The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1858-03-26
THE "DISFRANCHISED" COUNTIES
OF KANSAS,

We gave in previous number of the Gu
zeite, statement ofsevefal OF the most respec-
table citizens of Kansas, refuting the assertion
Of The Abolition demagogucs that "nineteen
counties Of Kansas Te rIory were disfran-
c4ised al the election of Delegates TO the Le-
compton Constitutional Convention" That
statement proved conclnsively that this asser-
ton was utterly groundess and that it was
made only for the sake of manufacturing Polit-
ical capital against Ms. BUCHANAN and the
Democratic Party. We, now, give, as cumn-
latipe evidence Of tie fallacy Of this charge Of
:sdistruacijeemeni. the following extract from
the able report Of Ma. STEPHENS, Chairman Of
the Select Committee OF the National House Of
Representatives to whom was referred the Le-
compton Constitution and tbe paper accomPa-
nying it
s'It will be seen from the proclamation Of
Governor Stanton th at twenty-one out of the
lhirty-tour countess were embraced in the ao-
portionment; and The journals of the conven-
ton show that all these were represented in
that body. From the same proclamation it will
be seen that five election districts, embracing
ttliItPHu GGGHtiES. AeTt itil Out VI tue dilIlOi-
tionmeni. These were, as will appear from
what has been stated, the 18Th district, being
franklin county; the 14th, including Weller,
Breckenridge, Wise, and Madison the 18th,
Butler and Coffee the 18th, Anderson county;
and the 18th, Woodson, Wilson, Greenwood,
Godfrey, and Hunter,
OF these thirteen counties aine had but a
small population in them, This iapart from the
statement of Mr.. Calhoun and other reliable
iniormation) clearly appears from the returns of
The election on the 4th January last, the official
announcement OF which is filed with the pa
! rers of this report. From that it will be seen
/ that not vote was returned as having been
cast in that election in SeUen Of these thirteen
/ counties about the dlsfranch. ment Of which so
much complaint has been made. These seven
counties are Weller, Wise, BptleG, Wilson,
! Godfrey, Greenwood, and Hunter. Nor was
/ there vote at that election in either of the
/ three urorgauzrd counties Of Washington, Clay,
and Dickinson.
/ In two Of .he thirteen counties stated Above
I TO wi: Madison and WooAson- there were
bat 80 votes caSt-40 in The former and 80 ia
! the latter and but ,l25 in the four remain
1 ing-to wit: Franklin, 30L Breckenridge.
I 1911: Coffee, 453 and Anderson, III; 50 that
! il the election OF the 4lh January should be re-
ceiyed as evidence Of anything il would prove
j nothing more conciusive!y than that the clam
or about The dsflaDchisem, Mt of half the peo-
/ pie, or even considerable portion ofthe people
OF the Territory, is utterly groundless, and re-
sorted to only as a PreteXt for the want of
something more solid. This prelrxt becomes
/ the more gfaring when the cause Of their being
no registry in these four counties Of Franklin,
Breckinrld5e, Anderson and Coffee is under
stood. TITS is fully explained not only bY the
statement Of Mr.. Calhoun alluded to, but by the
| deposition of George Wilson, 10 be found in
Senate Document No 50, al this session From
these and other notorious facts, the real and
/ ts--~-'~- FofFtTfv tstfy voters
these counties, and consequent failure of rep
| resentation being appoitioned to them in the
convention, too clearly appears TO need much
explanation. The parties in whose behalf The
| cry Of dlStranchsemenl is nov raised, prevent
/ ed the registry themselves. Since the organi-
zation OF that Territory, there has been in it a
class OF men whose ayowed object vas to op-
/ pose and overthrow all legal authority They
went there with this purpose. Their objrct
was to set up an i7lperium in imper1o. in the
( language OF the President, they have been in
estate ofrebeiiion' against the legally cousttu-
ted authorities iiom the beginning. This is la-
! y established by numerous reports of Cover
nofs Shannon, Gea:y: and Walker, and Spcre-
/ taEy Stanton They were 10 a certain extent
! the emsSarIes Of those wtn denounced the Kan
sas bill when Il passed, as great 'Wroug" and
/ an ''ouiragp," aad VINO Were resolved to defeat
! lis peaceful operation.
To show the groandlsssncss Of th first clam
/ or, as well as the last WE might here inquire
/ what was the wrong or outrage Of that bin -
/ u as II great wrong or outrage 10 Permit The
/ people Of Aew York, Massachusetts, or other
States OF tie noFta, as we'll as lhe people of the
/ south going into d new Territory, tie common
/ property OF all, to be as free as they were at
/ ;heir native homes, and in forming new States
10 enjoy the same rights which their fathers did
/ IN the torm7ti0n Of all oor present State con-
! sti'uions and governments This is Just what
that ball did on the main question Of fconirover-
{ So IN Kdnsas-Goihihg u,cFe-nothing less
But, rather Than see this great principle of right
justice and equality carried cut, this class of
men went 10 tbat Territory 70 dcirat it at every
hazard. Setting themselves up in defiance oil
law from the beginning, they now denounce
constitution made by those who coniormed 10
law as ''a fraud ga cbpat,'' and "a swindle.''
But the more atfyG Of The same party elsewhere
| have long since said much worse things of the
Constitution Of the United States This class
OF malcontents IN Kansas are organized 10
party having the control OF some ofthe counties.
They refused 10 recognize the validity of the
law requiring the registry TO be made They
opposed ITS execution both by withholding their
o%n names in some instances, and in others bv
driving the officers whose duty il was 10 make If.
from the country, with threats TO take the life
OF any who should attempt it, This was par
hcGlariy the case in Anderson and Franklin