Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-02-17
From the National Inteligencer.
To the People OF the United
StateS.


Our attention has very recently bee
called TO the following letter from Bat
Jones, Esq, one q the delegates from
johnson county, in the Territory of Kansas
to the Convention which framed the LIE
compton Constitution, one Of lis most ar
dent advocates, and also, as will appear
from his own statement and the returns
one of the judges of the election Of Octo
Der, 1857, whose name purports to be af
fixed to the notorious pretended returns
from the precinct of Oxford, in said county
2 Sr. LOUIS, NO. Nov. 20, 1858.
To THE EDITOR OF THE DEMocRAT:-
Upon the returns of an election held at the
Oxford precinct, in johnson county, Kan
sas, in October, 1857, my name appeared as
one of the judges. / never put it there,
nor consented that any one else should do
so. The first knew of it was from the
Lawrence Herald of Freedom. | might
have made the statement sooner, and prob
ably should, but for the persuasion OF
friends and the excitement which prevailed
at the time of the transaction. l did not
choose to expose the affair voluntary at the
time; though should not have hesitated
to have done so it l had been called on by
any tribunal having jurisdiction of the mat
ter. In September last l communicated
the above statement, in substance. to
the ST. Louis Republican, from West;
port, Missouri. | came here to ascertain
whether it had been received, but was un-
able TO do so. Upon calling upon one Of
the editors of that paper this morning, he
declined to publish any statement in the
premises. | therefore submit this state
ment in the Democrat, and trust it will re-
ceive place in its columns. l do this in
justice, not only to myself, but to the coun-
try. lam aware that my conduct is blame.
able, but would, nevertheless, have the case
properly understood. What the threats
and curses of my enemies in Kansas fail
to obtain in times of great excitement, I
now voluntarily give. | am not disposed
to implicate others, and will not do so ex-
cept it be in self-defence. ........- ...
By publishing the above you will do me
a great favor. Respectfully,
~a- BAIT JONES' G
The extraordinary character of this let
ter naturally excited grave doubts as to its
authenticity; but it is now ascertained and
admitted to be genuine. ,-L
1t will be remembered that the returns
from the Oxford precinct were rejected by
our joint proclamation, issued at Lecomp-
ton on the 10th of October, 1857. For
this official act we were violently denounc-
ed by the great body of that portion of the
press of the United States which subse-
quenty sustained the Lccompton Consti-
tuition; and the genuine caracter of the re-
jected returns was vehemenly asserted, on
that occasion, both in and out of the
Territory.
Reference to the proclamation will show
that these returns were rejected because
they were clearly illegal and invalid under
the Territorial laws, and also because they
were "beyond all doubt, simulated and fic-
titious." The legal objections stated were
clear and obvious. First, these returns
were not authenticated by the oath ofany
one of the judges or clerks, although the
laws of Kansas required such an oath to
be taken by all of them as an imperative
prerequisite to valid election RETURN
Second, the paper presented to US and re-
jected was not one of the original poll-books
required by the law, but mere statement
of the votes pretended to be given. In
our proclamation we distinctly disavowed
any authority to 90 behind the returns, for
the purpose ofjudging the qualifications of
voters, or of purgug the polls, or of reject
ing returns formal and valid on their face,
for any reason short Of actual forgery
Under our respective oaths of office we
might have been constrained to reject the
Oxford papers as illegal and invalid upon
their face, even if in other respects, they
had been correct and genuine.
The stimulated and fictitious" character
Of these pretended returns was evident to
Us upon the face of the papers; yet we
deemed it important, in so grave a matter,
70 visit the Oxford precinct; and We there
with positive certainty, that of
he sixteen hundred and twenty eight votes
10 have been given, not one
:enth had in fact been polled, and that
nearly all the names attached to the state
nent were palpable forgeries. We knew
hat village of some half dozen houses, in
| precinct of most meagre population, could
lot have given 1928 votes; and our aver
nents in that respect are conclusively
proved by census, since taken by authori-
y of the Legislature, showing the entire
lumber of voters in lhe precinct to have
,een but forty three. AT the election held
n August last, under the auspices of the
PRESENT Federal Administration, when the
whole vote given in the Territory was lar
Ter by many thousands that at any pre-
eding period, the whole return from Ok
ord was but 20, instead of 1928, as when
elected by US. A similar insignificant re-
ult was exhibited to the election in Octo-
'er, 1858. And, finally, to remove all
oubt, one of the most active partisans Of
he Lecompton Constitution, one of the
ndges whose name purported to be signed
0 the pretended returns of October, 1851,
fter the silence of more than year, now
dmits the forgery and declares that his
anne was affixed t. the paper neither by
imself nor by bis authority. ~ ss
The calumniators who denounced us for
ejecting these acknowledged counterfeits
lust now either retract the assaults made
pom this ground, or by adherence to their
ttacks, or even by silent acquiescence, be-
ome themselves accomplices in this nefari-
us transaction. HaWa yaw ,a5lu 4
Upon the face of the Lecompton Con-