Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-03-27
WASHINGTON, d. G., SATURDAY. MARCH u, 1855.
were the constitution making power there, and


were the constitution making power there, and
What further frauds there were know not
but this much is apparent-and later develop
ments show greater frauds stll--that In one single
precinct, where there were only thirty or forty
votes to be taken legtimately, there were over
twelve hundred; and under the investigation lately
made by commissioners in Kansas, thai upon
sworn testimony is stated to be the fact. la one
precinct there were twelve hundred fraudulent and
fictitious votes out OF twelve hundred and sixty
seven hundred in another, and over six hundred
in another; making In the aggregate twenty-six
hundred votes in three precincts, entirely fraud
ulent and fictitious, written out by hundreds ON
the poll-book after the election was over, put on
without scruple upon the poll-book, upon the
election return, putsdown without scruple during
the election, OF those who were qualified, and
those who were not qualified; and that is the way
this constitution in part has received its sanction
But, Sir, think that we should take very
partial view OF this subject one very unsatisac-
tory to our Judgment, II we were to isolate these
hess which have direct relation only to the form
alton OF this constitution, and leave out all the
surrounding circumstances. IL seems TO me that
the proper and the Just mode OF regarding TINS
constitution is to consider It as one OF series OF
acts, and see il we can find that the whole action
and operation OF all those acts were to lead 70 one
general purpose-that OF maintaining by fraud
and BY fasehood the power and the government
OF the minority, and their oiiices to them against
the will OF the great majority OF the voters. say
it is an act connected with all the other acts The
whole case is TO be taken, and every part OF 1t
judged OF IN this connection.
Now, what was the first actY That is histor-
ical. We may all speak of 1t now, though we
disputed il at the time. The first Legislature that
was elected in Kansas under the organic act, was
not elected by the peopleof Kansas. Itwas elect
ed by persons who were intruders from abroad
who intraded themselves with arms in their
hands, seized upon the ballot-boxes, put in their
own ballots, driving away the legitimate voters,
and elected the members to the Legislature. That
is the way the government of Kansas was inau-
gurated. Those who had been driven from the polls,
those who were opposed to the party that was
installed in power by these means conceived
such indignation and such disgust that they pro-
claimed aloud, whether wisely or unwisely, that they
renounced all obedience TO this spurious govern
ment as tney called IT, II is not material 10 me
whether their complaints are weifounded and
true, or not l am endeavoring to depict the
course OF things, TO show their motives and the
motives OF the persons who were thus installed
into the territorial government They came to
their power py violence; they came TO their power
py iraud. Tnat was the complaint Oh the oppos-
ing party IN Kansas They renounced their rnie,
they renounced their laws, refused to commit
themselves IN any way to their support refused
70 go 70 any eiecnon afterwards. Ihey said,
what Is the usey This corrupt minority VINO
have got into power, who have in Their hands the
means OF cohtrohlng the elecuon, VINO are not 700
good to do i, and who will do 1t, who have done
IT. viii practice the same means; we shall be AGAIN
driven from the polls or, IL not they, having the
controi Oh the eiecuons ana OF all the onecrs VINO
conduct ana manage them, VIII nave wnat returns
made tney please. we VIII SUBJECT ourselves no
more TO the humllanon OF attempting 10 execute
Alright winch we know VIII De frustrated ana
oeieateo Dy hauo, or Dy iorce. uneer tnese I'M
pressiohs' anu Win lhese ieeings' wnicn ], Is not
my part mere eitner 70 JUSTIFY or reouke, out
SIMPLY to state the tact, they withdrew from the
eiecuons iest, Dy Young accoroing 10 tne laws
passed ny TINS corrupt Legislature, as ,hey con-
Suereu IL, tney snou,a seem 70 acAno"ieose hs
autnonty ana tneir aiieg'ance 10 IL.
Now, what would be the condition of the men
who had been. installed into power in this wayS
They would be pleas ed that their opponents had
thus Withdrawn themselves from the polls. In all
the elections to be held afterwards, this power Of
the minority, however small, would be continued |;
as their enemies would not come up to vote, they
would be reelected and would retain and perpetu-
ate their power. So they went on-the field aban-
doned by the majority-and the minority ruling
everything in this way. Look at the evidences that
are before you from those high officers lately return
cd from Kansas-Stanton and Walker. They tell
you of frauds regularly perpetrated there; and,
although they had thought before that the people
were ac.hg iacuously, Una. eney were acung seoi-
uousiy, 'nA' e.ey Were aosinS ieoelhousy N az
'oniPuns ~ ",,uua" . ses uoni sn's sos
anu ~ ~ ~, anu
.uae s'eI VI .auu a,,u upon
lnenh ~ eiesuons "e'e ,1r 'ne pur
Pose VI slthe oo'or ". ene'r .onuaoe ''ah o'ner
wlse, ys' nnen uey VEN y, anons .ue peop'e anu
neafu snc'p anu az o,s sue usanes ,ns'
nau oeen plses.eu, .aey .1a'u nos oouo' ,ne,s
.,ueh anu .nelr siucerly "a .ne .esen,nlens Nnlcn
,pey ies anu ~ 'ue conuuos "n'on .uey pussaeu
NV ss,I5AJ as "a sne,
ahey nau osen NV ma
~ g e'nB "'u nu,nlo e. '',e.l is - WHAT M .ncee
onIeIs Say. Ano" no'niue aoou'n, nn1" 1
nosniog aoou. III creepy on 'ue ins. .ne
sunnS iiiuoii9 pa'y "ele .apeoie VI Ioulu,'eins
i,auu, We ~ ireuu nas any esn-
se.,,al s;n,. ne.1 uee Lis. sae any SsIuA .ho
ssD. w a' " III III
IN KsusasS However we might doubt this how.
ove- wo r,;oht have d;soeraad bowover va mobt
have hcl;eyed or disbelSved 5eretofore ba, ! not
avorv nc, and donh, hesn clesrod ,wav froro
sronnd ,h;s fac. and i ,hsre ono here now 10 an
That tba r;ght Of aIect;on was NOT ,roddsn dovn
IN tba f;rst elecon for Terr;,or;aI Ieosls,nre IN
~ - ~ =, . s.... - :. e. !. - . -.