Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-03-06

In the Senate of the United States, Friday,
February ), 1886.

February >, 1886.
On the bill Is. 1879 to provide for the a
mission of the state of Dakota into t
Union and for the organization of the ter
tory Of Lincoln:
Mr.. Plumb said:
Mr.. President: / do not wish to deta
the senate at this late hour to any conside
able length, nor in fact to make q set spec,
on this subject after the very thorous
manner in which it has been discussed |
the senators on both sidec of the chambe
but there are some facts bearing upon ii
attitude of parties to this question whie
seem to have been overlooked in the discu
sion and which think are pertinent to
that shall be glad to bring to public after
ton.
So much has happened since 1861 that tn
memories of very few persons go back
that very important period in the history G
the country. So many important event
have TRANSFERRED since that date that wha
occurred before it has come to be quite an
Gent history. At this moment it seem
wise to refer to il.
In 1857 the Legislature of the Territory o
Kansas, then being in the hands of the pro
slavery party, under a government that wa
instituted not by the people of the Territor,
of Kansas, but by the people of South Caro-
lima and Missouri chiefly, passed an act TO
the assembling of a convention to frame /,
constitution for the proposed state of Kan.
sas. The members of the constitutional
convention were elected in the spring Of
1857, and at that election only about 2,0O(
votes were cast; that is to say, the entire
vote cast for members of the convention to
frame the constitution was only about 1900
The convention met in the succeeding sum-
mer, and then, for reasons which it
Is not necessary to enumerate, adj
journed until October. Pending their
reassembiing the regular annual
territorial election for the choice OF
members of the territorial legislature was
held, and at that election for the first time
in the history of the territory the free state
men prevailed and elected q very considera-
BILE majority of the members of both houses
of the legislature Notwithstanding the fact
that there were very large number of
fraudulent votes cast in behalf of the pro-
slavery or democratic candidates, LOGO votes
for the democratic candidates having been
returned from Oxford, q village of six
houses, on the line between Missouri and
Kansas, where it was shown only about fifty
people lived and where but about thirty votes
were actually cast; and ZOO votes being re-
turned for the democratic candidates from
MCGEE county, in which not over twenty
families resided and in which not vote was
cast and no election held.
The constitutional convention thus called
met at its adjourned session in the month of
October and continued in session until
some time in November following. 1t framed
constitution, which was subsequently,
submitted TO congress, and which is known
in the history of that time az the Lecomp-
ton constitution. By the ordinance of that
constitution there was to be submitted to the
people of the territory of Kansas. at an cleo
ton called and to be held on December q.
~ 4 H.. e J. ~
constitution nor the question as to whether
the people desired to be admitted into the
Union under it, but simply the question as
to whether they would have the constitution
with slavery or the constitution without
slavery. They were to have the constitution
and admission under it in any event. The
form of the submission was this: After stat
ing that the vote should be by ballot and
naming how the judges and clerks of cleo
ton should be appointed etc, the ordinance
goes on to say:
"The president, with two or more members
of this convention, shall examine said poll
books, and if it shall appear upon said ex-
animation that majority of the legal votes
cast at said election be IN favor of the con-
stitution with slavery" he shall Immediately
have the same transmitted to congress of
the United States, as hereinbefore provided:
but if, upon such examination of said poll
books, it shall appear that majority of the
legal votes cast at said election be in favor
of the constitution with no slavery" then
the article providing for slavery shall be
stricken from this constitution by the presi
dent of this convention, and slavery
shall no longer exist in the state
of Kasnsas, except that the
right of property in slaves now in this terri
tory shall in no manner be interfered with,
ETC."
The submission, it will be seen, was not
for the purpose of ascertaining the sense of
the voters of the territory of Kansas as to
whether they desired to be admitted into the
union at all, nor as to whether they desired
10 be admitted into the union under that
constitution, but only whether in case they
had to be admitted, that being assumed, they
desired to be admitted under the constitu-
ton with slavery or the constitution without
slavery; and it was so framed, as will be OBJ
served by the language which | have quoted,
hat slavery in any event was to be main
aimed in the state of Kansas. By the
,erms of the constitution it could not be
amended until the year 1864. 1t was well
understood that q large majority of the peo-
pie of Kansas were for making it free
state, and that as soon as they could get
heir hands on the constitution, if they
should be admitted under it, they would
make 1t an instrument of free
lom and not an instrument of slavery; but
he constitution, as l said, was so framed
hat it could not be amended before the year
1854, and thus if the people of the territory
If Kansas voted for the constitution with
slavery they were certain to have that insti-
ution with them as part of the funda-
mental law until that year; and if they voted
or the constitution without slavery then
hey were to have slavery forever 20 the ex-
ent that they then had it; in other words, in
he very expressive and happy language of
DIR. Seward in his speech on that subject in
he senate:
Each voter was permitted to cast a ballot |
for the constitution with slavery" or ''for
he constitution with no slavery" and it was
urther provided, that the constitu-
ion should stand entire, if a majority of
otes should be cast for the |
constitution with slavery, while on the other !
and, if the majority of votes cast should be |
for the constitution with no slavery" then |
he existing slavery should not be disturbed, |
ut should remain, with its continuance, by |
he succession of its unhappy victims by |
escent forever.
At the election which was held, at which |
hese two questions were voted upon, the re-
ult was announced to be constitution with |
Iavery, 6,226; constitution with no slavery,
~: total vote of less than 1000, and two
birds of the affirmative votes were fraudu-
mt.
The ordinance of that constitution pro-
ided for the election of a state ticket, the
lection for that purpose to be held on the
tn day of January, 1858.
Immediately after the adjournment of the
constitutional convention, it
cling discovered then that the constitution
self was not to be submitted to the people,
nd the full scope of the determination
nd conspiracy to force Kansas into the
MON under pro-slavery constitution be-
1g appreciated, leading free state members
I the legislature-elect united in request to
&c actlng governor of the territory, Hoe. F.
;. stanton, to convene the newly elected
srrltorial legislature in extra session in or
or that measures might be taken if possible