The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-02-04

happen, the Free State men there would poe.
sess the Governmental power. But again
came another dispatch to member of the Cab.
met, stating positively that the Pro-Slavery
ticket had been elected, with the exception OF
the candidate for Congress, and that the Pro-
Slavery Party had carried the Legislature; and
the Public was again bewildered. But an
explanation came. The same correspondent
of the Times informs us that the additional re-
turns, which gave majority to the Free State
ticket, had been .forwarded by the judges Of
the election to Governor Denper, instead Of Mr..
Calhoun! Next follows a teegraphic dispatch
from St. Louis, dated January 25tb, announ-
cling that these returns had been rejected by Mr..
Calhoun, because they soers not .forsoarded to
him. This is the dispatch:
| st. Louis, January 25.-A gentleman, from
| Leavenworth on the Goth instant, arrived here
this evening. He reports having travelled from
| Weston to Bonneville with messenger and
bearer of dispatches from General Calhoun to
| the members of the Cabinet at Washington. The
| tenor of these dispatches, as derived from the
messenger, is, that General Calhoun had re-
jected those returns of election which were sent
| 20 Governor Denver, instead of him, on the
ground that they were not in accordance with
the schedule of the Lecompton Convention, and
are consequently null and void. This gives
the State officers to the Democrats, with also a
majority of one in Council of the two Houses.
6. Fact Sixth. TIE returns of the vote Of
the 4th January, on the Lecompton Constitu-
ton, in the election ordered by the Territorial
| Legislature, as officially stated, are
For the Constitution with Slavery 1873
For the Constitution without Slavery "a
Against the Constitution -lO226
Total vote l0,3SS
Subsequently, returns were received, carry
ing the adverse vote up to about ii, 900.
We wish our readers to keep these facts fully
in mind while reading the following remarks of
one of our contemporaries, who has generally
opposed the voting policy in Kansas:
"The Free State men of Kansas who declined
to take any part in the election for State off.
GERS under the Lecompton Constitution gave
two reasons for 80 refusing. One was, that it
would be of no use, since, as Calhoun had the
cooking of the returns, he would manage to
| figure out the necessary majority to give the
secondly that voting under the Lecompton
Constitution at all might be perverted into
recognition of it.
"Both these anticipations seem likely to be
fulfilled. Calhoun is on his way to Washington
with majority figured out BY himeelf Just suf.
6cieht to secure the Border Rufians the con-
troll of the Lecompton Government; and some
of the papers in the Border Ruffian interest are
already attempting to set off the added vote for
the two tickets of State officers, given on the
4th-- anainat tia unta ON that dau in nnnnsitian
Now, the official tables show that, despite all
frauds, and the rejection of the returns sent to
Governor Denver, instead of Mr.. Calhoun, Mr..
Parrot, the Free State candidate, was elected
to Congress; and that, despite all frauds, had
the 637 votes sent to Denver been sent to Cal.
houn, that officer would have been obliged to
declare the whole of the Free State ticket elected,
| and to issue certificates of election to the Free
State majorities in the Legislature. Any man
of common sense, then, must see, that had the
1000 who voted against the Constitution, all
voted for the Free State candidates, not even
Oxford, Shawnee, and Kickapoo, could have
defeated them. The triumph of the Free State
Party would have been overwhelming. Not,
then, upon the seven thousand men who voted.
but upon the sfour thousand who refused to
vote, rests the responsibility of defeat, ifindeed
Fraud has succeeded in effecting that object.
We insist that if the Free State men will only
unite in voting, their overwhelming numerical
superiority will be more than match for any
fraud that the minority will have the boldness
to venture upon.
AS to the other reason assigned for not vo-
ting-that the act might be perverted into a
recognition of the Lecompton Constitution.
let us ask, is there anything man can do
which will not be misrepresented and "per.
verted by an INSCRIPTIONS political adveraa-
ry? Earnest, practical Independent men will
not shape their course merely to avoid the GEN.
sures or escape the ISLANDERS of their enemies.
They will judge for themselves what their cause
requires and their principles justify. The Free
State men in Kansas had sufficiently demon
stra,ed their detestation of the Lecompton
Fraud and Constitution, but knowing, as we
know, the fixed purpose of the Administration
to force that instrument through Congress, and
Justly experimenting the result, they determined.
with a wise forecast, to be prepared for everv
emergency, by securing the whole State Gov,
eminent, which would spring into life on the
too.probable admission of Kansas under that
Constitution. If Kansas should become a
State, it would not be by their action. or by the
action of the People of Kansas, but by the act
of Congress. The Constitution itself would
then be the offspring of an act of Congress
for without it, it could have not even the form
of law. What, then, was the position of the
Free State voters? Force this Constitution
upon as, force Kansas as a State under it into
the Union, and you shall take nothing By that
outrage-we shall vote in time, take possession
of every branch of the Government that you
threaten us with, SO that when you have done
the deed, we may be to bafls your injus-
tice, put Free State member in your House,
Free State Senators in your Senate, abolish all
the socalled Laws that have cursed MS, and
provide instantly for a legitimate Constitution,
in place of the fraudulent one which your act
alone has invested with legal form.
This was the declared position of the Free State
voters, everywhere proclaimed, nowhere misun-
CO. 'tood. He who can find in il ..-~ction Or
recognition :. the Lecompton Fraud o. #. a.
spring, if sincere, is beyond the reach of aron.
ment if insincere, deserves none.