Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1858-02-11

, by the admission Of the State OF kansa
as one Of the sovereign States of the Uni
ted Stals, ths President Of this Conven
ton shall issue bis proclamation to conveu.
The State Legislature At the seat Of Gov
eminent within thirty one DAYS after pub
caliOn. ShoDll any vacancy occuf, b,
death, resignation, or otherwise, in the Leg
stature or other Office, he shall order ~
election 10 fill such vacancy: ProWded
ko5eter, in case Of refusal, absence. or dis
ability Of the President Of this Convention
10 discharge the duties herein irposed on
him, the President pro teupore Of thi
Convention shall perform said dudes; and
10 case Of absence, refusal, or disability o
the Presiden. pro tempore, a committee
consisting Of seven, or a majority Of them
shall discharge the duties required of the
President Of this Convention. I'LL Be.
fore this Constitution shall he sent to Con.
gress for admission into the Union as a
State, it shall be sumbilied to AL the white
male inhabitants Of this Territory, for sp.
proV-l or disapproyal, a. follows: The
President Of his Convention shall, By
proclamation, declare that on TIE 2lst day
Of December, 1857, at the different cleo
ton precincts now established by law. or
which may be established as herein provi.
ced, in The Territory Of Kansas, an elec-
ton shall be held, over which shall preside
three judges, or a majority of them. 10 be
appointed rs follows: The President Of this
Convention shall appoint three commission
ers in each county in the Territory, whose
duty it shall be to appoint three Judges Of
election in the several precincts Of their re-
spective counties and 10 establish precincts
for toting, and to c0use polls 10 be opened
at such places as they mag deem proper
IN their respective counties; at which eec-
ton the Constitution framed by this Con.
yention shall be submitted to all the white
male inhabitants of the Territory Of Kan
sas in the said Territory upon that day,
and over the age Of twenty.one years, fM
ratification or rejection, in the following
manner and form: The voting shall be
by ballot. The judges Of said election
shall cause to he kept two poll-books by
two clerks by them appointed. The bal.
lots cast at said election shall be endorsed,
Constitution with Slavery, or Constitution
with no Slavery One Of said poll books
shall be returned within eight DAYS to tie
President Of this Convention, and the 9TH
er shall be retained BY the judges Of elec.
tion, and kept open for inspection. The
President, with two or more members Of
this Convention, shall examine said poll.
books, and If it shall appear upon said ex-
animation that a majority Of the legal
votes cast at said election be in favor Of the
Constitution with Slavery, he shall imme-
datey have the same transmitted to the
Congress of the United States, as herein
before provided. But if, upon such exam.
ination of said poll-books, it shall appear
that a majority of the legal votes cast at
said election he in favor of the 'Coustitu-
ton with no Slavery then the article pro
yiding for Slavery shall be stricken from
this Constitution bv the President Of this
Convention, and slavery shall no longer
exist in the State eff Kansas, (exeept that
the right of property in slaves now ia this
Territory shall 10 no manner be interfered
with, and shall have transmitted the Con.
stitution so ratified 10 the Congress of the
United States, as hereinbefore provided
In case of the failure of the President Of
this Convention to perform the duties in
posed upon him in the foregoing section,
by reason of death, resignation, or other
wise, the same duties shall deyolve upon
the President pro tempore."
Can it be said that this is fair submis.
sion to the people whether they will have
a constitution with or without slavery -
/ do no more than call attention to the
extraordinary and uwfair provisiYn that
the president Of the Lecompton conven.
ton, Mr.. Calhoun, is to appoint three
commissioners in each county (which three
commissioners shall appoint three judges
of election in the several precincts of their
respective counties; and shall also establish
precincts for voting, and cause polls to be
opened at such places as they may deem
proper in their respective counties; the re-
suit of the election to be determinedby Mr..
Calhoun and two other members of the con.
vention. A marvelously fair provision for
an election,t to provide that one of fifty usur-
pers shall, by his agents, open the polls and
conduct the election in such manner and
at Such PLACES as he shall deem proper!
and, fnVIly, with two of his co-conspira-
tors, determine the result. A complete
device this for the successful re-enactment
of election frauds, without parallel save
in the recent elections in Kansas, held un-
der tie same bogus ws which sanction.
ed this convention. Still more clearly does
it appear that the question is not fairly re-
fered to the people, whether they will
have constitution with or without sIa-
very by the last clause Of the seventh Sec
tion, which is, that although the majority
shall vote Constitution with NO slavery"
"the right of property in slaves NOW in
the Territory shall in no manner be inter
fered with" And to make sure of this,
the ninth section Of the schedsle provides
"SEC. 8. AnY person offeriug to vote at
the aforesaid election upon said constitu-
ton shall, if challenged, take an oath to
support the Constitution of the United
States, and to support this constitution, if
adopted, under the penalties of perjury
under the territorial laws."
And to the same effect is the fourteenth
section, which provides:
"SEc. II. That after the year one thou
sand eight hundred and sixty-four, when.
ever the Legislature shall think it necessa-