Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-02-18
WHOLE NO I0l 7


their power, became fierce in oppositio
and resorted 10 every means OF intimidation
But | am led 10 believe that they founr
their most effectual means of Operation b
undermining US with the Administration a
Washington.
! The Constitutional Convention, whicI
had adjourned over until after the Octobe
election, met again in Lecompt0 On 10 resum
I Its labors. Many of the members of tna
body were bitterly hostile TO the GoverDo
and Secretary, on account af their reiec,io.
OF the Oxford and McGee frauds, in whieI
some of the members an | officers OF the Con
Es '.if':s diseess, az isieati "a fii Iact
this body, with some honorable exceptions
well represented the minority party in tht
Territory, and were fully imbued u ith tn;
same spirit and designs. 1t WIS obviously
not their desire to secure the real peOpie O
Kansas the control of their own affairs. IL
! the constitution soon afterwards adopted
they endeavored 10 suPersede the Legisia
ture which had been elected by the people
by providing, in the second section of the
Z
Territory shall continue to be of fo:ce un-
til altered, amended, or repealed by Leg
isiature under tie provisions of this consti-
Iution-" They provided still mors effectuaI-
ly, as they supposed, for the perpetuatiOn oi
their minority government, by adopting the
| Oxford fraud as the basis of their apportlon-
ment, giving great preponderance of rep
Iresentati0n to the coanties on The Missouri
border. and affurding lat the same iime,every
possible facility for the introduction Of spu-
rious votes. The President of the Conyen-
lion was clothed with unlimited power in
conducting the elections and receiving the
retnrns, while the officers are not required
to tuke the usual oath To secure fair ..and
hone t dealing. The elections were hurried
on in mihwinter-the 2lst of December
and she 4th Of January-when emigrlnts
could come only from the Immediate bor-
ders, under the qualification which invited
10 the ballot box every white male inhabit-
ant 'in the Territory on that day" The
same men who did this had previously de-
nounCed Gov. Walker for the suggestion in
his inaugural address, and in his Topeka
speech, that the constitution should be sub
mtted to all the bona fde inhabitants, al
though he invariably stated, when asked for
explanation, that some reasonable length O.;
residence ought to be required as evidence
OF The bona fde character Of inhabi:ancy.
IL was apparent that all the mach :nery
had been arliu.ly prepared for a repetition
OF gross frauds, similar, TO those which had
been attempted in October; and it was in
view OF all these facts, after the ADJOURN
ment of the Convention, that the people of
the Territory. by an almost unanimous de-
inand, called upon me, as the acting Cover
-i-3r, TO -eaRvene sn ax.-a session Dfrhe 90,
islature, in order TO enable them peacpaby
TO protect themselves against the wrongs
evidently contemplated by the adoption of
this constitution. There was no law to pun
ish frauds in election returns. The people
were intensely excited; and it was the onin-
ion of the coolest men in The Territory that.
without cal Of the Legislature, the elyc-
tions under the constitution could not have
taken place without collision and bnod-h.d
The meeting of the L"gislatu dive ted the
attention of the people from the schemes o.
violence upon which they were bruoding
substituted the excitement o, debate md
invest igation for th.t of fierce and warlikr
hatred, and enabled their representatives. to
devise means for couuteracting the Srunc>
which they justly apprehended.
Recent events lave shown that their ap-
prehensicns were we'll founded. Erornnu-
frauds have been perpetrated at the pre-
ciucts Of Oxford, Shawnee, and kickapoo:
and it my well be believed that this result
Was actua Iy designed by the artiuI leaders
who devised ire plan and framework Of rh,
Lccompton constitution. have lately been
at Shnwnee, and hane seen AID csnversed
with persons who were at Gxfsrd on the
day OF election. The frauds committed are
notorious; and ,hough dishonest persons
may deny them, and may I'LL the channels
of public Information with shan l.ss repre-
sentarianS to thc contrary. they can b, Ca
silly established beyond all controversy.
1t was to enable the people to shield
themselves from these frauds and t. give
legal expression TO their hatred and reicc-
ton OF the instrument which p~rTi,;ed
them. and was to be carried BY them, tina,
called the Legislature together.
In my Judgment the people had fair
claim 10 be heard on this subject through
their Legislature. The organic art con.
tilet 20 me the discretion os cuuvsn'nr that
body in ezra session. The Presiden. o.
the United States had no rishlfu. authority
20 exercise that discretion tor me. lie had
the power of removal, and consequent loss
of favor with the Preside ut, rather than &C.
cupy the position ot Governor and re- Use TO
the speople an opportunits To assert rhei,
most essential rights, and t. protect them
selves against the buse-t frauds :nd uro1us
ever attempted upon an ont aged comm itv.
Not having been iHl, rmed oi the or sund,
OF my removal, know t"em on'y through.
the newspaper reports, 10 TIE eli CT tha,. in
calling the Legislature, diSobeycd the in
Instructions OF the Presid, NJ hsl no in
Sirl:tions bearing on the subject. and thcr
was no time 20 obtain thrr. event h d
ie,t bound L. substitute the Ptcsid, d,nl's viii
for .iat discretion which the urC,ni. Sc
confiIed 10 me. The c reen'n- oi N leg -
lature undoub ;c!ly pr,veh'ei diiIi uliv a,d
secured peace. Were il impoftuI'. am
confident could rstab i<h this pusi.i n tv
the most iniu5it+ble facts; bul il j. su,fici.
ent now to say ,ha, the peace of IT,. lie -
tory was not in fact distur bed. aud wh,te, ,r
approaches were made towards such r..su. [
were wholly Attributable 10 the p.fi-y OF
the Administration in ccnsnr'ag m as,s
and removing m" rom office.
The measure for whi,h am u"ias,ly
condemn j has enabled III renp t Of Ka =
sa, to make known Their real q, | IN rtra d
to the LecVmpIon cons il ri;un This af',rLs
the Democrats parry an apPOrtuaity To de-
| icnd the true principles ui constitutional
liberty, and to save itself fr,m disastrous
div.s;ou and utter oyrrthroS. Il Congress
will heed the voice OF the people aud not
f,r,,. un,n thpm a UnVprutn,nt ,,,b.,n 81