The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-02-06
Tho Knnsaa Frauds.


be- entered che territory, Doc found the people
determined not 10 submit 10 the previous
Legislature, which, they asserted, had been
forced upon them by tln fraud aud violence
ola ueighboring people, lfthis dissatlsiac'
ton, Dc says hHi not hurH general a's@''H ne
people, Il might possibly have been treated
40 o factious disturbance Of the peace, bat
under the circumstance, it would have result
ed In renewal uf civil war With ooHsidera-
Die difficulty they succeeded iu convincing
the people that they should have iair
eIecl.on,and they submitted % the wbIlament
of thp ballotbo1, and triumphed,
Nh stanton then goes on 90 say thai the
minority, determined not 10 be defeated
resorlod to frauds, the resuIt Of which was
that
Great excitement followed In the Territory
The minority, thus rRhleOuhly defeated Ia
the effort 10 pruloug their power became
fierce iu opposition and resoUtcd a. every
means Of intimidation, Bat ! am led o. be-
lioye that they found their most eiiectupl
means Of operation by undermining NJ viii
the Administration ~ Warrington,
Mr., Stanton continues as follows
"rhc Constitutional Convention which
bad adjourned over until after the October
election, met again 4u Lrrnmpluu 10 resume
its AhuTs. Many OF the mcmhria OF that
body were bitterly hostile 10 the Governor
and Secretary, ON account Of their rejection
Of the Oxlofd aud Niece frauds, IN which
some Of the members aud officers had direct
participation, In fact, this body, with some
honorable exceptions, we'll represented the
minority party ia the Territory, and were
fully imhued with the same spirit and designs,
II was obviously not their desire 10 secure 20
the real people Of Kansas the control otthcir
own Affairs, lu the constitution elpu after
wards adopted thee cudcayorcd 90 supcrscdo
the Legislature which hid been elected hy
the people, hy providing, 10 the second section
Of tho schedule, that al laws now Ot force ln
tire i-rrttors -A-tti continue ~ hr ot turrr
until altered, amended, or repealed, by %
Legislature under the provisions Of ths Cuu-
sCtutiou,' They provided till more clicctualIy
as they supposed, for the prrpvluulion OF
thcir minority government, by adopting the
Oxford fraud as the basis Of their uppor-
tionmcut giving great prcpondcrance Of
representation 10 the counties on the
Missouri border, and ahording ~ the same
time, every possible inclity for the introduce
ton Of spurious votes, The President Of
the Convention Was, clothed with unlimited
ing the returns, while the officers are not. re-
quirod 20 take the usual oath To- secure fails
and honest dealing. The elections we're hur-'
ned on IN mid -wiutor--thc 2lst of December
and the lih Of January when cmigtuuts
could come only from the immediate borders
under the qualifications which invited 10 the
balot-boN every white male inhabitant IN the
TERRITORY that day,' The same men who did
this had previously denounced Governor
Walker for the suggestion in his inaugural
address, and his Topeka speech, that the
constitution should be submitted to all the
boHa fir inhabitants, although he invariably
stated, when asked for explanation, that some
reasonable length of residence ought 10 be
required as evidence Of the boug Hdr chuiac-
trI uf iuhohitnucy
II was apparent th1, all the machinery had
been armlly prepared for "a repetition of
gross frauds, similar 10 those which hud been
attempted in October and il VIZ, in view ct
udl these facts, after the udjouumcht of the
t.s .s,tes, that the people - the Territory,
10y an almost unanimous demuud, called upon
me, as the acting Governor, TO convene an
extra session of the Legislature in order to
onnblc thcm pcuccably 70 protect themselves
against the wrongs evidently contemplated
10y the adoption of this constitution. There
was ITO law tu punish frautlS in direction r..
turns. The people were intensely excited
and it was the opinion of the coolest men in
the Territory That, without 4 cdii OF tiJr i.T
isluturc, tho elections under the constitution
could not have taken place without collision
and bloodshed. TN meeting of the l cgis-
luturo diverted the attention of the pcoplc
from the schemes of violence upon which
they were hrooding, substituted tic excite
mcnt Of debate and investigation for that Of
fierce and warlikc hatred, and enabled their
representatives To devise means for counter
acting the wrongs which they justly apprc-
hended.
Recent events have shown that their an
prchcnsious were well founded Enormous
frauds have been perpctruted al the precincts
of Oxford, Shawnee, and Kickapoo; and il
may we'll be believed that this result was
actually designed by the artful leaders who
devised the plan and framework Of the
LccQmnton constitution. | have lately been
at ShlWucc and have seen and convcrscd
with persons who were at Oxford on the dav
of election. The frauds committed are no.
torious and though dishonest persons may
deny them, and may fiji the channels of
public information with shameless rcprcser-
tatons to the contrary, they can be easily
established beyond all controversy.
1t was to enable the people to shield them
selves from these frauds and to give legal
expression to their hatred and rejection of
wv HlNNlHh'CHN NHl'l ltIullttcu tnen, and
was to be carried by them, that called the
Legislature together.
In my judgment the people had a fair claim
to be heard on this subject through their
Legislature. The organic act confded TO me
the discretion &f convening that body in am
cNtD session, The President of the United
States had no rightful authority To cxrrcis,
that discretion for me. lie had the power
OF removal, and such control as that power
gives him. But | would cheerGllly have
submitted to removal and consequent loss of
favor with the President rather thun occuny
the position of Governor and refuse to the
people an opportunity TO assert their most
essential rights, and to protect themselves
against the basest frauds and wrongs ever
attempted upon an outraged community.
Not having been informed of the grounds
Of my remoynl. | know them nnl, thrn,,.,h |