Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1858-02-16
MANIFESTO OF Ex-GovEsNoR STANTON


~ y TfLaIEll N
cessary to present 10 the people OF the United
States IA brief statement of facts III vlndIcation
OF my motives, and In ekpianilt o!Iot the results
of the act for wlich5l have been condemned. :
The office In question WAS not given 1t my
solicitation. Nv acceptance OF it, under all the
circumstances, was a proof OF strong friendship
for the President, and OF uubouRded condolences
in the tirinness and faithfulncss with which he
would adhere TO the line of policy deliberately
agreed upon between him, his Whole Cabinet,
and Coy. W aiker-
On my arrival in the Territory in 4 prh last,
IN advance of GOV. Walker. confess that had
an imperfect knowledge OF the real condition of
affairs l supposed the question OF slavery 10
be the ONLY cause of disscasion and difficulty
among the people and III my brief inaugural
address OF che l.th April, treated this AS the
chief subject of difference upon which u subfnis-
son 10 ihe VIII OF the people would be likely
To De demanded. | soon found, however, that
this view MAS altogether too limited, and did
not reach the true ground of controversy. The
great mass OF the inhabitants of the Territory
were dissatisfied with the local government. and
earnestly denied the validity OF existing laws
Asserting that the previous Legislatures had
been forced upon them by the fraud aud vio-
ience OF heIShborlng people, they proclaimed
tAeIr discrimination never to submit TO the en-
actments of Legislative bodies thus beloved to be
Ihegitln4ate, aud not entitled to obedience.
This VAS the condition of things when Gov
Walker came 10 the Territory. in the latter part
oil sisy. Ii Was evident that the Just policy OF
permitting the people 10 regulate their own at
taIrs SouId not be successfully carried out uu-
less they could be inspired with confidence in
The seuIs OF Government through whom this
result WAS TO be etfc,ed. If mere minority Of
the people had been thus dissatisfied and conIu-
lnsctous, they might possibly have been pro-
uOuaced facJIous aud treated as disturbers of
the peace bu! when the dissatisfaction was
eser,A comprising almost the whole people a
ioore respectful consideration was Indispensable
10 \ pesceable adjustment 1t VA. evident thi.s
TIC policy OF repressIGg-a rlgtd attempt to en-
force submission without any effort at cOncIlIa-
tIon-SOuld inevitably result IN = renewal OF
Tie civil With conueudable anxiety 10
AVOID thus contingency, Gov alser resolved to
so aTao.t HE people, To listen to their COIL
p.- as, to give them assurance of faif aud lust
administration OF the Territorial government,
and 10 iudGce them II possible. TO abandon their
hostility, and to enter upon the peaceful but
decisive struggle 0t the balIot-box. | Was often
with tie Governor when he addressed the peo-
pie. and gave my best efforts In aid OF The great
purpose ~ coHcIlIzton.
Ii was TOO Isle 10 induce the people to go into
the uue election for delegates To .he Convtation
The Repatriation required by law had been I'M
perfect III al the counties, and had been wholly
omitted IN oAc-hali OF them nor coald the peo-
pie OF those DISTINGUISHED counties vote in auy
adjacent county as has been falsely suggested.
Ia SUCH OF them a. subsequently, took = census
registry OF their own, the delegate. chosen
were nOI admitted to seats in the Convention
Nevertheless, IL 10 TO be denied that the great
central fact, which controlled the whole case
was the utter want OF confidence by the people
Ia the whole machinery OF the Terrltariai GOV
eumeat. They aledgcd that the local officers
IN all instances, Mere INSCRIPTIONS paftizsns
who had previously defraUdgd them IN The e!ec-
tons and who we're ready - repeat the same
oatrases again even II Iu.ruders from abroad
Should not be permitted TO oserpower them
would no fupatpH nv
I would not be poss!o bic Tor the Governor and
Sec etary TO defeat Although AT that time
these approximations seemed TO me tc be prepcs-
ferrous ana UuioUHced, ii MAS impossible 10 de-
ny the caruestness and sincerity with which
they We're urged, or TO doubt that they were
the result OF deep convictions, having their orr
gin III some previous experience al that nature.
The worst portion OF tie small minority OF
Kansas who had possession OF the Territorial
orgauizatn, loudly and bitterly complained Of
COY. Walkers policy OF Cancellation, and de-
manded the opposite policy OF repression And
When under tne solemn assurances given that
The elections should be fairly Conducted and
70 frauds which we could reach be cOuutenauced
or tolerated, 1t had become apparent that the
mass OF The people Were prepared and deteruiu-
cd 10 participate Ia the October elections lie
minority cndcayored 10 defeat the result by re-
ViyIng the qualification for electors W bich
had been repeated by the previous Legislature
Opinions were obtained from high LEGAL sources
have been 10 exclude the mass of the Teo,,In
from voting, TO retain the control IN the hands
OF The mIuorIt., and as d consequence TO keep
up agitation and TO render civil war inevitable
But tie intrepid resolution OF Gov Walker In
spite Of fierce opposition and dtsunuciatioD t-r
and near, carried him through this dar.gerou.
crisis and he had the proud satisfaction OF hay
ing achieved peaceful triumph, b. inducingr
tie people TO submit 10 the acDltrarncnt of the
bauUt-bOX.
In hp m 1.
submit to defeat. The populous county Of
Douglas had bt en- attached to the border county
I Of johnson, with large and controlling repre-
. sentatiou In the Legislature. The celebrated
oxford fraud was pcrpetrated with a view to
/ obtain DaJorItles IA both houses Of the Assem-
bly- When these returns We're received at mn,
office, IN Governor v aIkers absence | had fully
determined not 10 give certificates based upou
them. II they had been 50 formal and correct
as TO have made 1t my duty To certify than. /
should have resigned my office in order to les
tify my sense OF the euOrnIty of the yroy.r-
Gov. W alker, at Leayenworth, lad formed the
same resolution, as lie stated to me and several
others, and We We're both gratited that We
found the papers 50 imperfect as to make it our
duty 10 reject them Great excitement followed
III the Territory. The minority, thus right eous-
~ defeated IN the effort 10 proIong their power.
became nerce Ia opposition and resurted on ev-
cry means OF intimidation. But | am led Ia
believe that they found their most efrecfDaI
means vi operation py undermining US with the
Administration at " ashiugton.
The Constitutional Convention. which b,d
adjourned over until after the October elestlop.
met again IN Lecompton to resume is Iabors -
Many OF the members OF that body Were bitterly
hostile to the Governor and Secretary. on ac
count OF their rejection of the Oxford and Nc
ice frauds IN which some OF the members and
otilcerS OF the Convention had direct Iartici
patton In fact, ;his body, with some honorable
exceptions, We'll represented The minority party
III the Territory, and We're fully iubued viii
The same spirit and designs. Ii was obviously
not their desire to secure to the real people II
hansas The control OF their own affairs In the
constitution soon afterwards adopted, they en-
deayored 10 suPercede the Legislature winch
had been elected by the people, by providing
IN the schedule, that all laws now of force m
The Territory shall continue to be of force until
altered, amended, or repealed by Legislature
under the provisions of the Constitution
They provided still more effec;uallv, as they
supposed, for the vCrDptrarIou OF their r,uorit,-