Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-05

tricts, sufficient to transfer the triumph to the
Slave Labor party. and the Free State party
was proceeding to vindicate it by force. The
Governor and Secretary detected proved, and
exposed this atrocious fraud The Lecomp-
ton Convention denounced them, and COM
plants against them poured in upon the Pres
ident, from the slaveholding States. They
were doomed from that time. The President
was silent. The Lecompton Convention pro-
ceeded and framed Constitution which de-
clares Slavery perpetual and irreversible. and
postpones any alteration of its own provis-
ions until after 1864, by which time they
hoped that Slavery might have gained too
deep hold in the soil of Kansas to be in dan
ger of being uproOted. All this was easy;
but now came the question whether the Con-
stltution should be submitted to the people
1t was confessed that it was obnoxious to
them, and, if submitted. would be rejected
with Indignation and contempt An Official
emissary from Washington is supposed to have
suggested the solution which was adopted.
This was a submission in form. bnt not in
fact The President of the Convention with
ont any laws to preserve the purity of the
franchise by penalties for its violation was
authorized to designate his own agents. alto
gether irrespectively of the Territorial au-
thorities, and with their aid to hold an cleo
ton, in which there should be no vote allowed
or received, if against the Constitution itself
Each voter was permit TO cast a ballot
s. for the Constitution with Slavery or - for
the Constitution with no Slaverv;i and it was
further provided, that the Constitution should
stand entire, if majority of votes should be
cast for the Constitution with Slavery, while,
on the other hand, if the majority of votes
cast should be I" for the Constitution with no
Slavery" then the existing Slavery should
not be disturbed, but should remain, with its
continuance, by the succession of its unhap-
ply victims by descent forever. But even this
miserable shadow of choice between forms
of a slave State Constitution was made to de-
pend on the taking of test oath to support
and maintain it in the form which should he
preferred by the majority of those who should
vote on complying with that humiliation
The Governor saw that by conniving at this
pitiful and wicked juggle he should both
shipwreck his fame and become responsible
for civil war He demonstrated, and appeal
ed to his chief. the President of the United
States, to condemn it. Denunciations follow
ed him from the Lecompton party within the
Territory, and denunciations no less violent
from the slave States were his greeting al the
National Capital. The President disappoint-
ed his most effective friend and wisest coun-
sellor. This present Co.'s ress had now as
smbled. The President as if fearful of de-
lay. forestalled our attention with IT commen-
dations to overlook the manif st objections to
result of this mock election, then not yet
held, equivalent to an acceptance of the
Constitution by the people of Kansas, alleging
that the refusal of the people 10 vote either
the ballot for the Constitution with Slave
ry'' or the false and deceitful ballot for the
CONSTITUTION with no Slavery" would justly
be regarded as drawing afttrit the conseql, n
ces of actual acceptance and adoption of tie
Constitution itself. His argument was apol
In hat
had not been fairly submitted; and j-Suitical
as it urged that the people might, when once
admitted as a State, change the Constitution
at their pleasure, in defiance of the provision
which postponts any change seven years.
Copies of the message containing these ar
guments were transmitted to the Territory, to
confound and dishearten the Free State party,
and obtain a surrender, at the election TO be
held on the 2lst of December. on the ques-
tons submitted by the Convention. The peo-
pie, however, were neither misled nor intimi-
dated. Alarmed by this act of connivance by
the President of the United States with their
Oppressors, they began to prepare for the last
arbitrament of nations. The Secretary, Mr..
Stanton, now Governor 0d interim. issued hi
proclamation, calling the New Territorial
Legislature to assemble to provide for pre-
serving the public peace. An Executive spy
dispatched information of this proceeding to
the President by telegraph, and instantly Mr..
Stanton ceased to b. 5 cretary and Governor
ad interim being removed by the President,
by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate of the United States. Thus the SER
vice of Frederick p. Stanton came to an alb
rupt end, but in manner most honorable to
himself HIS chief, Mr. Walker, was less wise
and less fortunate. He resigned. P9tus
Thrasea 1--WE are informed by Tacitus) had
been often present in the Senate, when the
fathers desc uded to unworthy acts, and did
not rise in opposition; hut on the occasion
when Nero procured from them a decree to
celebrate. as festival. the day on which he
had murdered his mother Agrippina. PatuS
left his seat, and walked out of the chamber
thus by his virtue provoking future VEN
geance, and yet doing no service to the cause
of Liberty Possibly Robert ]. Walker may
find less stern historian.
The new Secretary. Mr.. Denver, became
Governor of Kansas, the fifth incumbent Of
that Office appointed within less than four
years, the legal term of one. Happily, how
ever, for the honor OF the country, three of
the recalls were made on the ground of the
virtues of the parties disgraced. The Pro-
Consuls of the Roman provinces were brought
back TO the Capital to answer for their crimes.
The proceeding which tue late Seer tary
stanton had so wisely instituted, nevertheless,
went on; and il has b, come, | trust, the
principal means of rescuing from tyranny the
people whom he governed 80 briefly and yet
20 well. The LocOmptOn Constitution had
direct, d. that on the 4th Of January elections
should be held to ill the tale Offices and b.
offices of members Of the Legislature and
member of Congress, to assume their trusts
when the new State should be admit, into
the Union. The Legislature of the Territory
now enacted salutary laws for preserving the
purity of election in al cases. 1t directed the
Iccompton Constitution 10 be submitted 10 a
fair vote on that day, the ballots being made
to express a consent to the Constitution, a
rejection of it. with or without Slavery. The
Free Labor party debated anxiously ON the
question: whether. besides voting against that
Constitution, they should, under protest, vote
also for officers to assume the trusts created
by it, if Congress should admit the State under
it. After majority had dec .ded that no such
votes should be cast, a minority hastily rcjec-
ted the decision, and nominated candidates for
those places, TO be supported under protest.
The success of the movement made under the
most serious disadvantages, is conclusive evil
dence of their strength. While the election
held on the 2lst OF December, allowing all
fraudulent votes, showed some six thousand
majority for the Constitution with Slavery,
over some five hundr, d votes for the Con-
stitution without Slavery, the election on the
4th of January showed an aggregate majority
of eleven thousand against the Constitution
itself ia any form. with the choice, under pro-
test, of a Representative in Congress, and of
Il large majority of all the candidates nominal
ted by the Free Labor party for the various
Executive and Legislative trusts under the
Lecompton Constitution.
The Territorial Legislature has abolished
Slavery 10y Il law to take effect in March. 1858,
though the Lecompton Constitution contains
provisions anticipating, and designed to defeat
this great act of justice and humanity. IL has
organized militia. which stands ready for
the defence of the rights of the people against
any power. The President of the Lecompton
Constitution has fled the Territory, charged
with an att, mpt To procure fraudulent rrtu las
TO reverse the already declared results OF the
last election, and he holds the public in sus-
pense as 10 his success uutil after his arrival
at the Capital, aud the decision of Congress
,h-. 80 Al a 4 Cn,.st,,,