Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1858-04-14

TIL m already that it was mere empty
munmery 10 vote, for votes did no good
Cincinnati Directories and candle box
returns have been infinitely more potent
than the real votes Of the inhabitants OF
that Territory. What good would il do
for them 10 vo!e2 You had already u hi
than that there was purPose to be ac-
compiished, and, if votes would not an
swer, Cincinnati Directories, forged re-
turns, anything, would be resorted 10;
the thing would move on, majority or DC
majority. L..
Inc American people are supposed 10
be a shrewd people. They understand
pretty well Peter Funk auctions. Once
in while, a greenhorn gets taken in, but
the grea! mass of the people will not be
taken in by them. But the President of
he United States has set up and devised
schemes as shallow, as fraudulen,-yea,
as Infamous as that; and he slpposes the
people of the United States are going 10
be deffau led by such neferious means as
those. Sir, he will find they will not
work. They would not work in the
davs OF the Revolution, and much less
wilI-lhey work now.
TERRITORIAL ELECTION.
Well, sir, Legislature was elected
shortly after the delegates were elected
to frame q Constitution. You attempted
an outrageous fraud then, in order TO car.
ry tIie Legislature Your Oxford and
Delaware Crossing frauds were resoried
TO have The evidence of them all here.
Nobody doubts them. There is not a
man here who will rise and say that it is
not the truth that these frauds were open,
paIpable, notorious, and understood By
everybody. Governor Walker H. LveSti.a-
ted them, and said so. he even went up
into one Of the precincts where these
frauds were committed, and found that j,
was impossible such vote couli have
been cast there. He found the people
amazed that any such pretences should
be made; and he found that the names
were notorious, known all over The cOnn-
try, were on the voting lists, because they
did not seem 10 have great facility in in
venting names. They seized upon all
the great names cf the country, and
placed them upon their list. Governor
Walker took the returns of Johnson coun-
ty and others. He seemed 10 ponder over
that subject little; and am sorry tia!
he did. am amazed ;ha; any man, in
any section CT the country, the very mo-
nent that he found that such gross, iu-
suling fraud had been sought TO be palm
ed off upon the people, should hesitate an
instant 10 throw it into the fIce of the
scoundrels who had presented it, He
hesitated, and after he knew how il
was, he saw fit 10 place his rejec-
tion of the return on technicality,
rather Than on tire naked detormiiy-th the
want of votes. They had not certified
the fraud intechnical language. and there
fire he threw il out. should have thrown
it out for the substantial reason, and
thrown your iechnicsliiy 10 the dogs.
How was he met? 1t was said-I do
not know with what truth. it was in all
the papers-that the fortunes of The Gov
ernor aud Secretary declined, from the
moment they rejected these infamous
frauds. 1t changed the character Of the
Legislature. 1t gave vast majority in
that Legislature to the Republicans;
whereas, if these frauds were made ef- (
fec:ual, they would have made this Leg !
islaiure just like the one that preceded /
ii, 1t was great disappointment, and |
1t Is said that some sections OF the coun- /
try "howled" over it; and President Bu- |
chanan, as they began to howl, trembled .
at their howiing. and it resulted in the
dismission of those honest officers from /
their trust. Sir, future ages will be
amazed at the audacity of the Presiden;
who would make il matter of reproach
TO one of his officers that he had failed
TO give effect TO fraud which should
confne man to the penitentiary for life.
ACTION OF THE CONVENTION.
But, sir, the fraud was discovered; no.
body could gainsay ii; The Free State
Legislative ticket was triumphant; and
now what is TO be done? Your LecOmp-
ton Convention quailed and trembled un-
der that aspect of the case. They
went to drumming up their men, and
they hardly got quorum, because they
saw that the sePtre had departed from
this Judah, and it had got into the hands
Of honest men. Your Lecompionites did
not Ike TO brave public opinion, and en-
act this famous Lecompton Constitution.
believe they never did get a quorum
here. The fact is, thai every man who
had the least sense of decency or shame
about bim, never appeared in the Con
Tention at all; but minority appeared,
ard they conjured up CONSTITUTIONS (
We have it here, sir. We have it sent {
10 US for ratification By the President OF
The United States; and when he sent it,
ne was in full possession of these nefari-
ous facts. Instead Of sending it TO us, l
he should have trampied it under his !
heel as spurious thing. disgraceful 10 /
Ill who gave assent to 1t. They made '
heir Constitution, and they provided for {
submitting a part of il TO the people c
How? 1t is sometimes contended on S
his floor that it was understood when !
bis Convention met that they were to be t
clothed with plenary, sovereign, irrevo S
;able power, to make just such Gov a
,rRment for that people as they pleased; {
hat their doings, under no circumstan- :
les, were ever TO be submitted t. the (
'eople. There is plausibility in that. be- |
;ause you recollect that the act calling l
he Convention was vetoed by the Gov I
rnor because il did not contain clause {
admitting the Constitution to the people; S
'ut it was passed over the head Of your |
Governor by a two thirds vote of these I
'atriots. So it was premeditated malice. I
t was deliberated upon; and fraud was |
neditated by them. They knew very 1
veil they could not make q mistake Y