New-York daily tribune., 1858-02-18

puhed Judp OF the Uhitec States IN the Territory
IlaugLie,l Judge Cato repeweo iaugh,erl' and
Atto,n.v wrote elaborate and learned opinions ugh
teri 10 prove the coutrsrycf what 1t seemed 70 me
eycry Intelligent lawyer must have known was the
lain sud simple exposition Oh ,ne Ts. nese oPia
purpo+e Of preventing the ma-s OF the peo-
iie from voting; for in many OF tho oounties
10 assessment had been made, and where The asse-s
yoenls ad been made the great mass OF the free
Stnte psr4y had refused TO pay their taxes and sup
tort a government which was not OF their own seec
tiop. Loud applapse.l You must pot understand
me- gentlemen, as giving any opinion a. 70 the ProPu-
civ Of the conduct Of hoee people who refused TO pay
Their taxes That s not the question will undertake
10 dseuss tonight but they did refuse to pay taeir
tayes They wore not forced to pay then-iu greet
many instances they bad no opportunity 10 pay them
ard The effect Of this construction Of the law, If 1t had
beep would have been to exclude the great
mass of the people, and let the whole Government
main in the hands Of sn nconsdersbe minority Of the
Walker that it would be extremely unfortunate if this
ssme difficulty should be kept up by those positively
in the way Of pesceahe settlement through the bal
lot box and accordingly We eKeed ourselves in every
% slSer BY his celebrated proclamaiich, to spread
abroad among the people, and especially among
the Judges OF election, that bad been ap-
pointed under the Territorial authorities eXposi-
lion Of the law, which, in our judgment, aud which 10
the judgment of the President and whole Cabinet
the rue exposition, giving the whole people, without
regard 10 taxation or payment or any imposition by
the Territorial Government the right TO participate in
the election. Well, the minority who had all the ma
cbinery OF the Territorial Government, this way
defeated The people did 60 forward and vote, and
when they found out that ths result wac inevitable,
the minority resoied 10 another means to Illustrate the
will Of the majority, and that was by those celebrated
returns from Oxford, in johnson Co., and from three
prccrcts in McGee County. had heard intimations
prior to the elections that these things were about 70
ttk place, but could scarcely believe, and 10 fact,
I fs~ ,avfa mi ~ al of he
kind could be attempted by meL whom believed to
be respectable ard honest. Why, gentlemen, when
the REF ANS coming 10 from the different part. OF
the Territory, was amazed one day when from an
unexpected quarter roll Of paper was handed to me-
ssid TO contain the returns from Oxford precinct,
johnson County. Ii was large roll OF paper and
when tore of the envelope ] found it consisted Of
repeated sheets pasted together, written closely
with nhmes, and rolled up like bolt Of dry
goods ard Ike dry goods man upon his counter
/ took it through along the floor Of the Office, and
found it extended from end Of the building TO
the other-from the front door to the back door-s
distance Of 45 or ~ feet. II contained 6?8 names
from the celebrated Oxford precinct, the census Of
which has been recently taken by commission estab-
listed by the Legsature, and what do you think is
the actual population You would imagine there
would be certainly thousand voters there or at least
seven hundred and fifty, or five hundred; but the
fhct If, there are just thirythree Loud laughter
Well, became my duty 10 give the
certificates upon these returns, or to withhold, them
to the members OF the Legislature. Tnis johnson
County borders on the State Of Missouri, aud
bected with Douglas County, well-settled county,
which II really able 10 poll somewhere in the neigh
borhoOd of 1000 votes for cvery-quarter section OF
land in tb. whole county has bona ido occupants.
johnson County was connected with Douglas County
H. the appoltlonmert, and the two together were
titled to eight representatives in the lower
House. These returns turned the scslo, these
gentlemen very well knew. If these returns
from Oxford were allowed as genuine and
true, the legislative power wss thrown into the
hands cf the minority. did not suppose for mo-
ment that the gentlemen who had concoccd this fraud
would seroufy Insist upon Their being reeogniled 9y
insist upon them; that they insisted upon them with
violence and menaces, and we felt it our duty to look
into the matter. View down into johnson County
distance Of fifty or sixty miles, for the
bur own eyes whdt Tere the faots; ara t6n you
here :o.uight that travelled some place. distance
OF eight o. ten mules WITHOUT seeing q single house
on the road. lllaughter.J When we GA come 10
houses IN Various pare at the county many OF Ihem
were without roof, without doors, and without chin
ueys even, though in that inelement season OF the
wear We went to the little village Of Oxford, and to
the ne;g ghhoriug village Of Santa Fe in Missouri, and
We sscertaincd certainly, beyond all ques;ion that
Ibis whole flair was fraud and forgery from begin
ming 10 end, with the exception OF the lew names
with which the nat commenced. II was fortunate tor
as AID fortunate for Justice and the rights OF the peo-
ple Of Kal that the affair 40 unartiicaly got
ten up ard ;he returns imperfecty made out that
without snv ipirshce. without going behind the re-
turns without exceeding the powers conferred upon
u. by luw coulo feel ourselves perfectly Ju,tined
ir rejecting these returns. Loud applause When
| received that celebrated paper Gov. Walker hap
pened TO be in Fort Leaveuwoth. Ii was his duty TO
give certificate TO the Delegate IN Congress, and
Il was mine under the law to give certncates
10 the representatives in the Council aud lower house
of the Legislative Assembly had made up my mua
upon the frst receipt Of this fraudulent paper that
rather thsn sign any certificate upon it, II shouic be
compelled 10 do so, l woald resign my place lap
piause in order to signify the sense OF ~roig ana out
a o,I- and nufra qO
peOpso of Kansas but against myself In tho supposi-
ton that | could be made the instrument OF accom-
plishio2 SO giest fraud Loud applause.l Then,
gentlemen, the returns came from oo, McGee
County iu short time sfterwarj-i,eO eOo votes
in county n which there were but teT
or no Inhabitants. Like johnson County, McGee
County consisted almCst entirely oi an iLcian
reservation II had but few white inhabitants. b.
Eeye there were some - 20 voters in the whole
county. Gentlemen am sorry 10 say lhst irop tbo
time that tbese returns were rejected, ana le power
in the Territory thrown where IT properly ptlougea.,
in the hnnds Of the maierty-ttere wss most
significant silence at Washington. Loud Iaugnterl
We saw occasionally strange outgNlngs "f what was
coming. We heard singular muterngs, ana the tee-
graphic dispatches here and there you'd anhouhce
hat "tbe President and Cabinet have had Gov.
Walker ard Secretary stanton under eonside.
Grafton They will not dismiss them, but they wlii
"censure them both" just about that time nad
prepared letter Of some two or tpree Ies
10 Gen Csss proposing resign the post of Secretary
or the 3lst Of Dece mber. hsd particular OBJECT 10
view | supposed that about that time the oIfheuItes
would al be ett!ed he troubles would be over, and
that could be relieved from service there lew
days sterward saw these outgivings from Wasling.
ton CITY, instantly sat down. wrote 10 the ffes'oeus
OF the Uuited Staies (you will find the document
among other letters and public documents OF Gov;
Walker and myself 10 Gen. Cassl, 10 which stateu
to the President directly that had seen various et
ters nom Washington. in newspapers, statement
that wa, the purpose Of the Administration either
to dsi1ss GOV. Walker and myself OF censure Ne ior
rejecting those returns. laid did not believe II To
be true; nevertheless II there was truth 10 i, %