The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-05-01
Mr, PARRoTT. Certainly, with pleas:

ure.
Mr.. PEYToN. 7 see, from the snis
nosity report, made ia the Senate by Mr..
Douglas, that ia the eighteen counties reg
istefed there were ninety-six hundred
votes polled against the Constitution on
the 4th of Jannary; that the census
showed nine thensand two hundred and
fifty votes on the521st of December The
Pro- slavery party polled sixty.seyen hun
dred votes for the. Constitution. So that
the vote polledo against the Constitution
on che 4th Of January was four or FIVE
hundred more than the whole plumber Of
registered voters. Now. want to know
if these six thousand seven hundred 70.
ters, whe voted for the Leenmpten Con-
stituiion on the 2lst of Deeember, turned
round and voted against the Constitution
on the 4th of january, or are there six
teen or seventeen thousand voters in the
eountiesa aliI So u af,f. YzTr, ss,lssss
| Mr. PARR0TT. I would say to my
friend from Kentucky, that am coming.
to that point. Undoubtedly there are
not so many voters in the registered coun-
ties. "A commission appointed by the
Legislature of Kansas. composed of most
reliable men, have had this subject under
Investigation. It appears from their re-
port, based on the testimony Of the Judges
and clerks of some of the election pre-
cincts, that, of the 6,000.. votes and up
wards, cast in December, nearly one-half
were fraudulent. These fraudulent votes
too, were discovered mainly at three pre-
eincts. Of the votes cast, or pretended to
be cast, on the 21st of December, nearly
one half-3,012-were obtained at the
precincts of Oxford, Shawnee and Kicka.
poo, in this proportions: Oxford. 1,266;
Shawnee, 729; and Kickapoo, 1;0l7. A
recent census of these precincts shows the
whole number of white %nhabitants in
Oxford to be forty seven; in Shawnee, one
hundred; and in Kiekapoo, not to exceed
1 three hundred. It is safe, therefore, to
say that, of the whole number of votes
cast, on the 21st of December, not over
two thousand were polled by actual citi-
zens Of the Territory. This will account
for the apparent surplus as to the regis
/ tered vote.
I may be allowed to say further, in this
connection, that the very valuable labor
Of the commission to which l have ad-
verted, discloses the precise manner, in
some instances, in which this vote was
/ gotten up. 1t was forged. The names
of those who committed the crime are in
the evidence. No candid man who reads
that testimony can have doubt left in
his mind of the unscrupulous character of
/ these elections.
What is said Of the election of the 21st
j December is also applicable to the cleo
! ton of the 4th january. By such fla
grant frauds as these, the impression was
sought to be made upon the country that
there was popular support given to this
Constitution in the Territory.
Mr., PEYTON, (interrupting.) In the
] election of State officers, how did it hap
pen that they polled only 1000 votes in
the same counties where they polled 8, 800
votes against the Constitution
Mr.. PARRoTT. The gentleman is in
error as to the number of votes polled for
State officers. 1t was over six thousand,
I believe-less by several thousand, GER
tainly, than the vote against the Constitu-
tion. That is explained in this way: The
1 regular Convention of the Free State par
ty. decided not to contest the election.
Some gentlemen, dissatisfied with this
policy, or the manner of the decision, or
both, took the responsibility of putting a
/ ticket in the field. 1t was generally de.
nominated the belter's ticket" l men,
ton this fact to show that it did not Sc
cure the united vote of the Anti Lecomp-
ton men, and hence fell below the vote
1 cast against the Constitution on the same
occasion. Er
/ have gone far enough into this matter,
to show that this Constitution, so far from
having any support among the people, is
in fact abhorTed and repudiated by them.
1t is branded with the ineffaceable badges
Of fraud in its inception, progress, and
consummation. 9A -
Now, appeal to you. representatives
of the people. to know whether, with the
evidences of fraud standing thick upon it,
you can give it the sanction of your sup
port? If you do, you viii force the State
/ into the Union against her wishes; and
such union, without harmony or affec-
ton, will breed immedicable distempers
in the body polite.
You may pass this Constitution, but I
respectfully submit that it is beyond even
your power to make a Government under
I It is bat repeating an axiom of Our po,
/ litieal theory, to say that there can be DO
/ Government without the consent of the
people. Yes; you may pass this Consti-
| tuition, but the people who are thus per-
fdioasly betrayed will never allow it to
stand betwssn them and the inestImable
| rights which they, have been taught to
defend at every sacrifice, not excepting
that of life itself. Can you expect that
American citizens viii tamely submit to
such a measure? sa aEaf..1
s3ssAs one of the last councils which
/ CHARLES held. a remarkable scene took
/ place. The charter of Massachusetts,
had been forfeited. a question arose,
show for the future the colony should be
governed. The general opinion of the
/ Board was, that the whole power. legis-
Iative as wen as executive, should abide
In the Crown Halifax took the oppo-
site side, ard aFgaed with great energy
sgainst absolute monarchy, and il. favor
of representative government. It was
vain, he said, to think that population
sprung from the English stock, and ami
Iimased by English feelings, would long
sbear to be deprived of English yiHstitu-
tons. Life. he exclaimed, would nos be
worth having, In a country where liberty
and property were at theA mercy Of de-
spotie master z-rzofs s.t.s.I.s !.
Substantially, that question is repro
dnced here to-day, after the lapse Of two
/ centuries, touching the governments of a
| distant dependency of the United States
mot now in the Cabinet Of 9 tostering
king, but in the Council House Of the
American people, long accustomed 70
/ sauns themselves the fEsess on the globe.
! Life. indeed, may ! say, with that emil
uenf English statesman, in this country,
/ IS not worth having, where liberty is 81