Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-04-01

Every member OF the succeeding
Legislatures. every judge of election,
every voter, must swear TO his faith
fulness or the test questions OF slavery.
Every officer in the Territory judicial,
executive or legislative, every at
tornev admitted TO practice III the
courts, every juryman weighing evil
! ience OH the rights of shareholders,
must attest his sonndness in the in
/ terest of slavery and his readiness to
endorse its most repugnant measures.
To all this was added reign Of ter
r0r in which the life aud property of
1 Free State men were rendered inse-
cure. The Territory was traversed
by armed bands of pro-sIavery men
from Missouri ard other southern
! States: indictments were found
against the leading Free State men.
aud such as did not flee the Territory
were arrested and imprisoned. The
whole civil aud military power of the
United States Government was
welded under the direction of the
pro-slavery leaders 70 the purpose of
intimidating and driving from the
Territory the Free State majority in
order that the small minority of pro-
slavery men might, backed by their
NONRESIDENT allies, make of Kansas a
slave State.
it is not surprising, therefore, that
the Free State majority did not par
| ticipate in the so-called election
of October, 1856 But their absence
stamped as convincingiy as their pres
ence could have done the usurping
character o. the who proceeding.
Il was from such sources that the
! Lecompion constitution sprung-the
creature OF violence and fraud, of the
most airociou, conspiracy against the
rights ola free people which had ever
been praciiccd upon the American
continent.
IL WAS This constitution, conceived
in fTaHd and brought forth in iniquity,
which the convention framing it had
refused to submit to the people for
their approval, which established and
perpeiustcd slavery, aud which the
people of the Territory at an election
cal ed for the purpose by the Terrific
rial Legislature had voted down over
whelminely, which Mr.. Buchanan
commended 10 Congress "a the '.exer-
else Of the right of seif-gOycrnment,"
uuder which he urged the admission
of Kansas into The Union-practically
asking Congress 10 force Kansas into
the Union as q slave State.
have found it instructive 10 re-
examine the Congressional history of
that time, aud my memory was not at
fault in telling me that those who led
the iight in favor CT forcing slavery
upon an unwilling people and in the
effort TO force Kansas INTO the Union
against the all but unanimous vote of
her people, were those who then rep
resented the states of Missouri and
South Carolina IN both Houses of
Congress.
The Senate of that day, giving swift
heed to the request of Mr.. Buchanan,
by the vote of every Democratic mem
Der except those of Douglas and three
or four followers from the Northern
States, voted to admit Kansas into
The Union under the Lecompton con-
stitution. The House majority, less
resolutc in its determination TO force
Kansas into the Union as slave
State, substituted for the bill Of the
Senate what came TO be known as the
English bill. which submitted 10 the
people of Kansas the question of their
desire TO come into the Union under
the LecoIapton constitution at an
election 10 be held III the following
August, and the Senate subsequently
Welding the bill became law.
This wa supposed 10 be Il reason
ably certain way Of bringing Kansas
into the Union under the Lecompton
constitution, on account OF the evil
dent de- ire OF the people of Kausas 10
be admitted into the Union and the
great inducements offered. The bill
not only offered to the people of Kan
sas the greatest quantity OF land for
Dublic purposes ever offered TO a new
State in ca,e they voted 10 come INFO
the Union under the Lecompton con
stituiion-and in ease of the vote be-
ing in the affirmative the President
was authorized 10 proclaim the result,
and thereupon, without further pro-
ceedings of Congress, Kansas should
at once be ;ome State of the Union
but in the event that the people should
reject the Lecompton constitution /!
wss provided that the Territory
shout, not be admitted unit. by CEN
sus, thereafter to be taken, there shou d
be shown Ia be population 'qui to
thu ratio Of representation required
for ,asm3.r 81 the House Of Repre-
senta -te-. Ia which etcut i concen-
ton t. frame new constitution
might he called. etc.
But tie temptation WAS uaav tiling.
Much p the people ct Kansas desired
admission III the Union for the pur-
pose OF being :id oi the infamous and
hateful prosecutions of the Federal
Government, they could not be coaxed
or bribed to aha,e one jot or title
of their determination TO come III
only Under Free State constitution,
and one. too of their own framing so at
the election ordered bN the English bill
they buried the Lecompton constitu-
ton out of sight under an overwhelm-
ing avalanche of their votes. Out of
a total vote Of over 1000 all but l 800
were cast against the constitution.
Then the census was taken, men,
Der. of constitutional convention
duly chosen. constitution framed,
which was In turn submitted TO the
people for their approval or rejection.
\ majority of more than two TO one
voted in its favor in the largest poll of
votes ever cast ia the Territory. and
the constitution was transmitted for
presentation TO the first session of the
Thirtv-sixth Congress in December,
1859. In the follow ing April an act
,,,eoI Al, IIDnza l.- tha votes nf Tho
Republicans and Douglas Democrats
Kansas uader the new con-
stltgiion, and on the 2lst day OF the
following Jauua'y (ls6D the Senate
passed the bill with an amendment.
the vote on the same being classified
as in the House: aad GA the Goth day
OF the same month President Buch- |
auau signed il. and ksnsas was finally. |
after e great aud bloody struggle, adj
mttted into the Union rs free state. |
The struggle IS significant 10 be re-
called because of the historical parallel |
il furnishes - VIVA: l. transporting |
now.
The last III a long line Of Democratic |
until the present. made in |
decent haste II urge, officially, that
Kansas be forced into the Union I'M
der a constitution which established |
slavery ON soil cousecrated 10 freedom.
;hc people TO be al !
fccied bv il had overwhelmingly re-
pud.ateG il. The representatives OF
the national Democracy of that time, |
le,i BIZ the senators and Members from
Missouri and South Carolina. were