Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1858-01-05

upon that issue by voting Tor the Consu-
tuUtOp to which they are opposed; and they
regard this as but mockery Of the elect
I've franchise and perilous sporting with
the sacred rights Of the people--some op-
pose il because the Constitution distinctly
recognizes and adopts the Oxford fraud
ia apporiioning Legislative membtEs Zoe
johnson County upon the fraudulent and
fictitions returns, 20 falsely called, from
! that precinct, which. recognition of that
fraud in the Constitution Is abhorrent to
= the moral sense Of the people. Others OPP
I, pose it because, altaough In other cases
in Presidents of Conventions have been
aRthorized to issue writs of election to the
regular Territorial or State officers with the
usual Judges and with the established pre-
. cincts and on the adjudication Of the re-
/, turns, in this case unprecedented and vice
regal powers are given TO the President Of
The Convention to make the precincts, the
Judges, and to decide finally upon the re-
turns. From the giant Of these unusual
3 and enormous powers, and from other rea-
sons connected with the returns Of Oxford
and McGee, an overwhelming majority OF
Kansas have no faith in the validity Of
these returns, and therefore Will not vote
Indeed, disguise it as we may to ourselves,
under the influence Of the present excite
.Inent, the facts will demonstrate that any
attempt by Congress 10 force this ConstiT
tuition upon the people of Kansas will be
AN effort to substitute the will OF small
minority for that of an overwhelming ma
iority Of the people of Kansas; that il will
not settle the Kansas question, or localize
the issue: that it will, I fear, be attended
by civil war, extending, perhaps. through
out the Union, thus bringing this question
back again upon Congress and before the
people to its most dangerous and alarming
aspect. The President takes different
view of the subject in. his Message, and
,, from the events occurring in Kansas as
well as here, it is evident that the question
is passing from theorie, into practice. and
+. that as Governor of Kansas / should be
: compelled To carry out new instructions
differing on vital question from those re-
ceived At the date of my appointment
Such instruction ] could not execute con-
, sistently with. my views of the Federal
Constitution and of the Kansas and Ne
, braska bill. or with my pledges to the
people of Kansas. Under these circum-
, stances. no alternative is left but to resign
Kansas. No one can more deeply regret
than myself the necessity, but it arises
from no change of opinion on my part
, On the contrary, should most cheerfully
have returned to Kansas to carry out my
original instructions, and thus preserve
the peace Of the Territory. and finally set
tie the Kansas question by redeeming my
pledges to the people. IL is not my in
t.ntion at this time to discuss the peculiar
circumstances and unexpected events
which have modified the opinions Of the
President upon point so vital AS the sub
mission of the Constitution for ratification
or,reiection by the vote OF the people
much less do desire any controversy with
the President on this subject. Yet, how
ever widely my views may differ from
those entertained by him on this question
views which have held all my life, and
which, as involving fundamental principles
of public liberty and of the Constitution,
are unchangeable-yet, as regards all
those great measures which trust will
constitute the policy ofhis Administration in
other respects, it will give me pleasure, as
private citizen, to yield my cordial sup
port. / have said that the Slavery ques,
ton, AS practical issue, had disappeared
from Kansa long before my arrival there,
and the question Of self-government had
!. been substituted in, its place. On some
future occasion shall dissipate the delu
sion which has prevailed upon this subject
and show that after three years expert
ulent. when arrived in Kansas there wert
less than 800 slaves there, and the mum
Der constantly diminishing, that, as proved
Vi by the official records Of Congress pub
lished and authenticated by those distin
~" "Ekuished Southern Statesmen, John G. Cal
'6oun and Jeffe rsoh Davis, the winter
p clin,at. even Of Eastern Kansas is colder
p than that Of New Rngfahd, and that thu
:. : Pro Slavery Territorial Convention o
's Kansas consolidated with the Pro-Slavery
Territorial Legislature on the 4th Of Jan
" uary, 1857, nearly FIVE months before my
arrival there, did abandon the Slavery issue
because, as set forth by one of their mum
Der, the Pro- Slavery party was in small
and admitted minory, and the cooperation
of the Free-State Democrats was invited
, As the only hope of success-not to mak'
Kansas Slave State, which was conceded
TO be impo sible, but to make it conserva
tive Democratic Free State. Even as lat
as the Sd Of July, 857, when the Demo
ini cratic Territorial Convention assembled
ct Lecompton, in consequences OF the law
Of the climate and the ell-known will o
III the people, none confended that SLAYER,
" could lie established there; nor was it unit
my Southern opponents interfered in tn
affairs of Kansas, and by denunciation
menace and otherwise, aided at a critica
period by several Federal ofice-holders Q
Kansas, including the Surveyor-General
> and the President of the Convention wit
his immense patronage, embracing man
Hundred employees, interviewed, and, as
l,eli.ve, without The knowledge or appro
baton of the President Of the Unite
States, produced the extraordinary pape
called the Lecompton Constitution. Ye