The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-02-11

vailed. would have b,cn to exclude the mass
OF the people from voting. Ia retain the con
trol In the hands Of the minority and as n
consequence TO keep up agitation aud to
render civil war inevitable. But thu intrepid
resolution Of Gov. Walker, in spite ii her~'
opposition and dcnuucia,iou far and near,
carried him through his dangerous crisis,
and he had the proud satisfaction OF having
achieved peaceful triumph, by inducing the
| people 10 submit 10 the urbitramcnt OF the
/ ballot box.
But the minority wcrc determined not 10
submit 10 defeat. The popuous county Of
Douglas hal been attached TO the border
! county of johnson, with n large and con-
| trolling representation In the legislature. ---
Tho celebrated Oxford fraud was porpeirs-
tcd with view To obtain majoriies in both
Houses OF Assembly, When these returns
were received at my Office, IN tioy. Walkers
absence, had fully determinel not 10 give
certificates based upon them. II ,hoy had
been 80 formal and cOrr,ct M 10 have n,ade
/, my duty 10 certify them, ! would have re-
| signed my Office In order 10 testify my sense
Of the cnormi,y Of tho wrong. Gov, Walk.
or, at leavenworth. had formed the same
resolution as he stated 20 me and to several
others, and WI were both gratiilod that We
found the papers no imperfect rs Ia make il
our duty TO reject them. Great excitement
followed 10 the Territory. Tho minority
thus rightcously defeated In the effort 10
prolong their power, became fierce IN oppo
siiion. and rcsorted TO every means Of intim.
idation. But am led 10 believe that they
found their most eilcctual means Of opera
ton by undermining us with the Admins
tration at Washington.
The constitutional Convention, which had
adjourned over until after the October elec-
ton, met again In lecompton TO resume It's
labow. Many Of the members of that body
were bitterly hostile 10 the Governor aud
| Secretary, on account oi their rejection Of
the Oxford and Mctle frauds, 10 which
somc of tho members and officers II the Con
vention lad direct participation. Ia fact,
this body, with somc honorable exceptions,
well represented the minority party In the
Territory. and were fully imbued with the
sumo spirit and designs. II was obviously
not their desire 10 secure thl real people of
Kansas the control Of their own affairs. In
the Constitution soon afterwards adopted
they endeavored 10 supcrsede the 1cgisla-
turc which had been elected by the people
by providing, IN the second section Of the
schedule, that "aIl laws now of force in this
Territory shall continue 70 b. of force until
altered, amended, or repealed by u LcgislA.
ture under the PROVISIONS of this Constitu.
ton" They provided still more cifcctually,
| Sl.. ,upVT..I I.S tu tss, s.r
their minority government. by adopting the
Oxford fraud ~ tho basis Of their apportion-
mcnt, giving great prcpondcrance Of rep.
rcentation TO the counties IN the Missouri
| border, and afiordiDg, nj thc same time, eve.
| ~ possible facility for the introduction Of
spurious vote-. The President Of the Con.
ycntios was clothed with unlimited power IN
conducting the elections and receiving the
returns. while the officer arr not required TO
take tbe usual oath 10 acure fair and honest
dealing. The elections were hurried on in
atb Of January when cmigrants would
come only from the immediate borders. up-
der the qualification which invited TO ,hc
ballot box every white inhabitant "iD thc
Territory on that day" The same men
who did this had previously denounced Gov-
ern0r Walker for the suggestion in his nau.
gural address. and 10 biz Topka speech, that
the Constitution should b. submitted b. all
the bona Gdc inhabitants, al lhough b. inya
riably stated. when asked Tor explanation.
that some reasonable length Of r~idepcr
ought ~ b. required ~ evidence II tbe bona
iiec character of inI'abitahcy.
II was apparent that all tho machinery
had been srtialIy prepared for the repetition
" gross frauds, similar 10 those which had
been attempted ia October and il was 10
view Of all these iscts after the nj oarnmen,
Of the Convention, that the people u the
Territory. by an almost unanimous demand
called upon me, M the scting Governor, To
convene az extra session N the Legislature
IN order TO enable them peaceably 10 protect
Themselves against the wrongs evidently
contemplated by the adoption Of the Con
stitu,ion. There wss no law 10 punish
frauds 10 election returns. The poople wen,
intensely excited and II wa The opinion OF
the coolest men in the Territory that, with
out call of the legislature, The dIec'ions
under the Constitution could not have taken
place without collision and bloodsbed. The
meeting Of the legislature diverted the at.
tention Of the people from the scbems Of
violence upon which they we're broodlng,
spbstitued the excitement NJ debate and IN.
yestiyation for that 0f fierce and warliks
hatred, ard enabled their representatives 10
devise means for oounteracting the wrongs
which they justly apprebeDded.
I.ecen. events have shown that their ap-
prelspsiOns were well founded. Knormoas
fraud, have bon Perptra,od at the pre-
cincts of Oxford. Shawnee and Kickapoo
ard il may we'l bc believed ,ha, this result
wa, actually deSignod by the ar,lul leaders
Who devisei the plan and framework Of the