Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1858-02-26

zHe Grsof Hisfotian and Secretary Of the
- Napy uhdsr President Polk.

dress tho anti-Lecompton meeting in New
York city, publishes what would have been
his speech had tho meeting been hold, ms
was expected, AZ the Academy Of Music
but which was not held on account of a re-
fusal Of tho prcprietors Of the Hall to per.
init political assemblies to meet there. We
publish il in fall, believing il will amply
pay our readers for the perusal. Mr.. BAN
CROFT says,
aftke thousands who showed their wish IA DO last
ssa spon 10 r. and IL that should hsSe S
drensed them The opportunity was denied ue bit the
svs. nc ioia al such wrong and have written out some
remarks, yu nearly such as would have spoken sub
,, soh Z wanting 10 OK ts pE sSsf
1n9aes,lnn but the attention Of the people,
Saturday, Feb. Is, 1883. GEoNeE BANCROFT.
Fellow CITrzENs: The popular solution
of the question before the country, which,
IN some Of its aspects, is the most momen-
tous that has been presented since the adop-
ton Of the Federal Constitution, is self evil
dent, but that solution has been so thwart-
ed that it Is made necessary to revert
to first principles, and to take counsel of the
people, who are the source of wisdom aud
of power. We arc assembled tonight, not
an hostility TO tho Administration. We
venerate the President for his age and past
services, and desire to remove out Of his
path the great obstacle to his present use.
fitness Still less are We at variance with
the South. We have never feared to sus-
tain the South on any question in which the
South was in the right, and We are justified
in asking its cooperation to prevent a great
national wrong which, if consummated, will
injure its friends. Far from opposing De-
mocracy, we come here to night to uphold
it, by freshening in our minds the love of
Justice and Freedom, without which De-
,mocracy is delusion.
We are assembled to protest against fore
ing the Lecompton Constitution upon the
people Of Kansas against their will. Bear
with me, fellow-citizens, if before taking
tho Chair, in the fewest possible words
speak to the facts in the case, to tho right,
and to the means of redress.
As 10 the facts of the case, the Lecomp-
ton constitution was authorized in advance
by no one branch of the General Government
The Senate Of the United States passed a
bill for convention in Kansas, having in
view very different mode of procedure
The House by decided vote, declared IL
self willing to accept the real and true opinion
ofthe majority Of Kansas, however il might
be expressed. The President, through
his agent, the Governor of the Territory,
vetoed the bill for the Convention. The
Senate, the House, the President of the
United States are all innocent of the Le-
compton Convention. The people of the
Territory never elected that Convention, and
never had an opportunity to do So The
list OF voters were made out by partisan of
fcers, who acted under no pelalties for neg
lect of duty. Fifteen counties, by no fault
of their own, had no possible opportunity
to vote at all. The Convention, therefore,
never had even a pretext for binding the
people. Before the Convention did its
work a new election Of Kansas Lcgisla-
ture took place, and, thanks to Walker and
Stanton, false, fraudulent and forged returns
were rejected, and Legislature was form
ed Of unquestioned legality. The Conven-
tion knowing the true will of the people, in
defiance of that will, refused to refer the
Constitution to the people, scquostered their
inalienable rights, and made themselves
masters. They acknowledged that such n
reference should have been made at least
on the slavery clause, and then they framed
"a schedule which made no true reference
even of that clause, but disfranchised all ex-
>cept those who would acknowledge their
usurpation, and were willing to take test
,oaths to support it. The Convention furLh-
er assumed most extraordinary powers, and
sought in advance to nullify and render void
Ahe acts of the newly-cected Legislature.
They did what they could to show appro-
baton Of tho fraudulent vote which Walker
and Stanton, with the approval, it is to be
hoped, of the President, had rejected
Moreover, it ordered an election Of State
officers, under their unratifed Constitution,
without requiring an oath Of the election
Officers, or affixing penalty on fraudulent
voting or forged returns; and they, moreov-
or, directed returns to be made, not to the
Governor or the legal legislature, but to one
man alone, the President of their Conven-
ton; man holding most lucerative office
and q large patronage Under the General
Government; clothed with power to judge
at his discretion of all returns of a Legis-
isture before which he might become can.
didate for office; bound by no cath to fidel
ity, and exposed to no legal penalty for the
abuse Of his trust. We hold, then, thai
the Convention has no claim to the sove
reignty in Kansas but by usupation; thai
it had in no wise the sanction of Congress
nor of tho people of Kansas, and was bat ,
cunning device to defraud the people of it
sovereignty.
The cardinal point on Which the grea
question turns is this: Is the Lecomptor
Constitution the choice and will of the peo
pie Of Kansas! | say it is not; and shal
prove it. The first witness IS tho CU9ven
tion itself; they were urged to refer this
matter to the people; the President in hil
high Office, pledged himself over and over
and over again, to the appreciation of tha
course; and by the authority, and with th'
knowledge Of the President, tho Goyerno
and officers of tho Presidents appointment
quieted the discontents Of the people o
Kansas by adyocrating the necessity Of sucl
submission before the Constitution eoulC
claim any validity. And yet the Conyen
ton refused to submit its doings TO tho peo
pie; thus confessing its consciousness tha
lis work would be rejected. 8
The second witRessis the newspaper pres
OF Kansas; that press il against the Con