The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-01-24
THE WASHINGTON UNION.
THE plsFRANcHlsED COUNTIES OF KANSAS


few days since we reverted to the first legal
step taken by the people of Kansas to prepare for
admission into the Union as State and published in
full the law submitting the question of convention
no convention to a vote of the people. That law
was fair and just and under it all persons citizens Of
the United States entitled to vote. This vote,
thus provided for was taken at the election in Oc-
tober, 1885, at the time members of the legislature
were chosen. There were two ways in which the
people had chance to express their wishes first,
by saying through the ballot-box, whether a con-
vention should be held, and their government alter
ed and, secondly by electing members of the leg
isature, upon whom devolved the duty to call the
convention in the event that majority of the people
desired it. No way could be devised better calcua-
ted to ascertain clearly the will of the people of Kan
sas this matter 81
We aude to this iniiiatory step thus briefly, in
order to place in it's proper connexion the annexed
narrative of those subsequently taken to execute the
law providing for the election of delegates to the
convention. This narrative find in communities
ton recently published in the st. Louis Republican,
and it is also complete reply to the fact dwelt
upon with so much emphasis by Ex-Governor Walker,
to nvaldate the action of the Lecompton convention
It's correctness is certified to by the several gentle
men whose appended thereto, and up to
this time it has not been controversial that we are
aware of, in any direction. aa as1
At the October election in 1856 majority Of fee thousand
votes were cast in favor Of convention and at the session
of the Kansas legislative assembly which met the
ond Monday of January last 1851 al necessary pro-
visions were made for that convention. law
passed taking for its basis the principles Of the celebrated
Toombs bill, which Senator Douglas helped to make and
for which he voted 1t provided for the registry of all
the legal voters of the Territory by the sheriff of each
county and his deputies The probate judges re-
qurcd to hold courts sessions in convenient parts of
the counties and add to the lists returned by the shers
any names accidentally wrongully omitted. 1t also
provided that in where there probate judge
or he would not act then the sheriff should and there
officer at all to perform the duties specified then
the people might petition the governor to appoint
one to carry out the law The governor says that eff
teen counties entirely DISTINGUISHED, ''and by
fault of their own" Let us In Franklin county,
of the 'odest organized Esquire Yocum probate
judge driven away by the abotionists as was also
Richard Goulding sheriff of said county each of these
officials threatened with death should they attempt
to perform the duties conferred upon them by the regis
try law. Under the circumstances, George Wilson,
judge of probate for Anderson county prevented
from executing the law So with Allen county Pass
Williams had to leave in order to his life j.
j. Barker, probate judge of Breckenridge, being free
counties represented the convention Why not represent
cd 1t was the fault of those who complain, and
ION their heads and theirs alone will rest the response
bility" b
1t is well to observe that of the nineteen counties
spoken of not represented the taken in
four for the stated the other fifteen werc for
civil purposes attached to organized counties follows
Two, Richardson and Weller, TO Shawnee
Three, Madison, Butler and Wise, to Breckinridge.
One, Coffee, to Anderson.
One, McGce, to Bourbon
Six Greenwood, Hunter, Dorm, Wilson, woodson, and
Gregory, to Allen. e# EER y
One Brown, to Doniphan.
One Davis, to Riley.
The counties of Brown, Washington Clay, and Dckn-
organized at the last session of the legislature
in the last-namcd three there were no inhabitants
The registry law executed and voters regis
tered in the following counties johnson, Lykins Lynn,
Bourbon, Douglas Shawnee, Doniphan Atchison Leav-
cnworth Jefferson, Ncmcha, Calhoun, Marshall, and
Riley.
will thus be seen that the only counties really dis
anchscd the four in which abolitionss would per
nit registry to be taken and it is established fact
that many actous people refused to tell their Names and
otherwise INSTRUCTED the officers giving fictitious
appcatons and others threatening the lives and prop
crty of census takers.
These officers political partisans, and they ere
fused neglected to take any make any regis
try, and therefore they entirely disfanchsed and
could not, and did not give single VOTE Why did
they not compel the officers to do their duty? 1t
possible but If not they could have petitioned the gov
cnor for redress the people of those counties could
not and did not vote it sfaut of their own, " and
their heads and theirs alone will rest the response
bility'
From first to last every opportunity has been given
for an expression of the will of majority and now il
the principles of minority alleged, to triumph
Kansas by the neglect factos opposition of the
called majority, on their heads, and theirs Alone will
the responsibility
H. CLAY PATE.
We concur in the foregoing
GEORGE W. McKowN, member of the Lecompton con-
yention
FRANCIS MARSHALL, democratic candidate for governor
WILLIAM @. MATTHIAS democratic candidate for lieutenant
governor t ts
J. H. DANYoRrH ex-member of the Lecompton convcn-
ton
BLAKE LITTLE member of the Lecompton convention.
WEsrroRT, January a. 1858.
APPORTIONING THE CLERKS AND MESSEN
bill introduced into the House of Representatives by
Hon r. Smith, Of Illinois, to apporton the clerks and
messengers in the several departments of the United
States in the city of Washington among the
several States and Territories and District of Columbia