The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-03-06

ety, IN Topeka, FEB. ., lobcs
ny HON. GEO. A. CRAWFORD.
The Lecompton Constitution was the
climax of all the efforts of the pro-sla-
very party, through years of struggle,
TO cnsiavs Kansas. That last desperate
attempt to fix slavery here failed only
because of the fraud and violence of the
few who led. They W ere ''hoist by their
own petard." The finding of the can
dle-box, withthe fraudulent election re-
turns, under the w ood-pile, was the OK
plosion of magazine under them and
their plOttings. Briefly, we tell the
story of the sCalhoun eandle-box,
promising THAT all WHO were Lccomp-
tonitcs were not fraHdites. ~
Gov. Walker came TO give fair play
to the squatters. he begged them to
abandon their own unauthorized state
Government movement of Topeka, and
accept that of Congress. He Ecsought
them to vote in the election of delegates
to the Lccompton Constitutional Con-
vention; Offering military protection at
the polls, and pledged himselfto oppose
the constitution if it were not submit
ted to the people. lie drove SurNcso''
General John Calhoun and his col
leagues. candidates for delegates IN
Douglas county, to pledge themselves
that the constitution should be referred
back to fhc people, for ratification or
rejection. But, unfortunately ,, the Free
State men, too late, would only believe
i'll Walker when he had been rejected
by the pro-slayery, and had gone TO
| Washington to redeem. his pledge and
be bchcadcd for their sake. ~ ,,.f,s r.
From the moment that Governor
Walker pledged himself to- urge
the rejection of the constitution
| if it were not submitted to ,thepeo-
pie, the Surveyor Generals clique
began to plot his overthrow. If they
could not remove him, they would Sc
cure the defeat of his confirmation. A
submission to the people would lose
Kansas to slavery. It would defeat
Calhoun's chances for the U. S. Senate.
It would end their long reign of ter
ror here. All depended, first, on the
overthrow of Walker and second, as a
consequence, the easy triumph of the
'Lccompton," and slavery. nat
They sounded the alarm South, against
| Walker. They worked at first in the
secrcsy of pretended friendship. Dem
ocratic State Conventions, South, began
to resolve against Walker. 1t became
| % loc
ator from Mr.. Buchanan's own State
visited Kansas in June, 1857, and wrote
long letter to the President, giving
his own observations in vindicatiOn o.
| Walker. In that letter the writer here.
of was pleased to join. The fall cleo.
tions came. BY fraud and violence and
a free use of the Cincinnati Directory
the Lecomptonitcs carried. Walker
honest ruler that he was, ''went behind
the returns" probed the frauds, anC
gave the certificates to the Free-Statt
men who were opposing him. Thi
made him to the fraudites an "aboli
tionists" and "traitor to the party"
When they made their Lecomptol
constitution, they not only refused t,
submit it as a whole, but they made thu
President of the ConVention-Calhou
and not the Territorial Governor
Walker, the fraud cxposer-the recipi
ent and judge of the returns, with pow
er to issue certificates of election.
fraction of the Frce-State men, secin
that they had stood apart with folde
hands long enough to let the Govcrno
lose the battle, thought there was yC
time to retrieve it. If they could cleo
Free-State officers under that constitu
ton, its adoption would not be insiste
on by the South, and, if adopted, tn
people would be safe in the hands c
their own officers. They nominated
Free-Statc ticket, Judge G. w. Smit
at the head, for Governor. The oil
frauds and the Cincinnati Director
were repeated, and Calhoun held til
{ returns. He was determined. to issu
: certificates to his own adherents, an
( make himself U. S. Senator from IL
slave States of Kansas.
When the nnn-snhmission of the col
stitution became apparent, Gov. Wall
or and his friends made every effort !
secure its rejection by Congress. Ind
: an Agent McCaslin, Buchanan's o
friend. dared to raise q voice again
these frauds upon the people, and
ID head went off. The writer hereof a
I'd pealed to his old friend, Gov. Parkt
50 the Democratic Governor of Mr.. Buc
ID anan's own State, and the Governor pr
" tested in his message against the 1
compton. Col Forney, who ma
Buchanan President, was chairman
the Democratic State Central Comm
on tee, and editor of the Democratic org
on of the State, He also heard the appe
A. of justice, and made war OH the ]
ms compton andthe President. The w
oil ter hereof also visited his friend, Jud
Douglas, before he went to Washil
l., ton, and urged him to make that ifs
which ended SO gloriously in the def
of the Lecompton. 1t may be well
is say, pareuthetically, that such audac
incurred the ill-win of Clarke, Bro
EFT, Hamilton &. Co. They attemp
a If assassination, and finally gave me a
nos lite note of invitation to leave the ST
be with something added about beiu
M. ing "dead man by twelve o'clock" p.
The contest opened mp in Congr
Douglas, giant that he was, made b
j"