Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-06-10
Instructions from the Admins
lrnIiOn 10 (HOVnrmnr RnrnUnn

-, j. ". Denrer, Esq, Gorernor of the Ten,
rtto'y Of Kansas, Lecompton:
ir-l transmit to you a copy of tho
} act of Congress, approved May, 4, 1858
fo. the admission of the State of Kan.
sas into the Union" Your duties un.
der this act are of the most delicate and
important character, but they arc clearly
and distinctly defined by the act itself
Congress were not satisfied, as you
will perceive, with the ordinance adopt
ed at Lecompton by the Constitutional
Convention there assembled in regard to
the public lands, deeming the grants to
the State OF nansas therein contained
too extensive and beyond former prece.
dents in similar cases. They have here
tofore proposed to the people of Kansas
to assent to such a change in the ordi-
nance as is stated in the act, reducing
the quantity Of lands granted, so as to
conform to the grant in the bill now be-
fore Congress for the admission of Min
nesoa. This question is properly left
to Kansas to he decided at Il popular
election.
The act prescribes that cat the said
election the voting shall be by ballot.
iihu ny IuuOISIHS OH HIS-DailOI as Cacn
veterinary please, "Proposition Accep-
ted" or 'Proposition Rejected. Should
Il majority of the votes cast be for Prop
%osition Accepted" the President of the
United States, as soon as the fact is
duly made known to him, shall announce
the same by proclamation; and thereaf-
ter, and witho@; any further proceedings
on the part of Congress, the admission
Of the State of Kansas into the Union on
equal footing with the original States,
in all respects, whatever, shall be com
plete and absolute" &c. But should il
majority of the votes cast be for Prop
O ition Rejected" it shall be deemed
and held that the people of Kansas do
not desire admission into the Union
with said Constitution, uuder the con
ditions set forth in said proposition
They will her remain iii Il Territorial
condition, until sit is ascertained by a
census duly and legally taken, that the
population of said Territory equals or
exceeds the ratio of representation re-
quired for a member of the House of
Representatives of the Congress of the
United States,' upon which ascertain
ment the people of said Territory ''are
authorized and empowered to form for
themselves a Constitution and State Gov
eminent, in the manne prescribed by
the act.
Under the second section of the act,
yourself, the District Attorney, the Sec
rotary of the Territory, the President Of
the Council, and the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, are constitu-
ted a Board ofCommissioners to conduct
l. = zo -, = Nh D~s1o-.
has entire confidence that, so far as in
you lies, the election will be fairly and
properly conducted. Your powers and
your duties are sufficiently pointed out
by the act and by your previous instruc-
tons. 1t is greatly to be desired that
the five Commissioners should act in
concert in all their proceeding. The
President above all things desires that
there should ue 4 fair expression of the
popular will on this important question;
and that any person who may commit
or attempt to commit the frauds pun
ishable under the act, may be prosecu-
ted with the utmost rigor CT the law. 1t
is to be hoped that the people of Kan
sas, relieved from all outside influences,
be left to decide the question for
themselves, whether they will immedia-
tely come into the Union under the pro-
vision of this act. or will remain in the
condition until their popula-
ton is equal to the numter required for
a Representative to Congress.
Enclosed herewith you will receive
copies of the act referred to, one of
you will send to each of the Com
m~issioners named in the act, in order
that they may be properly informed of
their designations.
AT the same time you will provide
or an early meeting Of the Commission
RS, so that the election required by the
lct may take place without unnecessary |
lelay, and that all suitable arrange
nents may be made for this purpose.
The President earnestly hopes that these t
arrangements may be successful in Sc '
:uring a free and fair election, and that {
It the present important crisis the peace
f the Territory may not be Interrupt I
ed. q
The act for the admission of Kansas S
ughtt to be extensively circulated among
he people, because the question to be
by them is one of vast impor- e
ance, and may involve the welfare and t
rosperity of their fine territory for a a
ong period of years. For this reason l
lille the act very properly prescribes
hat the day of election shall be at as t
arly a period after the proclamation as V
consistent with the notice thereof to n
he people; the intervening period It
ught to be sufficiently long to enable L
lem thoroughly to understand the It
in all its bearings and consc-
l shall have ten thousand a
opies of the act printed in this city and \
'rwarded to you for immediate c%ircula- V
II
You will not probably convene the o.
'oard until after the appointment of a IL
CIV District attorney for the Territory. p
nomination for this purpose will be HI
to the Senate an Monday next
Mould you deem it advisable, you are at m
to publish the whole or any part m
these instructions. The President st
Ishes to- give every assurance to the ST
.ople of Kansas that he desires, above G,
things, that there shall be a fair ex-
ession of the popular will at the cleo
IN, and that the result may be to pro- A
ice peace and harmony among them as