Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-02-10


OF Gov. Walkers policy of conciliation- and
demanded the opposite policy of repression.
And when, under the solemn assurance given
that the elections should be fairly conducted,
and no frauds, which we could reach, be coun-
tenanced or tolerated, it had become apparent
that the mass of the people were prepared and
determined to participate in the October elec-
tions, the minority endeavored to defeat the
result by reviying the tax qualification for e.
lectors, which had been repealed by the pre-
vious Legislature. Opinions were obtained
from high legal sources, the effect of which,
bad they prevailed, would have been to ex-
cfude the mass of the people from voting, to
retain the control in the hands of the minority,
and, as consequence, to keep up agitation
and to render civil war inevitable. But the
intrepid resolution of Gov. Walker, in spite
of fierce opposition and denunciation, far and
near, carried him through this dangerous cri-
sis, and he had the proud satisfaction of hav
ing achieved peaceful triumph, by inducing
the people to submit to the arbitrament of the
ballot box.
But the minority were determined not to
su bmt to defeat. The pcpulous county of
Douglas had been attached to the border coun-
ty of johnson. with large and controlling
representation in the Legislature. The cele-
brated Oxford fraud was perpetrated with
view to obtain majorities in both Houses of
the Assembly. When these returns were re-
ceived at my office, in Gov. Walkers absence,
based upon them. IF they had been so formal
and correct as to have made it my duty to GER
tify them. would have resigned my Office in
order to testify my sense of the enormity of
the wrong. Gov. Walker, at Leavenworth,
had formed the same resolution, as he stated
to me and several others, and we were both
gratified that we found the papers so imperfect
as to make it our duty to reject them. Great
excitement followed in the Territory. The
| minority, thus righteously defeated in the eff
fort to prolong their power, became fierce in
| opposition and rcsorted to every means of in
| :imidation. But am led TO believe that they
| found their most effectual means of operation
| by undermining with the Administration at
Washington.
The Constitutional Convention, which had
adjourned over until after the October election,
met again in Lecompton to resume its labors.
| Many OF the members of that body were bit
| terly hostile to the Governor and Secretary,
| on account of their rejection of the Oxford
! and McGee frauds. in which some OF the men,
| bers and officers of the Convention had di-
| rect participation. In fact, this body, with
| some honorable exceptions, well represented
| the minority party in tie Territory, and were
| fully imbued with the same spirit and designs.
| IL was obviously not their desire to secure to
| the real people of Kansas the control of their
| own affairs. In the Constitution soon after
wards adopted, they cndeavored to supercede
| the Legislature which had been elected by the
| people, by providing. in the second section of
| the schedule, that call laws of force in
| the Territory shall continue TO be of force un-
| til altered, amended, or repealed by Legisla-
| ture under the provisions of this Constitution"
! They provided still more effectnally, as they
supposed, for the perpetuation of their minor
| ity government, by adopting the Oxford fraud
as the basis of their apportionment, giving a
great preponderaDce of representation to the
counties on the Missouri border, and aifording.
at the same time, every possible facility for
| the introduction of spurious votes. The Pres
| ident of the Convention was clothed with un-
| limited 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 dealing. The elections were
| hurried on in midwinter-the 21st of Deccm-
Der and the 4th Of January-when emigrants
| could only come from the immediate borders,
| under the qualification which invited to the
ballot-box every white male inhabtant ssin the
| Territory that day. The same man who
! did this had previously denounced Governor
| Walker for the suggestion in his inaugural ad-
! dress, and in his Topeka speech, that the con-
| stitution should be submitted to all the bona
fidc inhabitants, although ne invariably stated,
when asked for explanation, that some reason
able length of residence ought to be required
as evidence Of the bona fde character of in
/ habitaucy. aii
1t was apparent that all the machinery had
been artfGlly prepared for repetition of gross
. lTdHuS, Silulldr ~ llOSc WHICH, UtSu at
| tempted in October, and was in view of all
these facts, after the adjournment of the Con-
vention, that the people OF the Territory, 10y
an almost unanimous demand, called upon me,
as the acting Governor, to convene an extra
/ session of the Legislature in order to enable
them peaceably to protect themselves against
the wrongs evidently contemplated by the a.
doption of this constitution. There was nc
law to punish frauds in election returns. The
people were intensely excited; and it was the
opinion of the coolest heads in the Territory.
that without call of the Legislature, the e.
lections under the constitution could not have
taken place without collision and bloodshed
The meeting of the Legislature diverted the
attention of the people from the schemes ol
violence upon which they were brooding, sub
! stituted the excitement of debate and investi-
/ CATION for that of fierce and warlike hatred
aud enabled their representatives TO devise
means for, counteracting the wrongs which
they justly apprehended. .rr.s-
Recent events have shown that their appre-
tensions were well founded. Enormous fraud:
have been perpetrated at the precincts OF Ok
ford, Shawnee and kickapoo; and it may vel
be believed that this result was actually de.
signed by the artful leaders who devised tht
plan and framework of the Lecompton Consti
tuition. / have lately been at Shawnee, and
have seen and conversed with persons who
were at Oxford on the day of election. The
frauds committed are notorious; and though
dishonest persons may deny them, and may
fill the channels of public information Will
shameless representations to the contrary, they
can be easily established beyond all contro.
versy. 1t was 20 enable the people to shield
themselves from these frauds, and to give lc
gal expression to their hatred and rejection Of
the instrument which permitted them, and wa:
to be carried by them, that called the Legis
4 lature together. ~
In my Judgment, the people had fair claim
to be heard on this subject through the Legis
latuIe. The organic act confided to me the