Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-02-05
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES


moval. nor any opportunity for explanation
or defence, have deemed il necessary to pre-
sent to the People of the United States brief
statement of facts in vindication of nv mo-
tives, and in explanation of the result of
the act for which have been condemned
The office in question was not given at my
solicitation. My acceptance of it. under all
the circumstances, was proof of strong
friendship for the President, and of unbound
ed confidence in the irmness and faithfulness
with which he would adhere to the line of pol
icy deliberately agreed upon between him. his
whole Cabinet, and Gov. Walker
On my arrival in the Territory in April last
in advance of Gov. Walker, confess that
had an imperfect knowledge of the real con-
dition OF affairs. L supposed the question of
slavery to be the only cause of dissension and
difficulty among the people; and, in my brief
inaugural address of the 18th April, l treated
this as the chief subject of difference upon
which submission to the people would be
likely to be demanded. | soon found howev-
er, that this view was altogether too limited,
and did not reach the true ground Of contro-
yersy. The great mass of the inhabitants of
the Territory were dissatisfied with the local
government, and earnestly denied the validi-
ty of the existing laws. Asserting that the
previous Legislatures had been forced upon
them by the fraud and violence of a neighbor-
ing people, they proclaimed their determination
never TO submit to the enactments of iegisla-
tive bodies thus believed to be Legitimate and
not entitled TO obedience.
This was the condition of things when Gov.
Walker came to the Territory i'll the latter
part of May. 1t was evident that the just OIL
icy of permitting the people to regulate their
own affairs could not be successfully carried
out, unless they could be inspired with conf
denee in the agents of the Government through
whom this result was to be effected. If
mere minority of the people had been thus
dissatisfied and contumacious, they might
possibly have been pronounced factious and
treated as disturbers of the peace; but when
the dissatisfaction was general, comprising al
most the whole people, a more respectful consid-
Grafton was Indispensable to Il peaceable
adjustment. 1t was evident that the pol
icy of repression--a rigid attempt to en-
force submission without an effort at con-
ciliadon-would inevitably resllltin a re-
newal of the civil war. With commend
able anxiety TO avoid this contingency, Gov.
Walker resolved to go among the people, TO
listen to their complaints, to give them assu-
rance of fair ard just administration of the
Territorial Government, and to induce them,
if possible. to abandon their hostility and to
enter upon the peaceful but decisive struggle
OF the ballot-boX. ] was often with the Gov
ernor when he addressed the people, and gave
my best efforts IN aid of the great purpose of
Cancellation.
1t was too late to induce the people to 90
into the June election for delegates to the
Convention. The registration required by
law had been imperfect in all the counties,
and had been wholly omitted in One-half of
them; nor could the people Of these disfran-
CHS, d counties vote III any adjacent county, as
has been falsely suggestcd.-In such of them
as subsequently, took II census or registry of
their own, the delegates chosen were not adj |
mitted to seats in the Convention. Never |
theess, it is not to he denied that the great
central fact, which controlled the whole case, |
was the utter want of confidence Icy the peo-
Pile in the whole machinery of the Territorial |
Government. They alleged that the local |
officers, in all instances, were INSCRIPTIONS |
partisans, who had previously deiraudod them |
i'll the elections, and who were ready To repeat |
the same Outrages again, that, even if intrud- |
ers from abroad should not be permitted to |
overpower Them they would be cheated by |
false returns, which it would not be possible |
for the Governor and Secretary to defeat. AL |
though at that time these apprehensions seem |
ed to me to be preposterous and untounded, it |
was impossible To deny the eaTnestness and |
sincerity with which they were urged, or |
to doubt that they were the result of deep |
having their origin in some pre-
yiOus experience Of that nature.
The worst portion of the small minority in |
organization, loudly and bitterly complained |
of Gov, Walkers policy of Cancellation, and |
demanded the opposite policy of repression. |
And when under the solemn assurances Civ |
en- that the elections should he fairly conduct |
ed, and frauds which we cO1ld reach be |
counteuanced or tolerated, it had become APP |
parent that the mass of the people were pre-
pared and determined to participate ia the |
October elections. the minority endeavored to |
defeat the result 10y reyiying the tax qualili- |
cation for electors, which had been repealed |
by the previous Legislature. Opinions |
We're obtained from high legal sources, the |
effect of which, had they prevailed, would |
have been to exclude the mass of the people |
from voting, to retain the control i'll the hands |
of the minority, and as Il consequence to |
keep up agitation and to render civil war i'll !
evitable-But the intrepid resolution OF Gov. !
Walker, i'll spite OF fierce opposition and de- |
far aud near, carried him |
through this dangerous crisis, and he had the |
proud satisfaction of having achieved a peace |
ful triumph, by inducing the people To submit |
to the arbltrament Of the ballot box.
But the minority were determined not to
submit to defeat: The populous county of
Douglas had been attached To the border coun- |
ty OF Johnson, with II large and controlling |
in the Legislature. The cele-
brat'd Oxford fraud was perpetrated with |
view To obtain majorities III both Houses of
the Assembly. When these returns were re-
ceivcd ut my Office. in Gov Walkers absence, |
/ had fully determined not to give certificates |
based upon them. II they had been so form |
al and correct "a To have made ii my duty 10 |
certify them, would have resigned my Office |
in order 10 testify my sense of the enormlty !
of the wrong. Gov. Walker, ut Leavenworth. |
had formed the same resolution, as he stated |
to me and to several others, and we were both |
gratified that we found the papers so imperfect |
ne to make il our duty 10 reject them |
Great excitement followed in the Territory |
The minority thus righteously defeated in the |
efforts 10 prolong their power, became fierce |
in opposition and resOrted TO every means of
But am led To believe that |
they found their most eiiectual means OF
operation by undermining us with the Adj |
at Washington.
The Constitutional Convention, which had |
adjourned over until after the October eloc-
tom met again IN Lecompton TO resume its |
laborS. Many Of the members of that body |
were bitterly hostile to the Governor and See |
rotary, ON account of their rejection Of the Ok |
ford and McGce frauds. in which some of the |
members and officers of the Convention had u /
direct participation In fact, this body, with /
some honorable exceptions, well represented |
the minority party in the Territory, and were /
well imbued with the same spirit and designs. |
Ii was obviously not their desire To secure TO |
the real people Of Kansas the control Of their
own affairs. In the constitution soon after |
wards adopted they cnd,1ivor,d to superscde /
the Legislature which had been elected by the
people, by providing, ia the second section Of |
the schedule, that !" all laws now Of force in
the Territory shall continue to be of force I'M
Ill altered, nmendJd, or repealed hy Legisla-
turc under the provisions OF tins coastitu-
ton"
They provided still more eiicctually, n they /
for the perpetuation OF their minori-
ty government, by adopting the Oxford fraud
as the basis of their apportionment, giving
great prvponderance OF representation Ia the
counties ON the Missouri border. aud aliordng
at the same time, every possible facility fur
the Introduction of NDurtous xoiss The pr,.si- |