Litchfield enquirer., 1858-02-25
Political end Congregational

Political end Congressional
 The most interesting nems of last week which has come to hand is that contaned in the clear aud sn,pls sa ecnts of Mr. Stanton in his speech upon Kansas frauds. before New York assembly. It s entirely too lengthy to present to our readers, we .vs however few brief extracts which will be ili- tsresting to every man who loves his country. at- ter explaining the reason which prevented many ot ths Free State men from voting. and how they re- solved such numbers as could, to come to the elee- tien, he proceeds ss follows:
 "wrll. when our friends of the Pro-Slavery party sAw what was coming on, when they found out that ,Le people had actually determined to go into the election it perfectly evident to them that their power would be gone, that they would no longer Hold the power in the Territory, for it was conce- sl before 1 left Washington to go to hahsis ty faany of the Pro-slavery men whom found there, that the Free State had large majority in the Territory, and when went there to my entire sat- isfaction I found that 1t true. s;heers and laughter.] I mean l was satisfactorily convinced that it was true. [Apptause and hughter.I do n, mean to say gentlemen that the information which actually received was very satisfactory to myself for when went there, went regular Dor der Rufian and mag say to you. here tonight. that if the f ihity had been on the other slde-l' tie side of South--I would have fought for them. Applause would have stood up for their rights slplase as earnestly. and with the same cxertions with the same sacrifices with which felt it to be my duty to adhere to the rights of the other side, when found that they so greatly prenonderated in numbers. But when the minority. gentlemen. and 1t was very sEnssll one-ascsrtained that the great mass of the people had determined to vote, and that a consequent exposure .f their weakness wUuld take place, they resorted to a device known to sou a for the purpose of excluding the votes of the great mass of the people.
 Tie people did go forward and vote, and when they found out that this result was inevitable. the minority resortcd to anotIer to frustrae the will of the majority and that was by taese celelTa- ted returns freM Oxford, in Johnson Co, and IT, m three pre incts in McGee County. bad heard ln- timations prior to the cleo tions that these things were about to take place. but I could scarcely be- lieve. and in fact did fer moment anticipate. that anything of tlY' kind could be attempted by men whom believed to be respectable and honest. Why, gen lenen, when the retu ns were coming in, frsm the different parts of the Territory l was amazed one day, when from an unexpected quarter . roll of paper was handed me- said to contain the returns from oxfoid precinct, Johnson County. It was large roll of paper and when tore off the envelope found it consist of reptat hce1s past ed together, written closely with names and rolled tap like bolt of dry goods and like a dry goods man upon his counter. took it through aE,ng the floor ui the ofice and found it extended trtm one end of the building to the other flt m the front t the back dool--a distance of i5 t 50 icet, It c L. tfincd ,52S names from the celebrated Oxford pre- cinct the census of which has been recently taken by commission established by the Legislature, and what do you think is the actual population You would imagine theie were certainly a thnus nd voters there at least seven hundred and fifty, or five hundred but the fact is there are inst thirty three Loud laughter We'll it now became my duty to give the certificates upon these returns, to wi'hold, them to the members of the Legislature This Johnson County borde,s on the State of Mis- eourri, and was connected with Douglas county. q we'll settled county which is really a le to poll some where in the neighborhood of 900 votes, for every quarter section of land in the whole couDsy has b,na fide occupants. Johnson County was c,,nnec- ted with Douglas County in the arportohmcnt, and the two together were entitled to eight representa- tivcs in the lower House. These returns turned the scale as these gentlemen very well knew. Ii these r.turrs from Oxford were allowed genuine ant true the legislative power was thrown into the hands cf the minority did not suppose for moment that the gentlemen who had c, ncocted this frauG would seriously insist upon their being recognized by Governor Walker and myself; but We found that they did insist upon them that they insisted upon them with vi,lence and menaces and we felt 1t our duty to look into the mattsr. We went dowr into Johnson's County distance of fifty sixty miles, for the purpose of satisfying ourselves, ane eeeing with our own eyes what were the facts, and l tell you here tonight that we travelled some places distance of eight CT ten miles. without see ing single house on the road [Laughter]. Wher wc did come to houses in various parts of the c0un ty many of them without roofs without doors and without chimnies, even, though in that inclem ent season of the year. We went t, the little vii age of Oxford and the neighboring village of Santa Fe in Missouri, and we ascertained certainly, be yond all question: that this whole affair fraud and forgery from beginning to end, with the excep tion of a few names with which the list commenced
 Gentlemen, am sorry to say, that from the time that these returns were rejected. and the pow. CT in the Territory thrown where it properly be. longed-in the hands of the majnrity--tfere was . must significant silence at Washington.
 Just abou, that time had prepared letter, Of some two or three lines addressed to Gen Cass, proposing to resign the post of Secretary on lEe 3ist of December. had particular ohirci in view. lsnpposed that about that time the di1i- culties would all be settled. the troubles would he over. and that could he relieved from service there. A few days aftrrward saw the outsivings fram Washington City. l inst cntly sat dow and wrote to the President of the Uni,.d States Fyou will find the document among other letters and public documents of Governor Walker ant myself to Gen. Cass] in which stated to tn. President directly that had seen various letter. from Washington. in newspapers a statement that it was the purpose of the Administration Sitker to dismiss Gov. Walker and myself or cen sure IS for reIecting these returns. said ! die not believe it to be true nevertheless if ihert w.s truth in it, desired to withdraw my resig nation. that nigh, stand on the merits of ,h. act. and t,ke my full share of the responsibility ILoud cheers.l
 But what wish to call your attention to par ticularly is, the fact that there W s most onin sllrnce in reference to both of these letters. tLaughieI.] Neither the President nor Gen Class eyer aeknow ledged my letter of resignation o slse subsequent letter recalling it. or said word in reference to the rejection of the Oxfore aud McGee returns-at least so far as am con eeraed-so far as know anything aho.t the cor Tespondence. or otherwise and from that day l. this. have never received line of any kind ei ihes from the President or fron the th. Secretary ot State. or anybody else, in reference 10 any o these transactions. Applause and Laughter. have not even received any ofiral information addressed so me directly, ofmy removal (Lanyh ar) suppose it was intended to perfenn the operation, as some of those celebrated execution aYa do sometiuea. with so sharn ewo,d .e no