Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1858-03-02
gis'e'f Observation-Disclosures Union, isth.
Gsemerna CnIliO un 's Statement, Ia

| SIR: L have already communicated 70
THE Committee on Tcfrtoties in the Senate
Ia fttlf statement of facts connected with
the application of Kansas FOR admission
into the Union as q, State. l need,
not repeat those facts in this paper,
as they will doubtless reach tlie public in
IA few days. tu Itlis' with reluctance tiIat T
refer to matters pertaining sspely. TO the
! local politics of the Territory, III whichi'f
I live, and with which to some exteut,. II
have been connected; but the various and
conFadctoFy statements that have been
made sbEaupscrnpiioys, and Irresponsible
| letter writers to the public press, touching
the discharge of my Official duties as Pfcsi7i
dent Of the Constitutional Convention,
make the duty imperative. laa' -9E'lI
4 Excitement, conflict, and great confusion
must necessarily attend the organization
ofgovernment for a, community brought
together from all parts qf the world, and
lactuated by different objects, motives.
and .prejudioes.m No Territory ever or
fganized in the United States has suffered
more from causes Of this character than
Kansas. The conflict about the shaping
of our Institutions, so constantly directed
by persons and parties outside Of the Ter
ritory, has,i forced within its limits class
| Of population from every portion of the
Union, most dissimilar in character and
with the strongest predisposition to COLI
sion. That disorder and confusion, the
violation of individual and public rights
and duties, should result from such causes,
tmay be deplored, but could not be pre-
vented, Good men have sought the peace
1 full remedy TO these controversies in the
| ballot-box. Bad men have been gov
crned by no scruples as to public Or pri
pato action. So .'aI. -.. t...
i In the; periodical addresses put fN.h by
the law-and- order, or Democratic party of
Kansas, every foreign influence has been
repudiaed, and every effort made to pro,
Icure for,Kansas the quiet, peaceful settle
sment of all questions of publicly policy by
the fair and honest expression Of the pop
ular will. To the fullest extent these re-
commendations have not probably pre-
uailed with their own.party friends, who,
in opposition to a party knowing and re-
rspecting no law, may have been driven to
the extremity of wrong and tl}e violation of
public ri ght and duty. But it is not my
object to go into a full Examination of
this subject. My objectn5w is to place
myself right before the public on the sub
i Iject of the election returns. for, members
tof the Legislature, in Leays ysmwortl, eopptys
1the Statements in ieferefee to which have
been so conflicting and contradictory.
lsl On the 18th of January, the day before
j l opened the returns of tie Kansas cleo
4 Etions for and under the eohstitution, / was
called upon by several gentlemen from
! Lawrence, headed by Doctor or Governor
Robinson, and asked if L would, be gov
ernedI in determining the result of the
election in Leavenwonh county, by the
\ sworn stateme mt of one of the Judges Of
election at the precinct known as the
Delaware Crossing."ti Igreplied, no.
| ThatI could not, and would not ssa be-
tLhind the election. returns. 1t T, WAS then
! stated that the question was aslto the le7
| gality of returns; and fraud waS charged,
on what information did not le39en, upon
the ground. that the returns. sent to me
were not the true returns as approved and
'Fsirned by the Judges Of election To give
the full opportunity of submitting testi-
. mony rs TO the.legality of the re arms, |
told the gentlemen that, as the Legislature
would have no duties to perform. until
after the decision Of the question of adj
/ missions there could be no necessity for
the immediate issuance Of certificates of
election in that or any other case, ard
that the difficulty which they suggested
could, in the meantime, be fully inyest;-
gated. D 80, ,--..,.
This statement made the next day in
the presence of the gentlemen who were
present at the opening of the returns. |
also authorized Gov. Denver to state that
Iifthe Judges of election would furnish me,
Iunder oath, statement that the return
made was false and fraudulent, would
treat such statement as correctlyreturhed,
and governed by it in giving certificates Of
election l knew nothing of the Delaware
Crossing returns, only that public rumor
had given the Democratic party a majority
at that precinct of some three or four
hundred. q L supposed the returns from
that precinct were in my Office and was
undeceived only when all the returns were
mot found. Thse returns were of great
Importance, as they determined not only
the political complexion Of Leavenworth
county, but of both branches of theaLegis
Ilature. As they stood at the opening of
the returns, without the Delaware Cros-
sing vote, the Republicans had major
Iity in Leavenwo rth county, and, conse-
quently. majority of both branches in
the Legislature. s5..,.....l s.iI,. u
In order to ascertain the truh, | sent
messenger to the precinct to the judges of
election and learn the facts as to the.
charge of fraud in the return. In the
meantime, the. sealed returns from that
precinct were put into my hands by Mr..
Diefendorf, one of the commissioners for
ILeavenworth, county, and on the same
day, the messenger returned from Della
ware Crossing precinct. .,I4receiyed the
! returns. and the messengers report at
i Weston, Missouri, on the 9lst day Of
Janumy. The messenger. brought to- me
the following sworn, Statements of the
Judges and. clerks of the precinct. inrques-