White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1858-02-18

] imperfect as to make 1t our duty TO REJECT
them. Great excitement followed in the
Territory. The minority, thus righteously
defeated in the effort to prolong their
rover, became fierce in opposition and
resorted to every means of intimidation.
I Bat / am led to believe that they found
their most effectual means Of operation
BY undermining us with the Administra-
ton at Washington.
The Constitutional Convention. which
had adjourned over until after the Octo-
Der election, met again in Lecompton to
/ resume its labors. Many ofthe members
of that body were bitterly hostile to the
Governor and Secretary. on account OF
their rejection of the Oxford anil McGee
frauds, in which some of the members
and officers of the Convention had a
direct participation. In fact. this body,
with some honorable exceptions, well
represented the minority party in the
Territory, and were fully imbued with
the same spirit and designs. 1t was OBJ
viously not their desire to secure to the
real people of Kansas the control of their
own affairs. In the constitution soon
afterwards adopted they endeavored to
supersede the Legislature which had been
elected by the people, by providing, in
the second section of the schedule, that
call laws now of force in the Territory
shall continue to be of force until altered,
amended, or repealed by a Legislat re
under the provisions of this constitution.
They provided still more effectually, as
they supposed, for the Perpetuation Of
their minority government, by adopting
the Oxford fraud as the basis of their
apportionment, giving great preponder-
ance of representation to the counties on
the Missouri border, and affording. at the
same time, every possible facility for the
/ introduction of spurious votes. The
Presiden. of the Convention was clothed
with unlimited power in conducting the
elections and receiving the returns, while
the officers are not required to take the
usual oath to secure fair and honest deal
ing. The elections were hurried on in
midwinter-the 2lst Of December and
the 4th. Of January-when emigrants
could come only from the immediate
borders. under the qualification which
/ invited to the ballot box every white male
inhabitant "in tie Territory on HGtday."
The came men who did this had previous
" denounced Governor Walker for the
suggestion in his inaugural address, and
in his Topeka speech. that the constitu-
ton should be submitted to all the bona
fde inhabitants. although he invariably
stated, when asked for explanation, that
some reasonable length ofresilence ought
to be required as evidence of the bona
fde character Of inhabitancy.
twas apparent that all the machinery
had been artfully prepared for a repeti-
ton of gross frauds, similar to those
which had been attempted in October;
and it was in view ofalI these facts, after
the adjournment Of the convention, that
the people of the Territory. by an almost
unanimous demand, called upon re, as
the acting Governor, to convene an extra
session of the Legislature, in order to
enable them peaceably to protect them
selves against the wrongs evidently con-
templated by the adoption Of this con-
stitution. There was no law to punish
frauds in election returns The people
were intensely excited; and it was the
opinion ofthe coolest heads in the Terri
tory, that, without a call Of the Legisla-
ture, the elections under the constitution
could not have taken place without COL
lision and bloodshed. The meeting Of
the Legislature diverted the attention of
( the people from the schemes Of violence
upon which they were brooding, substi-
tuted the excitement Of debate and mves-
tigation for that of fierce and warlike
hatred, and enabled their representatives
to devise means for counteracting the
wrongs which they justly appTehended.
Recent events have shown that their
apprehensisns were well founded Enor-
nous frauds have been perpetrated at the
precincts Of Oxford, Shawnee and Kick
apoo; and it may well be believed that
this result was actually designed by the
artfnl leaders who devised the plan and
framework ofthe Lecompton constitution.
II have lately been at Shawnee, and /
have seen and conversed with persons
who were at Oxford on the day Of cleo
ton. The frauds comm tilted are motor
ious; and though dishonest persons may
deny them, and may fill the channels Of
public information with shameless repre-
sensations to the contrary. they can be
easily established beyond all controversy.
1t was to enable the people to shield
! themselves from these frauds, and to give
legal expression to their hatred and re-
lection of the instrument which permitted
them. and was to be carried by them,
that called the Legislature together.
In my Judgment the people had fair
claim to be heard on this subject through
their Legislature The organic act con
fided to me the discretion of converting
that body in extra session. The Presi-
dent Of the United States had no rightful
authority to exercise that discretion for
me- He had the power of removal, and
such control as that power gives him
But l would cheerfully have submitted to
removal and consequent loss of favor
with the President. rather than occupy
the position Of Governor and refuse to
the people an opportunity to assert their
most essential rights, and to protect them
selves against the basest frauds and
wrongs ever attemptedSpon an outraged
community.
Not having been informed of the