New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-06-21
o,s obstacles against which the newly organized
Rs,oblicsr party bad to contend. The Free-Stste

o,s obstacles against which tho newly ORGANIZED
Republican party bad to contend. The Free-state
party vas originally composed of Tery heterogene-
On. materials. and there Vas much reason to lear
that the party. having tnamphed on the point
which had just brought its members iato cooper
ativo. many Of them might be drawn OF b. tnei'
Old part, sifinities. The ground which Mr. Doug
lss had taken against the Leccmpton ConstIta-
ton. and the position which be ia understood
to occupy at presen. on the question Of Congres'
siorsl interference with Slavery. gave the opPos-
ton to the Republican party two strings to lis bow
II left il open 10 many members OF the Free->tsts
party of Democratic artecedents 70 refuse TO come
into the Republican organization, without seeming
to renounce By that refrssl their Free-Stste pm
ciples.
But while this original want Of unity and cohe-
sion in the Free-S,ate party thus gave grounds Tor
apprehension. there were ether and still more Sc
r;ous causes for it. We dreaded that spatty
Which is the natural reaction from scch so over
strained and excessive demand IS had been made
upon the political activity Of the people of Kansas,
and more especially upon this question Of State
as it seemed Of the people Of the Territory. but
which had so often slipped through their fingers.
But what We dreaded most Of all, was the
power. Influence, and secret activit! joined
to the interruptions efforts which the Federal
officials ever stand ready to put forth on an emer
gency like this-efor.s which recently gave to the
Democratic party the control Of the new State Of
h If IN
Kansas as to give to these Federal officials aud
others interested to cooperate with them peculiar
chances Of success. The Convention to be elected
consisted Of but ffty-two members of whom ten,
or nearly che quarter, were 70 be elected by the
Leayenworth District alone. The result Of this
Lesyenwor,h election has generally decided the
political complexion of the Legislature or Couven-
ticn TO be chosen, and the Federal officials might
reasonably calculate that if they could secure this
district they might control the Convention For
this they had great facilities. Lesyenworth is the
center OF those enormous OUTLAWS made by
the Government for supplying the army Kept
up ut such an expense in ltah-less.
there is much reason to believe, with
a view to any influence or control to be exercised
there, than for the sake Of the political influence to
be derived much nearer home from the expenditure
of so much money. The Government contractors
who have always taken the Pro-Slavery eide, were
Of cour,e ready TO exert influence, and to spend
money, and the enormous number OF transfers
and Others whose services they employ, put it in
their power under plausible pretenses, to make q
very sudden addition to the number of voters.
These advantages were not neglected. The Leav-
euworth District was carried for the Democratic
ticket But other counties, where there were not
the same facilities for Influence and fraud, failed to
come up TO Democratic expectation, and the result
is tina. out of the fifty two members of the Con-
vehtion, the Republicans have q m,jorty of at
least six, and probably of more.
After all the Constitutional Conventions which
have been held in Kansas, the discussions which
have been had, and the popular votes which have
been taken, the mere WORK Of framing Constitu-
ton cannot be very srdaous. 1t must, BY this
time, be pretty well UNDERSTOOD what the people Of
Kansas want, and what they must have Even the
members elected on the Democratic ticket profess,
as we understand it, to be as much in favor as any
body of making Kansas Free State. Their labors
and tfforts in pro-slavery direction will. we sup
pose, be limited to some attempt at recognizing
the Dred Scott decision, and under pretense that
the slaves hitherto held in Kansas have been held
under sanction Of law to give to the possessors of
such slaves the right to continue to hold them, or
at least to allow them certain time, as was done
in California, for removing such slaves out OF the
State We trust the Republican majority will listen
to nothing Of this sort Let them go and prohibit
Slavery in the strongest, plainest, and most
comprehensive terms. Ii, under the Dre1 Scott
decision, the Territorial slayeholders have any
rights tie Supreme Court of the United States will
be quite able to protect them in the enjoyment OF
thoee rights without any volunteer aid from the
Kansas Constitutional Convention. No doubt one
reason Why the Administration wished TO obtain
the control of the Convention, was TO procure the
insertion into the State Constitution Of some clause
which might reconcile the Lecompton United States
Senators 70 the somewhat uncomfortable operation
of eating their own words, that is allowing the
new State to come in free without insisting upon
the requirement as to population by which THEY
had sought to embarrass her. We trust that the
Republican majority will do nothing of that sort,
but that they VII send TO Washington plain,
unequiyocal, downright Free-State Const tu-
tor, which the Pro-Slayery Senatorial msjor-
ity can have the choice Of disesting q.
their leisure, or rejecting at their peril.
But before entering upon their constitutional aoors
there is another duty which the members OF this
Convention owe to their constituents and to the
country. Let them make thorough Investigation
into the means which have been employed to pack
the Convention. The frauds which are said 10 have