Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-02-18

the hotel With sturdy stride and flashing eye,
and told us that the president Of the Unite<
States had that day signed and approved IN
bill admitting Kansas into the Union. III
brought with him and scattered around, ex
tras issued by newspaper puonsheo d
| Leavenworth called the Conservative, an
| nouncing the joyful tidings in farins head
lines The leading spirits IN this newspdpe e,
were D. r. Anthony and D. w. Wider. JUS
think of it, Web. Wilder and Dan. Anthem!
editing conservative newspaper. II was
the most impudent exe1ple of sarcastic mis-
| nomenclature that ever was perpetrated
You might as well try to think of old JONI
Brown, of Osawatomie, God bless MS
| memory as q pro-slavery border rufnan az
these two Knights Militant of free state
party as conservatives. There was ''souno
news ran through the town like wild ire
Houses were lighted, doors were thrown
open, land some were broken OPEN the peo-
pie gathered in public places. Old Sacra,
mento was taken from his resting place ano
emphasized with hoarse throat the good
Gdings: toasts we're drank: songs were sung
speeches were made, and-well, the truth Is
that my recollection is not good after MID
night. You must recollect that the main
ton.
The next day, however. very curious
question arose with the members of that
territorial legislature as to whether the ad-
mission of the state had not taken the life
of that body, and hence had destroyed its
power to pass laws. The session, however,
continued for some days and many acts of a
general nature were passed and the validity of
some of these laws was subsequently affirmed
by decision of the supreme court of the
state of Kansas, and as l see before me
representatives of every branch of the state
government. want to remind them of the
logic of that decision, and it is this: that
however often q mourning state may be
bereft of it's executive and judicial branches,
the legislative branch is immortal. 1t is
we'll, perhaps, to add here in justice to the
absent members of the Wyandotte constitu-
tional convention that the present spasmodic
session of the legislature is not the fault of
the members of that body, bu: is attribute
BILE to some of those carefully prepared and
studiousiy worded amendments that destroy
the harmony and defeat the wisdom of orr
pinal provisions. Another incident of that
last legislature must not be forgotten, some
of its members conceived the idea, that b!
the admission of the state while the terri
torial legislature was in session, that body
became the first state Legislature and had
the right to elect United States senators, and
q resolution passed both houses to
70 into joint convention on the
first day of February for that purpose. There
was no election however because the friends
of the various candidates become somewhat
suspicious that the movement was intended
as a slaughter pen for fond hopes and bright
ambitions, and when the time came, there
we're no victims. When we come to review
the history and proceedings OF the Wyan-
dotte Constitutional convention after it has
been the subject of legal Interpretation and
supplementary legislation for twenty-five
years, two important considerations first
claim notice and comment, and these are
the circumstances of its origin, and the class
of men that composed it. How can describe
the five yeBrs of organized usurpation in the
interests of slavery that hung over the Terri
tory like a pail. Organized bands from
neighboring slave states ralded through the
Territory: they shot down unarmed men in
cold blood: they burnt and sacked towns:
they burned the cabins of the first settlers:
they committed the most outrageous and un-
blushing frauds on the ballot-box: they in
Inundated voters and drove them from the
polls: they haunted free state leaders like
bloodhounds; they imprisoned men
for opinions sake: they filled both
branches of the territorial legislature
ri; and in all this were protected and encour-
aged by national administration as devoted
20 the propagation of slavery, as was the vile
Instruments they employed to drive the free
state settlers from the territory. During
these cruel years several attempts were made
oy the free state men to relieve their condi-
lion, and relief could only come by admis-
sion rs state, or change OF national ad-
ninistration." The Topeka and the Leaven-
NH nal conventions 6t-
;empts in that direction, but the time for
leliverance was not now ripe yet through all
.hese cruel years, angels of hope sat upon
he hearthstone of the Kansas cabins, sing
Gg:
For freedoms battle once begun.
Beoueathed by bleeding sire to son,
Though bafiled oft is ever won."
Time aided the persistence and patience of
The free state settlers: immigration was CON-
INC in from the north; the legislature and
local offices were now controlled by the bona
ide residents, and the friends of Kansas
we're about to control the lower house of
congress, and were gaining in the
senate. Encouraged by these good
indications, the legislature of 1859 on the
18th day of February, passed an act author
ling a vote of the people to be taken on the
and state government. The vote was taken
on the 2Sth day of March, and resulted four
to one in its favor. An election for delegates
was then ordered on the 4th day of June.
At that election there we're more than four
teen thousand votes cast. The convention
met on the 9Th day of July. 1t was bravely
right that it should meet at Wyandotte with
in sight and hearing of slave soil. The
personal composition of this body of men
was peculiar. and it may be that it was this
regularity that made their work a success.
For causes that are unnecessary and un-
profitable to here discuss. not a single one
of the numerous and worthy men who wer=
BY common consent regarded as leaders in
free state movemant, had seat in the con-
vention. 1t was composed of that great
middle class. who are the strength and wis
dom of political organization. 1t was
class of men who acted from conviction
with sense of their responsibilities, and not
from any hope of their personal advance
ment. These members had more or less
local prominence. or they would not have
been selected as delegates, but not one of
them. with the possible exception of Winch
ell. we're possessed of that influence. Standing
and general acquaintance through the terri
tory, that would entitle them to be consider
ed in any sense as leaders. They were
strangers to each other and
when they assembled in Wyandotte on the
9Th day of July. personally knew but four
of them. and many members were more IN
fortunate in that respect than was. They
had no personal ambition to crafty, no an