The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-05-01

nearly three thousand, Now. it will be
observed that every one who was enti:
tied to oyote In October would have been
voter at the election of delegates to
the Convention, if his name bad been
registered. So far. then, from the voting
population of those towns having been in
significant, it is quite certain, on the other
hand, that if this vote had been polled,
as We are bound to presume it would have
been if an opportunity had been afforded,
1t was of sufficient strength to- have
changed the face of the Convention. If
we take into. consideration the fact that
three quarters and more Of this vote cast
in October, on an tissue itolving this Eel
enBpten Constitution, agairstithat5instrif-
ment5as ! shall presently show-it may
be reasonably inferred that the exclusion
of it made the political complexion of
the Constitutional Convention @hatit was,
Pro- Slavery. In regard to- the other
counties in which the census and regTis-
tration was pretended to be performed.
l have only to say that there was WE'LL
grounded complaint. The registration
was partial, imperfect, and to some extent
fraudulent, The aggregate of registered
votes was nine thousand and upwards.
The election was held in June, uninter-
SO far assI have heard. The
ionreceiyedless than two thousand
votes. But the question is frequently put,
why did younotavote2 For two reasons;
first we considered the whole scheme to
be a conspiracy, with which is was DANCE
rous to be complicated /; and, secondly,
we relied on the distinct and emphatic
pledge of the President, given through
Gen. Walker, that we should be protect
ed in our reserved right of voting, for or
against the instrument, when it should
pass from the hands of the Convention:
A large majority of the people no doubt,
were lulled into indifference, or deluded
into inactien by this pledge of the Presi-
dent. authoratively rendered them.
The Convention was organized in Sep
tember, but adjourned to await the issue
of the October election. For the first
time in the history of the country the par.
ties met at the polls, after long yet
peaceful canvass, in the full enjoyment of
the right of suffrage. The result undeni-
ably indicated public opinion. The Free
State party bore off the victory by 5000
majority. No issue of the canvass. was
more widely discussed and better under
stood, than that which pertained to this
Convention. The solealied Democratic
party endorsed it, and their candidate for
Congress, openly declared that he would
if elected, advocate the admission of the
State underit, whether it was submitted
to the people or not. On the other hand,
the Free State party through their Repre-
sentative, declared the Convention to be a
fraud to the. bottom, from which nothing
could originate that deserved their respect;
and that the Constitution, if submitted
to the action of the people, should, be
trampled down and if not submitted to
the people, they had the pledge of the
President that Congress Should reject
it. or at least his influence to that end.
This popular monition was not thrown
away on the Convention itself. When
they met again, it was under rhe protect
ion of the United States army. Hence
forth its sessions were thus protected. On
the 7th of November, the Convention fin
ished It's work and adjourned. The Con-
stitution they had framed was not submit
ted to a vote of the people, for approval
or fejectioH-nor was. any substantive
part of it thus submitted. a proposition
relative to the future importation OF
slaves was submitted ; but the DISPOSE
ton of that, whatever it might be, could
in no manner affect the status of the ne
gro under the future State Government.
Slavery was throughly engrafted in the in
strument. For these reasons, the people
despise and abhor this Constitution.
This fact cannot be doubted. It was
proven by the election in October last it
was demonstrated by the joint resolutions
of the representatives of the people
assembled in the Territorial Legisla-
ture, which ] have had the honor to
present to this House, and which now
stand on your records; it was demon
strated last and best of all by a specific
vote to that effect on the 4th of January
last, under law of the Legislature, when
more than ten thousand votes were given
against it. On the other hand, the Le-
compton party has, with Characteristic
recklessness, perpetrated the most gigan-
tic frauds in the ballot box inl order to
fabricate showing of popularity for their
scheme. at the pretended submission OF
the Constitution in December, there was
for the Constitution, sVilk Slavery 6, 143
votes; for the Constitution aeitbout SlaUe-
ry, sos votes. In all, about 7,0oO, OF
which majority Of 500 was In favor of
the Slavery proposition. - sas sam &
Mr. UNDERWOOD; enterupting.)
desire to obtain, from the gentleman a
statement of fact to which my attention
was particularly called, in the course Of
my remarks yesterday. The gentleman
has referred to the vote of tsn thousand
majority given by the Anti-Lseompton-
ties as the election of the 4th of January.
I wish the gentlemen to give US the bene-
ft of his knowledge as tothe frauduleney
or the fairness of that particular vote.
How many, il any. of that vote, have
been ascertained subsequently to the vote
to be fraudulent / shonld be glad to
ascertain the fact as to the gcuuineness OF
that vote. ..--r :
Mr.. PARROTT.. Ishall be very happy
to furnish the gentleman from Kentucky
with all the information which l have on
the snbieets j have not heard any per-
son in that Territory, and / do Het nov
recollect that ] hare heard any person
here, charge that any of these votes were
fraudulent. / remember having been
Tarozs-ss ssIs.,ys - s.so a.,