Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-02-20
sI ,I lK "a IA 49,

the sheriff but many Of the people informed me that
resist having the census taken but actually desired
10 be registered in order that they might vote and
Afterwards the people Of this county did make re-
gstraton OF their own electng delegates to the Con-
yention who asked to be admitted 10 seats in that
body, but were refused by the sixty members who
were elected under the law. In other counties to
my certain knowledge, the failure TO take complete
registration OF any registration at all was the fault
OF the officers and not the fault of the people.
When IL became my duty to make the apportion-
ment for delegates 70 the Convention, I did not
know the real state of things in these Counties and
1t was impossible for me TO know IL. was but re-
Gently In the Territory had arrived there In the
middle of April, and the returns had been made TO
me from the first until the middle Of May, and after
had received all these returns which actually
in, being the imperfect registration of nineteen
countless waited with great anxiety to receive the
returns from other counties. waited until the last
minute that thought il safe to wait before making
the apportionment in order that the election might
take place Mt the time required by law; but no fur
Their returns coming in, felt it to be my duty to
make the apportionment for delegates to the Con-
yention, upon such returns as had received. That
was my duty under the law. / really did not know
what was the condition of things in these countless
l did not know whether there were any officers
there. l knew that the Legislature had appointed
such officers, but the counties distant from my
place of residence, and it was impossible for me,
within the time allowed by law, TO ascertain
charge their duties was utterly in the dark in re-
ference to the true state of affairs when made the
apportionment The sixty delegates to the Conyen-
ton, therefore, were apportioned among the nine
teen countless composing ope-half Of the Territory,
from which the imperfect registration had been OBJ
tanned. 1t has been said in the Territory by the OPP
ponents Of my. party (f | could be said to have
party IN that Territory that ] ought not TO have
made the apportionment until had received the re-
turns from every county. But the law required that
the election should take place on the 18th of June
and did not know what number of people there
were in these counties, and could not know any
thing about the fact did not know that there was
sufficient number Of people in those counties to JUS
tify me in withholding the apportionment which l
was directed TO make by law. As have stated,
waited until the last hour, anxious that Governor
Walker should arrive in the Territory and should
have his advice; but he did not come there until the
9th of May, and the election taking place the 18th
of June, and ten days notice was to be given in
every county, and the information was to be distri-
buted from the centre to the exremites of the Ter
ritory within the period between the 9th of May
and the 18th of June, that delay was impossible.
did my duty; but say to You here tonight that if
! had supposed, or, to be more particular, If had
known at that time the real state OF affairs in the
nineteen counties, in which no registration had taken
place, and if had supposed it possible that the
Convention elected by the other nineteen counties,
under those circumstances could have refused, sup
ported by any respectable authority in of the
Territory, to submit the Constitution to the people,
never would have made the appointment. Cheers
would have suffered the whole law to fail, because,
in my Judgment by the proceedings which have sub
sequently taken place, the law has been made
CINE of wrong and oppression; and | never would
have been the instrument of imposing such Consti-
tuition upon the people of any State or Territory in
this Union. Immense applause. TWAS not in the
power of Gov. Walker, with all his persuasive co-
quence, to inspire the people of Kansas with conf
dence sufficient to go into the election the fifteenth
day Of June. for delegates to the Convention be
eve that If prior to that time fair registration had
haau Mt pta of Torrttp that x,x
Walker would have induced the people to 60 into
that election But IL was not made-the people said
that the great mass of their number had power or
right to vote because their had not been regis
tered, and the comparatively few who had been regis
tered refused TO separate from the members Of their
own party who had been excluded. They did not go
into the election on the 18th of June, and the conse-
quence was that out of the voters whose names
had been registered the sixty delegates who framed
the Lecompton Constitution received and were elected
by less than 1000 votes Laughter There were
in all about 22u0 votes cast and Of these the success
full candidates received 1soo which, upon an average
was about thirty votes apiece. Laughter con-
fcss to you that it never occurred to me thing
probable, possible that these sixty men, thus
having placed in their hands the interests of people
of that character could have dreamed Of refusing 10
submit their work TO the great masses who had no
participation. opportunity TO participate, in their
election. did not dream of that contingency much
less did ever suppose that respectable authority
outside Of Kansas oreven in Kansas would seriously
have commended for such proposition; least Of all
could have supposed that, with the instructions If
the President before me, he could have been found
at this time proclamng TO the Congress ofthe United
States, and to the world that this Constitution ought
TO be adopted by Congress, ard fastened upon the
people against their express and unequyocal protest
Applause. .Et.,ss,1.
: There is another little piecc Of history connected
with this matter which serves to show the real state
of things in that Territory at that time Towards the
middle OF August or the fms. Of September, when
the October election was coming on il became appar
ent that Governor Walkers efforts we're about be
successful in inducing the great mass Of the people Of
the Territory TO 20 quietly and peaceabyt The ballot
box, under his pledge that they should have lair
chance TO vote and the minority, who had controlled
the Government, saw that IN this event their power
would be utterly gone IL was then that this cele
brated tx question was raised. The people OF the
Territory, in iesistng the laws, had refused 10 pay
the taxes for the that they had refused 20
participate in the operation of other parts of he Gov
eminent In many sections o; the Territory
sessment had been made and no taxes could be paid
Some years previous law had been passed quripg
qualification Of every voter but The Legislature
of 1851 in the plainest and most distinct manner
pealed this law, and 1t was no longer, in tie judy
mcnt Of the best lawyers in the Territory If the
requirements OF the law that a should havepaid
a tar in order 10 qualify hinsefas a voter The mi.
norv insisted that this old repealed law was still in
force and they procured the opinions ~ one Of the
United States Judges and the United States District
Attorney 10 thai effect and they ca lid upon the Gov
and the judges Of election 10 enforce H. and is
sued circulars TO them in which they advised them 10
exclude fir m the polls every who lad not paid
tax. The eff ct n this would have been 10 exclude
probably nnetenths Of the people Of the Territory
from voting, and tie Government would have still
remained with the minority and O vii war would have
been inevitable. There would have been by this pol
icy no possibility Of ever bringing the difficulties in
Kansas 10 a close.
Then Il was that Governor Walker appealed 10 the
President of the United StItes, giving his Opiniln
that ibis tax law bad been repealed. Tue President
Of the United States with the sanction OF his whole
Cabinet agreed with Governor Walker, maintaining
that the tax law had been repealed and that the tax
qualification no longer ex ted and ought no longer
70 be enforced IN the elect ons there.
mention these facts to show the difficulties under
which we labord the devices resorted 20 on the part
OF the minority 20 maintain the power which they had
obtained-I will MT say, gentlemen, by the means
alleged by the great mass Of the people who that
account refused TO participate IN the Government;
but by some means other, fair or full, the great
majority Of the people withheld all support all coun-
tenance from the Territorial Government The first
1.-The absolutely most important and ndispensably
essential thing 10 enable the people 10 get control
their own affarswss b. remove those diff rulties and
embarrassments in order that they might at the polls
assert their rights. II Is true that up 10 the time Of
the October election could not believe Il did not
altogether believethat the complaints Of the people
OF kansas were just-were true. No man could have
credited the ouirages which they asserted had been
perpetrated upon them. But, immediately after the
October election had transpired; when the minority
which bad bad entire control OF the Government from
its inception that the power was about 10 depart
from them | was nstounded--my evps were or,encd