Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-10
X ansas-LecOmpton Constitution.
SPEECH OF HON. JOHN BELL,
IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE, March Is, 1858.


The Legislature elected in October, 1856,
met In January, 1857, and, in conformity with
the vote of twenty-five hundred of the people
in the preceding October, they passed an act
providing for the election OF delegates on the
10th OF June to convention to meet in the
following September. Governor Walker made
his appearance in the Territory in May. He
published An address TO the people of the Ter
ritory, which was declared to be in conformity
with the views of the President and his CaDi-
net. In that address he assured the people of
his determination to use every means in his
control to prevent all disorder and violence
at the election to be held on the 18th Of June
and earnestly advised the free-State party to
go to the polls and vote for delegates to the
convention. warning them that, although he
would use all his influence to have the cOnstl-
tuition, when framed, submitted to vote Of
all the bona tide inhabitants. and had no doubt
that it would be so submitted, yet he had no
authority to dictate that course. By the act
of the Legislature providing for the election
of delegates to the convention, the most OBJ
nOxious OF the test oaths prescribed by her
first Legislature was repealed, and a census
was directed to be taken, and register made
of the qualified voters in each county, which
was to be the basis of the apportonment by
the Governor of delegates among the several
election districts into which the Territory was
divided and also the test of right to vote
in the election. One objection to going to
the polls, as stated by the free-State party
was, that of the thirty-eight countries of the
Territory, including Arapahoe. i'll which there
was no population, there had been no register
made OF the qualified voters in nineteen of
them, as the law required, and that no census
had been taken i'll fifteen of those nineteen,
aud that, as a matter of course, the people in
thos. counties could not vote. Governor
Walker and Secretary Stanton confirmed this
statement, and the fact is indisputdble. | do
not see what could be a greater or more fatal
irregularity in getting up convention to
form State constitution. Sir Onc-half the
counties OF "a Territory left unrcpresentcd-
allowed no voice i'll the convention! Is that
no obj lection to "a constitution formed by a
convention so constituted? The 5 nator from
Georgia passed this irregularity over as "a
matter of slight or no consequence. 1t had,
he said, been satisfacl orIly answered and ac-
counted for. Where is the explanation or
Justification to be found of this gross iFregII-
larity? Upon what evidence does it rest? |
have seen or heard of none which does not
appear to me mere prctense-an evasion.
To say that some iree-StatC men i'll some one.
two, three of those counties refused to he
registered, and threatened the officers with
personal violence if they persisted in the dis
charge OF their duties, was Il sufficient reason
for taking no census and making no register
at all Ill nineteen counties, appears to me to
be pre- posterous. When gentlemen talk of
there being no irregularity in forming the
convention | must believe tnat they have not
examined into the facts connected with the
subject. 1t is alleged that the population i'll
the nineteen neglected counties was small. In
many Of them that no doubt was 50. But
still, after drducting the nine thousand two
hundred and tfty-one legal voters returned
on the register made out in the other nine
teen, Judging from the number of votes pOllcd
in October, 1857, and again in January fol-
lowing, there cannot have been less than three
thousand legal voters in the neglected coun-
ties. Thus it appears that the sixty delegates
to the convention were elected by the nine
teen counties in which registers were duly
made out; while not Il single delegate was
voted for or elected in the other nineteen
counties of the Territory. Governor Walker,
in one of his letters TO Secretary Cass states
that in some OF the neglected counties the
people made out register on their own au-
thorlty, and elected delegates to the cOnven-
ton; but they were not allowed seats on the
ground that their election was irregular And
the further significant fact is stated by him
that in the election of October, 1851 more
votes were cast i'll three of the neglected
counties than were given to the tweuty-cght
delegates who formed the Lecompton cOnsti-
tuition.
But am departing from the order of my
for delegates TO the convention was held
The free-State party did not participate in it.
assigning, as reason for their refusal To do So,
besides the one have Just mentioned that
they had no confidence in the officers who
were to hold the election, aud the opinion
given by Governor Walker that any consti-
tuition which might be framed would be sub
mitted, for ratification or rejection, TO IA vote
of all the people in the fall, whether they vo-
It'd ut this election or not. AT this election
when ii may be presumed the prO--lavCry
party put forth their whole strength only
twenty-five hundred votes were pullcd
by three hundred than the vote pOll,d in Dc
tober, 1856; but the loss may be fairly ac-
counted for by the exclusion OF the pro-slavcry
voters in the nineteen counties III which there
was no register.
The convention met on the 9Th of Scptcm-
Der, but adjourned To day in October, Us il
was understood, TO await the result of the ter
ritorial election fixed for the first Monday lii
that month. Governor Walker had given the
strongest assurances of his purpose to use all
the means in his control TO preserve order and
prevent violence at that election. Cunveu-
lions were called, nominating candidates on
both sides. On the one side, they were called
National Democratic candidates; on the other
side, tree-State candidates, or, If YOU please
Abolition candidates; il is no matter Nv what
name they were called. BY that time two
thousand regular troops had arrived in the
Territory, sent at the earnest request of Gov
ernOr Walker, who stated that this was the
only mode of preserving peace and preventing
bloodshed. lie stationed them ut different
and the most exposed points. On election day,
to prevent inroads from Missouri or any other
disturbance at the polls. The result was.
that the free-State party proper cast some
seven thousand six hundred votes, and the
national Democratic party, composed OF pro-
al una IN off a. FRI.
Gratis us united with them in the election,
polled some three thousand seven hundred
votes. 1t is material To state that Ransom
the candidate for Delegate to Congress nom
mated by the national Democratic party, was
Free-Soll in his principles. Altogether, there
were upwards OF eleven thousand votes cast
in that election after rejecting some twenty
eight hundred votes found To have been fraud
ulently returned; sixteen hundred from the
famous Oxford precinct, and twelve hundred
from MCGEE county, in which no poll was
opened. These are all strong facts, but the
Senator from Georgia can see nothing in them.
That Senator asks for the evidence by which
these alleged frauds were proved. He said
that Governor Walker and Secretary Stanton
were not entitled to any greater credit than
common witnesses, and by courtesy alone did
he concede them that. He said they Travelled
over the country, looked about, aud came 10 |
the conclusion that so great number OF vo-
tiers could not be there. This was the sort OF |
evidence upon which his friend from Kentucky |
held his immense fabric of fraud and unfair |
ness. Sir, not only did Governor Walker and |
Secretary Stanton examine the matter, but !
others OF undoubted integrity have confirmed |
the existence OF the frauds alleged. A census |
has been taken, and torty-nine Is returned Us
the number OF residents Ia the Oxford precinct. |
Mr. WILSON There are forty-three voters /
In the precinct OF Oxford, according 10 the |
actual census returns.
MIR. BELL There could not De many in
that county because the Shawnee Indian, AVN