The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-03-11

houn). after the Convention had
closed, and therefore he out of Office,
and the returns to be made to him.
Thus was the Governor got rid of,
and the second object effected. This
mode Of making and using SUI
pervisors or judges of election un.
known to law secured the third OBJ
ject. The provision by them that
such men should be subjected to
prosecution for frauds, &c. was an
idle show Of legislation, entirely in
operative. To secure the fourth pur-
pose. the Convention based their ap-
portionment of representatives in the
State election, to take place in Janu-
airy 1858, upon the same spurious,
fraudulent and fictitious votes, SO re-
turned and rejected in the late Ter
ritOrial election. To secure the i'm
object, they provided that all laws
then existing not those existing
when the state should be admitted)
should remain in force until repealed
by a State Legislature under the
Constitution. The great mass of
the people, unwilling to be the dupes
of such trickery, declined voting in
the manner proposed on that Consti-
tuition, December 81, 1857, and the
Territorial Legislature was assem-
bled by the call Of Acting-Governor
Stanton. A vote was taken on the
2lst December by the men appointed
by Calhoun, who returned to him
that there were cast some 5000
votes, adopting the Constitution with
Slavery, as formed. What proper
ton of those votes, or of those cast
for the delegates, were fraudulent
and spurious, we have no certain
means of determining, as the Senate
has declined instructing or author
izing the Committee to obtain full
information, or clothing them with
the means for that purpose. We
have, however, the authority of the
presiding officers Of the two branches
Of the Legislature, who were pre-
sent at the counting of the votes on
the Constitution, by invitation of
said Calhoun, for saying that not
more than two thousand of these
were cast by legal voters of the Ter
ritory
The Territorial Legislature, so as
sembled by Acting-Governor Stan
ton, passed an act providing that the
people on the 4th of January, 1853,
should cast their votes on said Con-
stitutiOn, either for it with Slavery,
or without Slavery, or against the
Constitution.
That vote was taken, and the vote
against the Csonstitution was more
than ten thousand majority.
The Convention provided for the
election of State officers and a Leg
islature under the Constitution on
the 4th day of January, 1858: but it
was 10 be conducted by the same
men so appointed by said Calhoun,
and the returns made to him, As to
the voting at this State election, the
Free-State people were much divided
in opinion. A large number declined
to vote, as they feared the so doing
would be unfairly insisted on by their
opponents as ratification of the
Constitution to which they were op-
posed. 4 part Of the Free-State peo-
pie, who had thus voted against the
Constitution, experimenting, more es-
pecially from what was contained in
the Presidents Annual Message, that
Congress might admit Kansas as a
State under and with this Constitu-
ton, even though contrary 10 the
will of the majority of the people
there, and unwilling, in that event,
to leave the State officers and Legis-
lature in the hands Of the minority
who framed and adopted that Con.
stitution, proceeded to vote at the
election of those State officers at the
polls conducted by the men So ap-
pointed by said Calhoun.
The returns of this election have
been made to said Calhoun. but as
the Committee have received no
power to institute inquiry into the
true character of that election, we
are unable to say how far the we'll
prepared arrangements for successful
imposition have been carried intoex.
ecution with impunity
From what has been disclosed by
the investigations before the Terri
torial Legislature. We feel authorized
TO believe that the preparations TO
defeat the will Of that people have
been extensively executed. and their
ultimate results depend on the action
of said Calhoun in a capacity un-
known as legal officer, in no way
subject 10 prosecution or inpeach-