The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-03-11

pie for their ratification or rejection,
and which was duly ratified by
large majority Of all who thought
proper 10 vote, being, as We believe,
a majority Of all the voters then in
the Territory. Under that Constltu-
ton an election Of Governor and
Legislature was made, and officers
appointed, and an organization made,
for the purpose Of petitioning Con-
gress for admission to the Union; and
q memorial was made and presented
to Congress, with said Constitution,
for that purpose That memorial or
petition for the admission of Kansas
as State, under the Topeka Con
stitution, formed as before stated,
and 80 presented to Congress, though
agreed to by the House Of Repre-
sentativcs, was rejected by the Sem
ate. The investigation, the evidence
and the facts as to the invasion and
subiugation Of Kansas at the March
election Of 1855, as presented by the
Committee of the House Of Repre-
scntatives, appointedfor such investi.
cations, fully discloses its enormity
and outrage as before stated, and
shows that the invasion extended to
every election district but one: yet
the Senate entirely refrained fro
investigation, and all redress for that
people failed. No provision was
made Ia correct the Wrong aud they
were left TO suffer under the oppres-
sion Of the tyrannical laws and usurp-
ed power Of the interruptions mi
nority which force and fraud had
there installed in official position,
with the power and army Of the
United States pledged to sustain
them. Thus ended the session of
Congress in the Summer of 1856. In
that Summer, this usurpcd power in
Kansas was exercised over the peo-
pie there in the same spirit in which
it originated; and, as manifested in
the laws before mentioned, to drive
the Free-State people from the Ter
ritory, and prevent their emigration
thereto. Aided by the people in
Missouri, who had first subjugatcd
the Territory, and by others like
minded under pretended color Of the
laws 50 made freedom Of speech was
crushed, printing-prcsscs were des-
troycd, and pilagc, conhagration
and murder spread over the land
Every attempt at self-thfense by the
Free-State people was pronounced
constructive treason" and large num-
bers were long imprisoned and guard
ed by United States troops therefor
Many of the people iwsrc compelled
to flee, and the Missouri River, the
usual means of access to the Terri
tory, wos blockaded, and emigrants
prevented from proceeding. Thus
closed the gloomy Autumn Of 1856,
and during the succeeding Winter a
large part of the people were depcn-
dent for their necessary supplies up
on the charitable contributions ofthe
people of distant States. In October
1885, q Territorial election for mem
beers of the House of Representatives
occurred, but the oppression Of the
tyramical statutes of test oaths and
gag laws continuing entirely exclud-
ed the Free-State people, prosecuted,
scattered, and imprisoned as they
were, from any participation therein,
and so the usurpation continued
The people who had formed the To-
peka Constitution for presentation to
Congress, and which they presented
TO Congress, not despairing of the
justice Of their country, and still
hoping that Congress might accept
it, continued from time To time their
provisional organization under the
same, in order again to present the
same; and the same has again been
submitted to the people for ratifca-
ton, and all invited to participate
therein. and the same was again
ratified by the majority of all who
thought proper to vote in August.
1851 But no government under the
same has ever, in any respect, been
attempted to be put in operation. nor
the same in any manner been as
serted against the existing officers
Of the United States of its laws, in
GLIDING that establishing Kansas
Territory. 1t was and ever has been
preliminary and provisional, subject
10 the action of Congress. Ii is in
deed true that large part, and pro-
badly a large majority, Of that peo-
pie were attached to that Constitu-
tion which they have repeatedly re-
qucstsd Congress to accept; but that
they have ever attempted, in any act
or spirit Of rebellion iorcibly to put
in operation government under it.