The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1858-02-26
WistsIIan.ous.
speech OF, -. Geo. bancroft.

speech Oh Se0. BanefoiS.
The following is the speech Of Hon.
Geo. Bancroft, prepared to be deliver.
ed at the Academy Of Music, and
which has been since published. We
omit the introduction, in order to have
room for what is more direct and
pointed:
ave ore assembled to protest
against forcing the Lecompton Con-
stitution upon the people Of Kansas
against their will. Bear with me,
fellow citizens, il, in the tewest pos
sible words, I speak to the facts in
the case, to the right, and to the
means ef redress.
As to the facts OF the case, the
Lecompton Constitution was author.
ized in advance by no one branch of
the General Government. The Sen.
ate of the United States passed n
bill for a Convention in Kansas.
having in view a very different
mode Of procedure. The House, by
a decided vote, declared itslf willing
to accept the real and true opinion
Of the majority ofkansas, however
it might be exp, essed. The Presi
dent, through his agent, the Gov.
ernor OF tho Territory, vetoed the
bill for the Convention. Tho Sen.
ate, the House, the President OF the
United States, are all innocent Of
the Lccompton Convention. The
people of the Territory never elect,
ed that Convention, and never had
an opportunity to do so. The lists
OF voters were made out BY partisan
officers. who acted under no penalties
for neglect of duty. Fifteen counties,
by no fault OF their own, had no pos.
sible opportunity to vote at all. The
Convention, there fore, never had even
u pretext for binding the people,
Before the Convention did it's work
a new election of Kansas Legisla.
ture took place, and, thanks to Wal
ker and Stanton, false, fraudulent and
forged returns were rejected, and a
Legislature was formed OF unques.
TONED legality. The Convention,
knowing the true will Of the people,
in defiance of that will, refused to re.
fer the Constitution to the people,
sequestering their inalienable rights,
and made themselves masters
They acknowledged that such a ref.
erence should have been made at
least on the slavery clause, and they
framed q schedule which made no
true reference even OF that clause,
hut disfranchised all except those
who would acknowledge their usur.
patton, and were willing to take test
oaths to support it. The Convention
further assumed most extraordinary
powers, and sought in advance to
nullify and render void the acts oi
the newly elected Legislature. They
did what they could to show apPro.
baton of tho fraudulent vote which
Walker and Stanton, with the ap.
provsl, it is to be hoped, OF the Pres
ident, had rejected. Moreover, il
ordered an election Of State officers,
under their unratified Constitution,
without requiring an oath OF the
election officers, or affixing penal.
ty on fraudulent voting or forged re.
kurns; and they, moreover, directed
returns to be made, not to the Gov.
eracr .or the legal Legislature, but to
one man alone, the President OF their
Convention; a man holding o most
lucrative Office and large patronage
under, the General Government
clothed with power to judge at his
discretion of all returns oil . Legisla
turs- before which he might become
candidate for Office; bound BY nc
oath to fidelity and exposed to nc
lsgai penalty for the abuse Of his
trust. We Gold, then, that the Con
ventiou has no claim to the sover
ereignty in Kansas but by usurpa.
tion; that it had in novice the sane
ton of Congress. Nor Of the Presi
dent, nor Of the people Of Kansas
and was but cunning device to de
fraud that people Of its sovereignty
The cardinal point on which til,
great question turns is this: IL tn,
Lecompton Constitution the choic,
and will Of tho people Of Kansssi-
] say it 10 not, and shall prove it
The first witness is the Convention
itself; they were urged to refer tn
matter to the people; and the Pres
ident In his high Office pledged him
sell over and over, and over again
10 the appreciation oi that course, AM
by the authority and With the knowl
edge Of the Pteoident. tha Governo,