Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1858-02-27

the UUFGfliof WloN ne HtufesSeu Tue leU
.Ip!o, aud gave my best efforts il aid of the
Igroat purpose of coneihation.
i Il was toe late to induce the people TO
leo into the June election for delegates to
1.-The Convention. The registration reqnif-
led by law had been imperfect in all the
counties, and had been wholly omitted IN
Ione-h Of them; nor could the people of
Those DISTINGUISHED counties vote in ada
cent counties as has been falsely sugges-
Igested. In such of them as subsequently,
took a census or registry of their own, the
delegates chosen were not admitted to
Iseats in the Convention. Nevertheless, it
is to be denied that the great central fact,
which controlled the whole case, was the
utter want of confidence BY the people in
The whole machinery of the Territorial
IGoyernment. They alleged that the 10
Teal officers, in al instances, were unscru-
Ipulous parti2ans, who had previously de
Ifruuded them in the elections, and who
were ready to repeat the same outlages a
Igajn; even if intfudeis from abroad should
mot be permitted TO oyerpower them, they
would be cheated by false returns, which
lit wouId not be possible for the Governor
and Secretary to defeat. Although at that
Itine those approximations seemed 10 me to
be preposierous and unfouuded. it WAS i'm
Ippssible to deny the eMnestness and sin
Icerty with which they were urged, or to
doubt the result Of deep convictions, hav-
ling their origin in sone previous expert
cncence Of that nature
! The worst portion Of the small minority
Iof Ka'sas who had possession OF the Terri.
,orial organization, loudly and bitterly
coinplained Of Gov. Walker policy ofcon-
Iciiation, and demanded the opposite poll
lev OF repression. And when under the
ls0lelnn assurances given that the elections
lslouId be i;.irly conducted, and frauds
which He could reach be countenanced OF
tolerated, il had become apparent that the
mass OF the people were prepared and de-
termined to participate in the October e
Elections, the minority enleavoFed TO defeat
che result by Feviving the tag qualification
for electors which had been repealed By
The previous Legislature. Opinions wort
obtained from high legal sources, the Of
feet of which, had they prevailed, would
Ihaye been to exclude the mass Of the PEG
pie from voting, to retain the control II
The hands Of the minority, and as conse
quence TO keep up agitation and to rendeI
civil aar inevitable. But the intrepid res
Ioution Of Gov. Walker, in spite Of fieref
opposition and dcnnnciation, far and near
carried him through this dangerous crisis
and he had the proud satisfaction Of hav
igg itcfliesel peaceful triumph, by Undue
ling the people to submit to the arbi'F1i-
t,nent Of the ballot-box.
But The minority we're determined no
TO submit to defeat. The populoua county
IofDouglqs has been attached to the horde
county Of johnson, with large and con
trolling representation in the Legislature
THE celebrated Oxford fraud was perpetra
ted with q view to obtain m9orities ii
both houses of the Assembly. When thes;
received at nay Office. in Governor Walker
absence, | had fully determined not to
give certificates based upon them. If they
had been so formal and correct as to have
made it MY duty 10 certify them, | shdulc
have resigned my Office in order to testify
my so'lse Of the enormity Of the wrong. =
Gov. Walker, at Leavenworth, hid formed
LIRE same resolution, rs he stated to me
and several others, and We were gratified
that we found the papers SO Imperfect a;
10 make it our duty to reject them. Great
excitement followed in the Territory
The majority, thus righteously defeated il
! the effort to prolong their power, became
fierce in opposition and resor,ed on every
means Of intimidation. But am led tc
believe that they found their most efeetu-
al means Of operation BY undermining u.
with the Administration at Washington.
The Constitutional Convention, which
had adjourned over until after the Octo-
Der election, met sgain in Leconpton tc
resume It's Iabors. Many of the members
Eot that body were bitterly hostile to the
! Governor and Secretary, on account O
chair rejection Of the Oxford and MeGee
frauds, in which some Of the members and
I0aicers OF the Convention hal direct
participation. In fact, this body, with
ls0ne honorable exceptions, well represent
ted The minority party in The Territory,
and were fully imbued with the same
; Esprit and designs. 1t was obviously moi
their desire to secure TO the real people o.
Kansas the control Of their own affairs
p, In the Constitution soon afterwards adopt
led, they endeavored to supercede the Leg.
islature which had been elected by the
, people, y providing in the schedule, that
"all laws now of force in the Territory
shall continue to be Of force until altered
amended, or repealed by Legislature
under the provisions of the Consultation.
They provided still more etfeetually, as
|they supposed, for the perpetration Of Their
minority government. by adopting The
EOxford frauds as the basis Of their apPoF-
Itionment, having great preponderanee 9
representation to the counties on the Mis-
Isouri border, and aifcrding, at the same
Itime, .every possible facility for the intro
(, Iduction OF spurious votes. The President
!. tof the Convention was clothed with un-