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

six thousand seven hundred voters, who voted
for the Lecompton Constituiial on the 2lst De-
eember, turned round and yoted against the Con-
stitution the 4th Of Januar,i or are there six
teen or seventeen thousand voters in those coun-
ties7 s -...,.r7
= Mr.. PARRoTT. would Jay to my friend
rom Kentucky, that am com ng to that point
tndoubtediy, there are not so many voters In the
registered counties. A commit sion appointed by
tne Legislature of Kansas, COMPOSED of most re-
liable men, have had this subj sct ,nnder investi-
CATION 1t appears from thei report, based on
the testimony Of the judges ami clerks of some of
the election precincts, that, the 5000 votes
ana upwards cast in Decemb, r, nearly one-half
were fraudulent. These frat iuient votes. too.
were discovered mainly at Il zee precincts. OF
the votes cast, or pretended % be cast, on the
2lst December, nearly one hal -3,0l2-were oh
tanned at the precincts of Ok. I'd, Shawnee. and
Kickapoo, in this proportion: Oxford 1886 ::
Shawnee, 72s; and Kickapoo 1917 A recent
census of these precincts SHOW the whole num-
ber OF white inhabitants in ford to oe forty-
seven; in Shawnee, one hume ed and in Kick
.apoo, not to exceed three BIT ,dred It is safe,
therefore, to say that, of the whole number of
votes cast, or pretended to bf cast, on the 2lst
december, not over two thousInd were polled by
| actual citizens of the Territe Y This will ac-
count for the apparent surplt., as to the regis
| tered vote.
may be allowed to say fstther, in this con-
nection, that the very valu; BILE labor Of the
commission to which ! have diverted discloses
the precise manner, in some stances in which
this vote was gotten up. 1t was forged. The
names Of those who commit the crime are in
the evidence. No candid m. who reads that
testimony can have doubt + # in his mind of
the INSCRIPTIONS character o. these elections.
What is said of the electiors,f the 2lst Decem-
Der is also applicable to the election of the 4th
January. By such fragrant fl Guds as these, the
impression was sought to be n tde upon the coun-
ny, that there was popular 81 port given to this
Constitution in the Territory,
Mr. PEYTON, (interrupting In the election
of State officers, how did it.iappen that they
polled only 1000 votes in se same counties
where they polled 5000 votes. against the Con-
stituton
Mr.. PARROTT. The gentI man is in error as
to the number of votes polled-for Stale officers.
1t was over six thousand, l bt Aeve-less by sew
eral thousand, certainly, thar. the vote against
the Constitution. That is ext aimed in this way
The regular Convention of TIL. Free State party
decided not to contest the ele ton. Some gen.
tlemen dissatisfied with this slicy, or the man
ner of the decision, or both, t TX the responsible
ity of putting ticket In the I'D. It was gen.
orally denomnated " the bolt, g ticket" men,
ton this fact to show that it ! d not secure the
united vote of the Anti-Lec mpton men, and
hence fell below the vote cast against the Con-
stituton on the same occasion,
have gone far enough into lis matter to show
that this Constitution, so far from having any
support among the people, is in fact abhorred
and repudiated by them. 1t branded with the
inenaceable badges of fraud in its inception,
progress, and consummation.
Now, l appeal to you, rep, sentativcs of the
people, to know whether, witt the evidences of
fraud standing thick upon it, on can give it the
sanction of your support F-you do you will
force the State into the Union gainst her wishes
and such Union, without hs mony or affection,
will breed immedicable distet pers in the body
polite.
You may pass this Constits- ion, but l respect
| fully submit that it is beyond even your power
| to make Government under-t.
1t is but repeating axio of our political
| theory, to say that there can )e no Government
without the consent of the people. Yes; you
may pass this Constitution, but the people who
| are thus perfdiously betrayed will ne, er allow
| 1T to stand between them and the inostimable
| rights which they have been taught to defend at
every sacrifice, not excepting that of life itself
| Can you expect that American citizens will
| tamely submit to such despotic measure?
"At one of the last councils which Charles
| held, a remarkable scene took place. The
question arose, how for the future toe colony
| should be governed. The general olinion of
| the Board was, that the whole power, legisa-
| tive as well as executive, should abide in the
Crown. Halifax took the opposite side, and
| argued with great energy against absolute
monarchy, and in favor of representative gov
eminent. 1t was vain, he said, to think that
| population sprung from the English stock, and
| animated by English feelings, would long bear
| to be deprived of English institutions. Life,
| he exclaimed, would not be worth having, in
| country where liberty and property we've at the
mercy of despotc master"
| Substantially, that question is reproduced here
to-day, after the lapse of two centuries, touching
| the government of q distant dependency of the
| United States-not now in the Cabinet of a tot
| tering king, but in the Council House of the
American people, long accustomed to vaunt
themselves the freest on the globe. Life, in
deed, l may say, with that eminent English
statesman, in this country, is not worth having
where liberty is at the mercy of one despotic
master, though that master be the President of
the United States. Where the voluntary princi-
pie of government ends, there should revolution
begin-not the right of revolution only for that
is inherent, but the exercise of that right. Such
a case may be made by the business before us,
presenting the alternative of revolution a SUBJ
mission to The inextinguishable shame which the
passage of this measure will entail upon us and
our children after US.
Better, far better, would it be- in my opinion,
that the sunny slopes of our magnificent Mediter-
ranean Tel ritory should be stricken with the
waste of the desert, or smoke with the blood of
our people, than that they should blossom, fric-
tify, and yield their increase to the hand of
vile labor, whether white or black. knowing
something of the great spirit of that people,
steeled as it has been to suffering by years of
patient fortitude, declare my confident convic-
ton, in this presence THAT they cannot be dra-
gooned into tame compliance with this great
wrong.
g Easier were il
To hiul the rooted mountain from its base,
Than force the yoke ofSavery
Deter mined to be free.n
Most wonderful of all is it that this measure
should be mistaken for one of peace. Peace
from injustice peace from oppression and fraud
peace from the destruction, in fact, of the great
principle of popular government, the enjoyment
of which c,u, alone render peace honorable or
even tolerable to an American, citizenl
So far froD, bringing peace, i submit that this
is measure of unrest. A Government is pro-
posed, of which coercion is to be the motive
power. COei cion is 1odr. What has the coercion
of years past accomplished? Not Government;
but a necessity only for further coercion or for
return to the right rule of law. / marvel much
to see the South illumined by the historic halo
of good deeds done in the name Of Freedom, rich
in the treasured fame of the pure and lofty men
she has freely given up to the cause of the Re-
public in all times of peril chershing not unfair
ly lofty conceptions Of honor, and zeal not ac-
customed to calculate in the cause of truth, now
moving forward in solid column, lowering her
crest and with sverted eyes joining battle for a
cause that has nothing of right and still less of
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