrected list
The nineteenth section districts the Territory
as follows DoniphAn county shall constitute the
first election district y Brown and Nemaha, the
second; Atchison, the third Leavenworth, the
fourth Jefferson, the nth Calhoun the sixth
Marshall, this seventh Riley, the eigntn Jonn-
son, the ninth; Douglas, the tenth Snswnee,
Richardson, and DAVIS, the eleventh; L{hns,
the twelfth Franklin, the thirteentn wiener,
Breckinridge. Wise, and manson, tne iourseentn'
Butler and Corey, the nfteentn' Linni sne STA
| teenthi Anderson, the seventeenth BOURBON
McGee, DOM, ana Alien, Inc eigu.eenln ~
son, wilson, Godrey, GREENWOOD anu nun'er'
the nineeeentn' n..,
Four osnef counsfes-W WI e'"y, Ds,
washington, ana ny iuu w,
as mentioned IN the law VIVA. WISH So, ~ 0ais
particular stsenuon 70, 10 ING ,se., oonoiuSiso VI
fraud oy tne Legisalnre, 'na' ioAr.osn VI INC
counues thus ennmeraseo we're wtnou' any
county organizauon, ana Oh course "i.hou. =
snerin or prooate JUDGE, anu .nereio,o ues''o'e
OF the ony machinery provided " ia" ior "a
KING the census anoregasuauon' ins appears 70
have been done asnoerately, as no provision
anywhere made ior sqcn tnlng as an morgan
| lzed county fHteen countries were 'nus "nony
exciudeo oy tne Leg'sissure HUN any Possioie
participation IN TINS proeeeaing. IN soaiuoh 70
| TINS, appeared, on 'ne le'ufus oeng niaue,
that IN the counties 81 ANDERSON, frankiin, ana
bfeck,nndge, torgani1ec coon'ies, ING oncsrS
mao ianeo 10 taAe oons"s aiAc "oi'
Here then we nave fourteen counnes named IN
the act put WIN no provision wna.ever ior gen,
sus ana registrauon, anu iouI coun'eS no' na.nsu
AZ all ana OF COURSE exciuueu making III a,i eisn
| teen counues aeuoefatey Observation-Disclosures ny 'he
Legisiatu 40 tnis Is 20 De adoed Tue ehree
| counties III which tne omcers were uennquen',
ana the aggregate OF olsirancnised counties
amoun's 70 swenty-onei tnat Is, more 'nah nan
| the whole NUMBER into whlch the Ierritory ls
divided. - ~ s-5 Est 49,.
THIS plain statement must settle TINS point
n cannot be further controverted. In order,
however, to diminish the force OF TINS objection,
is said that but few people were living In these
counties; not enough-as the argument runs
| to have materially influenced the result. Let US
see whether this is true, IN point OF fact In the
election OF October last, the aggregate vote OF
this DISTINGUISHED district, under law prescrl-
bing SIX months previous residence, amounted 10
nearly three thousand. NOW, IL Will De observed
| that every one VINO was enuued 10 vote IN octo-
Der would nave Deen a voter At tne eiecuon OF
delegates to the Convention, II his name had
been registered So far then, from the voting
population OF those counties having been insig-
nihcant, It Is quite certain, on the otner nanu,
| that II this vote had been polled, as we are
4 bound 10 presume woulo nave peen IL an OPP
| portr'lty had been a1orded 1t was OF sufncient
strent to have changed the complexion OF the
Convention II we take into consideration the fact
that three-quarers and more of this vote was cast
in October, on an issue involving this very Lee
conn ton Constitution, against that instrument
| as shall presently show lit may be reason
| ably inferred that the exclusion of it made the
| political complexion of the Constitutional Con-
venton what it was, Pro-Slavery. In regard
| TO the other counties in which the census and
regisi ration was pretended to be performed,
| have only to say that there was well-grounded
| complaint. The registration was partial, imper-
| feet and to some extent fraudulent The aggre-
| gate VI registered votes was nine thousand and
! upwards. The election was held in June, unin-
| terrul tedly, so far as have heard. The Con-
ventin received less than two thousand votes.
But the question Is frequently put, why did you
not voter For two reasons hrst we considered
| the whole scheme to be conspiracy, with which
was dangerous to be complicated and, second
| ly, we relied on the distinct and emphatic pledge
| of the President given through Governor Walk
| er, that we should be protected IN our reserved
right of voting for or against the instrument,
| when it should pass from the hands OF the Con-
| venti,u A large majority OF the people, beyond
| doubt, were lulled into indifference or deluded
| into naction by this pledge Of the President,
authoii tatively rendered them.
The Convention organized in September, but
f, adjou ned to await the issue of the October
election. For the first time in the history of the
country, both parties met at the polls, after
| long It peaceful canvass, in the full enjoyment
of the right of suffrage. The result undeniably
indica'e ed public opinion. The Free State party
bore off the victory by 5000 majority. No issue
| of the canvass was more widely discussed and
better understood than that which pertained to
this Convention. The so-called Democratic party
endors I'd it, and their candidate for Congress
| openly declared that be would, If elected, advo-
| cate Il e admission OF the State under It, whether
it was1submitted to the people or not. On the
other hand, the Free State party, through their
Representative, declared the Convention to be
| fraud 4 the bottom, from which nothing could
originate that deserved their respect; and that
the Constitution, if submitted to the action OF
the people, should be trampled down and If not
submitted to the people, they had the pledge OF
the President that Congress should reject it. or at
least his influence to that end. This popular
| montion was not thrown away on the Conven-
ton itself. When they met again, 1t was under
the protection of the United States army Hence
forth its sessions were thus Pro!ectee. un 'ne
| It'll OF November, the convention hniSneu rs
work and adjourned. Inc Oons'itu'ioS .uey nau
| framed was not submitted 10 Fote VI 'ne Peo-
| pie, for approval or reJecuon-nor was any SUD
stantiye part OF 1t thus submitted. PROPOSE
ton relative to the future importation OF slaves
| was submitted; but the dispositon Oh 'nas wna'-
ever it might be, could In no manner anect tne
status OF the negro under the Iuture o.aS uo.-
eminent Slavery was thoroughly engrai'eu ~
| the instrument: for tnese reasons sne PeoP'e
despise anu aonor 'nis sSs.s =. ,,.. nrove,
ms lacs .an9U' o oo Iss. :, ,as demou-