OCR Text |
Show 10~ A POLITIC.\.L TEXT-ROOK FOR 1860. Lhc expn: ~im 1 or abolition senUmeuts, produce disturbance to tlw ,1uic t of the dtlzcns, or dall!..(l'r to their tlmnes- 1 ic r elations; lltlll all such pcr::~ons so olfcnding shall be lioti!\cd 1llld mad\J to leave the 't'errltory." The t 1 nc\Jling was "ably tw•l cloqt:;uUy ntl.dres~e<l by luth•c Lecomt'lc Coloncl1 ~·~.- WcstctU 1\ltsRouri, ' 0 anti other:!." 'l'h' us the hea~ " tho JU(IIelfLry 1n ~ I1 0 '.". erri - tory uot only a~sis\ed at a pu(rllo and bitterly partisan meetin~ whose direct tendency was to protluce viole nce and di ·order' hut b efore any law is passed in the 'l'crritory, he prcjud.,~s th~ character of the domestic institution• which t.lle pe;ple of the Territory were, by their organic law," left perfectly free to form and r egulate in their own wny." On this committee were s everal of those who h eld certl- 11cl\tes of election as members of the l •glslature; ~ome of the others were then and still arc r e:;i,ll'nt::J of .Missouri; and many of tho committee h:we siBcc b een appointed to the lcu.dlng omces in the 'l'ciTitory, ono or which i\1 the :;h criii:tlLy of Lho county. 'l'hdr IJ.rst net was that of mou-hlng Phillips. "'- . 'ubsequently, on the 25th of !\Jay, A.n. 18.>.J, n pubhc meeting was held, at which R. It !tees, :\ me 111her elect of the council, pre::Jided. 'l'he following r e:solutionH, otfcre~ l hy Judge l'ayne, o. member elect of the house, were uuammously allOI)ted: "lltwulad, Thnl we henrtily Indorse lhc nctlon of thr rom mil· tno of clt17.,•ns that shaved, turrell 1\lltl f,·athl' l'l'd, rode Ot\ n r'\11 llll(l had. sold by n negro, W1lllam l'h .ll!ps, t.h..: u1vra l pcr)nr<•r. "Jle.,·oloed, Thnt we rctnrn onr thankq lo lh•• <·on unlll t·r fnr faithfully JH'rformlng tho trust eujoin,a.l nponlbcm by tlw .l'rr>· l:lltt.\' •ry p!Lrty. "Jlc.•olvc<l , Thnl the commltloo IH' now 1llscharg•••l. "lle.~d ••ed, 'l'h1\l we sovort>ly Cllttth•mu 1h1Jsn l'1·n ~l""''I'Y men who, from merronnry motl\•l's, nr\J en lllw,: upon ll11 · I' ro· ~ltwPry party to submit without ftll'thrr 1\ction. "llt:.w>lv((l, 'l'hat in order to s~·cu1·o \H'n<·t• n1Hl h:t rm"".l' to the com111nnlly, wo now Rolcmnly 1 '·clan\ lhllt. lh•· l't·u Slavery party will stnml firmly by an<lt'.Lrry o11t th•· ,.,.,_ol11 tious l'l'porll''l by tho committ~: o ll]l)JUIItlt•d t'oJr llla l ptll'IH'H~ <•ll t 10 11\PIIlOI'ILUl() i!(),h." The a ct of moral perjury here rcfcrre'l to is the swea rIng by Phillips to a truthful protest in rl'gard to the clcctio: l of March 30, in the XYllh Di~trlt:t. 'l'he mcmhers receiving their ccrtilicat~·s of t lac CiO\·ernor as mcmhcrs of the General Assembly of the 'l'e rrit<•ry , met at P!Lwnee, Lhe place appointctl hy th(• O(lvcn wr1 on the 2u or July, A.D. 1 55. Their proc,·e• ling~ arc ~t.ale<l in ) three printed hooks, h er ewith suhmitt•tl, ·ntitlctl r,·slH.'Ctively, "The Statutes of the Te rrit ory of Kau~ as," "The .Joumal of the Council of the •rl'ITitot·y o r Kansas," and "The J ournal of the ll ou~e of Heprcl:>entat ivc:; of thl:! Territory or Kansas." Your Committee do not regarrl th eir cnacllnc nt :.; ns valid laws. A lcgblat ure thus !tnJHl<!cd upon lL tH: nplc ·annot affect their political ri;shts. Sud1 an alkmpt to tlo so if successful, l::J virtually an on:rthrow of the or~-:anic l:~w, and r educes the p eople of the Te rritory to the condition of vassals to a neighboring State. 'l'o avoid the edls of anarchy, no armed or organize,\ resi.:~tancc to t!~t·m shoulrl be made, but the ci liz,·n:~ s l1ould 1\j))ll'al to the hallot-hox 11.t puhlic elections, to tile f,·de r,ll jtl\lid arv and to Congrc,;::~, for relief. 'uch, fmtn the proof, wnttitl haq• h ecn the course of the pcoplo ·, l)lll fo1· the natun• of t111 •8c l'llact m~: nt~ t\nd the mann..:r iu wldch thl'Y nrc l'llfOITt•tl. Thl•ir charactl!r and tltdr ex,·cution han; lll•cn ~0 iutimatcly conncctc1l with one branch or this inv~·sti .. ation- that. rclatin!( to" violent anll tumultuonH t>~·oceeSin!-is in the Territory " - that we Wl!re ·ompc lh'd t.o l'X:unine them. . 'l'he "l:nv:;" in tile .·tatul . .:-hol)ks nre g ' IH·ral an<l speCial; the ltttter a rc tnctly of a \neal charaet ('r, n•l:tt.inf( to hritlt~es, roa1 l~, an< I thu Iii~"· 'l'h ' gr eat hotly of the g ~:n ern. l l<tws are exact Lran~:~cn pts from the Missouri co1lc To make them in E'OIIIC cases conform t1 the org:Lili ~ a ct separate a ct:! wen· pa~»ed, clcliuing the m •:llliug of wor<lf;: Thus the word "::-ttate" l~ to he undn:;tnorl a~ mraning 11 Territory;" the words" Count.r C'ourt" !!hall he co n~tru,•d to mean the boanl of commissione r\! transacting co:mty business, or the Probate c.,nrt., al'l:Ording to the lut cnt thereof. The word::! "Circuit Court" t.o mean ' ' Uh.trict Court." The material dirrercnces in lh•• Mi~~o11ri nu<l J<:tnsas statutes are upon the followin,; !'nhj •(·t ~: 'l'he qll:\1\fi '<ttions of voters anti of lll <' ll~het-s of t.h..: I ·gi~l~ttive ussemhly; t.he official oath of ali olhcc a·:;, atto nw.v~, :tn1l vokt"H · the mode of sclectiu ~; ollicc1·s and their quali!icalions · 'the ela v c codo.1, nncl the qualifit:ar.ions of ju1·ors. ' Upon th•~se suhj l!l' t ~ , the provi~ions o f the !lll s~ouri corle arc such as aro us ual in many of t he Ht.at.l'~. But hy the " K a II".,.·1 "., . •' t· ~~·•! -.t•. es " e ve ry o n·t c•~ ~·~ ~ t. 1· ~ 'l'c rrt· tory, c :·< ccu-t. lve allll JlldH:ml, was to be nppollltc ll by the lc~lslaturc, or hy some onieer iLppolntecl by it. These appointments were not nw1·ety to meet a tempot·ary exi~;enc.v, hut we re to hold ovet·. two r..:~uhLr election.~, and until aftl'r the general e lection In October, 1 S57, at which the m t!mbers of the n ew council were to he e lected. Tht' lli'W IP~o:l~ht· tnr • 1::~ r e<tulred to meet on the tlr!.t Mont b y In .lanuury, 1858. 'l'hus, hy the terms of Uwse "luws," the pcO)Jl~ have no co ntrol whntc ver over clt.hcr th > legblalurc, the ex ecutive, or the judicial de partments o f the 'I' ·nitorlal government until a time hc fore which , by Uw natnraiJ>rogress of p opulation, the Territoria l govcrnml•nt will be sup~: rseded by a 'I ate government. No session of the legislature is to be held 1l11rlng 1, 'i6 but the me mber:~ of the House arc to be el·clecl in Oclohl·; of that yco.r. .A camlidaLe, to h e c li~ihlc at thi::~ election must swear to support the fu~il\ve s lave law; n•ul each judge of election, and each v oter, if challenJ,;ctl, must tako the same oatil. 'l'he s:une oath is r equired of t•vcry oflicer e lected or appointe<\ in the T erritory, and of every attorney a<lmitt.e <l to pmct.ice in the courtg. A portion or the militia i~ n•qnlrctl to muster on the dny of elcct iou. " Every free white male citizen of the U nlt ~J f'tat(·s, and e very fr •e male ltulia n who is m:Hie a citizen by treaty or oth •rwl~c, atl<l O\'er the age of twenty-one y~:ars, nn<l who ~ila\1 be 1\11 i nlwliilant of the Territory and o f the county 1tnd cli~triet. In which he oll'c rs to vote antl shall h aYe paid a 'l\•rritorial t a x , s ha ll be a (lunlillctl elector for all declive omc,•s." 'l'wo classes of perRon~ were tllllt~ excluded, who, hy the organic act, were allowed to vote, viz.: those who wouhl not ~wear to the oath required, and those of forl'ign birth who had declared on oath their int •ntlon to become dtiz,•ns. Any n1an of proper ng' who wns in tho Territory on the day uf election, and who hatl paid ono tlollar as a tax to the ahcrif!, who was required to he at the p oll:; to r ccch •e it, could vole ns an " inhnbltanL," althou~;h he hntl breakfasted In Mis~o uri, and intended to r eturn Uwn: for supper. 'l'hcrc can he no douht that this unusual and uncon~ titutlon nl provi::~l o n was lnscrte<l to prevent n full nnd f1tlr cxprcs· sion o r the popular will in the election of members of tbc house, or to control it by non-r e!:!idcnts. All juror:~ are r equired to he selected by tho sheriff, anrl " no p er!lon who is conscie ntiously opposed to the ho lding- o f slaves, or who docs n ot admit the righ t to hold ~ Ia vc• in the Territory, shall be a juror in any ca usc" affecting the right to h old sla vcs, or rdatiug to ~ Ia v c property. The til a vc Code, an<l every provis ion r elating to ·Ia vcs, are of a character intolerant and unusual even fur that Ch\~1! of legislation. The character nntl condurt of tho men appointed to hold office in the 'J'orrit. o. y contributed v ery much t.o produce the events which fnll o wcd. Thus ,'am11cl J. J one:~ was appoint ed s heriff of the county or Douglas, which inclu1lud wilhin it the l s t. l\ncl lld Election J)i:;tricts. lie hac! matle himself p cculia:ly obnoxious to the !!et.tle1·s by hi~ conduct on the 801h of March in the lid Dis trict., and by his bnrning the cabins of J oseph Oakley nnd ~amucl Smith. An t'lecti on for d e legate to Co n~ rcss , to be h eld on the 1st day of October, l 55, was provided for, wiLh the saute rules nn<l r egulations as were applied to other elections. 'l'hc .lt'ree-. late men took no part In this election, having mnde arrangements for h olding ao ell.'ction on the 9th of the same mo n th . 'l'he citizens of ~l a:;so ul'i ltltcn<lecl nt t.he election of t he 1st of October, s,vme paying the dollar tax, and oth e~ not being requir e<! to pay it. 'l'hcy were present and voted at the voting plact'S o f At chi on and Doniphan, in Atchison County; nL Orccnc Springs, ,Johnson County; at Will ow .'prill),'li, 11'ranklin, nnd Lecompton, in Douglas County; a t F ort Scott, Bourbon County; at Baptiste !'nola, Lykins Cotmt.v, where some Indians votetl, some whites p:\ying the ~I t.ax for t.hctn ; at Leave nworth City, and at Kiekapoo ViLy, Leavenworth Count.y; nt the l~tt.ter place, under the lead o f 0 e n. B. 1<'. String fellow and Col. I.ewi::J lhrnes of !\lis ouri. .lt'rom two o r the election precint:~ at which it wall allegctl there was illegal voting - vi z., ])elawnre anti Wyanclottc-your Committee failed to ohtaln the attenda nce of witn esst's Your Com111ittce llicl not d eem it n ecessary, in r egartl Lo this e lection, to enter into details as it was manifc.;t thtlt, from there hciug but one ct~ndidate-Oen. Whitfieldhe must have received a majority of the vote:~ cast 'l'hi.; e lect ion, IIH!rerNe, depends n ot on the numb~r .or character of the vot <.'S received, but upon the vahd1ty of tl •c law~ un<l er which it was h eld. .'ullicient. te,;t.m,> n.v was L•tk •11 to show t.hnt the vot.ing of citir.ens of tll.s:<ouri was pract iced at t.his election, as 1\t all fo ln t·r c!c?l ions in the 'l'erritory. 'J'he foll owing tahle will ex· ht btt the result or the t estimony ns r e~;a nl :~ the numher of legal and illeg:LI votes at thil! election. The county of ~l 1u·s hall emhraccs till• 11ame territory as wa'i inc lu<lcrlln the Xlth District; and tho rca11ons before at.ILI ,:d ill(li· c::tt e tl~at the grPat majorlt..v or tho votes then cnllt were Clt her 11\ t•~:::d or lkt it.iou~. In the counth•1-1 to which our e xan1inatllm ('Xt cn<IP<l, the c we,·c -- i\I P);'al votes c:~t, a." Il e a .· a:; the proof wtll e llable us to dctcnuiue. l,· 1-:;. REPORT OF KAK AS IXVESTIGATIXG COMMI'l"fEE. 108 .. ABSTRACT OF POLL-UOOKS OF OCTOBER 1, 18u5. - --------------:-------------..,.------- ------------. '""' (,) COUNTIES. 'fOW.SSDIPS, t:.i; .".', c 0 ·;::: ....... ~ :: "(,') 0 CfJ E-< .... ..... 0 0 o 1 c ~ ~ I At chi~on . . ... .. 0 rsts::~lt oppl'r ... ............. . 7 181 2.J2 4 2!) --~-- ~hUilll O II .• , . • , .• • • •• .• 4 210 n olll·hon .. . .• ... . . ... . .... .. }lt'OWII . •• ••• ••• • • •. ••• •••• . Callaou1a .. . .............. . . . Da vis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4 \Wt [jt) 1 !!2 4 29 1~ Doniphan .... . . ... .... ..... . Uurr Oak .. ............... . ~-12 31 !iG {)!) 4 2!) H 41 I owa . ...... . .. ........ .... . :ll \\' ay ne . . ...... . . . ... .... . .. Wa~-!hi11gton ......... . . . . . .. . 1 (i:! 4 [ )!) Wolf Ri ver ..... .... ...... . ()!3 SG 4\! [):\ Q;1 4:.! Douglas ..... .. .. .•. ..... ... . Franklin ............ . ...... . ('•) ••J Lawr ·nee .. ..... . ...... . . . . . Lecompton ........ . ...... . ltll ll13 15 42 100 Frnnklln . ...• ..•.•.•.....• • J cU'cn10n . ...•.........•... Johu~on ... . . ......... . . . .•. Willow Spring•..... . . . . . .. . 332 ] :\ 4,') 1!)0 8 9t) 100 Lca.vcnw<>rth .............. . Alexandria ............... . 4'.! 239 1150 212 240 221l Del:tw lLrc. . . . . . . . ......... . Klckapoo . .•.•. . ••..... .. . .. 1 r>o l.cavcnworth ...••...• .. ..... 100 WyM<lott.. .. ......... . .. .. . Lykins . ....... ........ .... . . 5 !}5 220 70 150 Lynn . ..................... . 67 67 l\J ad1~011 ... . .. .... . ....... .. l\1 :tr~h a 11 . . ..•......•.••.... ('co Wise Co. ) .... . .. . ..... . 171 l1t 21 147 Neill aha ................... . 6 6 Riley ..... . ..•.. .. . .. ...... 2 2 Shawnee . .. .. . . .. ..•.. ... .. One H undr ed and 'l'en .. . ... . G 2 2:~ [)2 H 23 1'ecu mHeh . . . .. . . ..• . . •. .••. . 75 fJ2 'Vi:,~r . . ... . . ... . ............ . Council Grove ............. . . 14 ]4 While these en;tctmenls o f the nllegcd legislative asPembly wct·c hl'ing mn<k, o. tnov ·ment was ini!tltutetl to for111 a SLal.e govcnnneut, n ntl apply for acllllissi on into the Union as :1 SI:Ltc. 'J'he first 8ter taken by the p eople or the Territory, in consequence or the invasion of March 80, 185:>, wn ~ the circul:ttion fo r 11ignaturc o f 11 graphic nnrl truthful lliCIII O I'IH~ to Congrc:l~. Your Committee find thn.t e very allegation in t his memorial has bc t•n sus~ aine'l uy the t t· ~tilllolly. No furth er step WI\!! taken, a!! It was hoped tl1 nt ~OillC action by the Oen<> r a l Oo,·ernm. nt wo ~thl protect tht•m in the ir r ights. When the nllt:getl l~g,~lati ve a•"t'luhly proceeded to const ruc t the se ries o r ~IHLctmc nt ::J re ferred to, the HCtt lcrs wer..: of opi nion t hn.t suhmi~Mion lo then• would r esult in depriving them o f t.lre rights Hccured to lht•nt by the o 1·ganic law. 'l'heir p oli tical cn n<liLion wa~ fn•t· ly di~cusscd in the Territory during lhc sum1ner of l ;l5. Several mecti nj2's were h eld in rdncnce to holdin).( a convention to form a St1UC gov~ mncn t, ll.n<l to npply fr1r atlm i:~io n Into the Union as 1\ !'tate. ~'uhlic o pirdon gmdually 8Cttled in fa.vor of such 11 11 H)lphcatron to the Congr l:!ss to meet in December, 1 :>f). '!'he first gt·nemlmee ting was held in Lawrence on IJ1c l~th of A ugu:-~t , 1 ~5. Tltc foli uwing prealllblo nncl r esolutions were then pa ~~cd : "11'/iu,..a.,, Thr proplo of Knnsns luwe hN•n, since Its PN!IrnH•nl, fl.IHI now aro, wit hout. any lnw-rnaku1g powt1r, th<•n•fc>rtl h1• iL '· R•.,o/, f•l, '1 lmt we, th11 JWople of Kn.mms T rrllory, In mn.ss mrt•tlll!( a~sc•mlrlt·d , irrt·~pecllve of p:trty dlllt.lnctionR, lnHu· rn•:~·d by co m nHlll iWep~sil v and ~rt>allv deslronR of promoting lht: 1'01111111Hl' g<111 l., rlolu•n·t',y t•.dl n pon•i.nd rer/ t.lt~Stllli/IOIIIL}idt. rll7.1'HI! of Kan ~ns 'I' <'ITttnrv ofwh·1tllv1•r polit. eal vlc•ws or preclll .. ,·tlon~. lo t•onsnll to~<'lh~·r in tlu·lr r11~pcctlvtl t<;h'ctlon llhc· ttr·l~·t~ lllld ln lll,L•II <·on Vl'IIIIIHl 01' Othenvl~!\ ('itlclt wrc' ll dclt•grLl<•R Ot 1·1\l'h l'l' (ll't'SI'IIIILIIvo to which I!Hid r:luciiOn J)l~ tl'lct 115 (' 11· :':':'u Ill tht• I l ou~" 11f ltPpn·sPnlativ,•s of thll Lrgl!'ll.l.th·e AI!IIClll · ~~~ ~ lJhy IJI'fll'l Llllltlon or (;ll\'I'I'IIIJr lt neder, of dl\tll 19th Of 1\rt· ' Ill:'~~; Rn\d <lc•lc•_::nlc•s to as!<••mlol•• In convl'ntlon, nt the <own of 1 Op!'k·1, on the• l!l.h <lnv of SPptPmlHlr, lf\.'1[), thPn an<l th··r•• to l'llnsl•l •·r A old dc•to· r •ui nt• upon nil subjm:tl! of pnhl .c lntt ·rPKt, and pat·ti, niLI'Iv npo11 that having rl'fct·,•n<·o to tho 8(kl•dy fonnal\1111 or 11 ~IIlli' ( 'onstit ntion, Wlih IU\ llltentlon Of 11!1 lnlln··dta ,. :tppil<"ll!nn to b11 r~<lmlttcd as n St.alc Into the l: ulou of 1 h" t nil <'d Stllli'S of A mc:rlca.." Otht·r ~llt'\·ting-.• w1·re li t·ld in vnrioua partR of the Terrilory. Wlt iCil lmlur~e,) Lhe :J.CLiOII or t.ht: Lawrence meeting, and de legates were sclecte<l in compliance with its recommend a tions. 1'hey me t at Topeka, on tho 19th clay o f • eptembcr, 18.55. lly their rcsolutionR, they p rovider! fl) t' lhc appoi nt· ment of an Executive Committee, to consist or !'even persons, who we re r equire<! to ''keep a record o f their procoed lngR, and shall have a general superintendence o f the affairs of the 1'erritory so far ns r egards the organis a tion of the State Government." 'l'hcy were required to tnkc steps for an election to lie held on the st•cond Tuesday of the October followin~, under r egulations imposed hy that Committee, " for mcmhcrs of a Cmwention to form 1\ Conslltulion, adopt a Dill or Ri ~;htg for the people o f Kaneas, and take a ll needful m •a'lun~s fo r organis ing a State Gover nment, preparatory to the ndllll~sion ot Kans as Into the Union as u. t!Llc." 'l'he rules prescr ibed were such as usually govern e lections in mo~t of tht~ StaLes of tl1C Union , nnclln most resperl~ were similar t.o those contained in the procl suuatlon of Go\'. ltt:eder for th e election of Ma r ch 30, 18bl5. The Execu t ive Committee nppolnte<l hy that Convention a ccepted their nppointment, anti entered upon the discharge of their duties by Issu ing a procla mntion llddres~ ed to the legal v oters o f Kamm~, r equesting tlrem to 111ect nt their several precincts, at tlte time :fnd pla ces named In the proclamation, then nn<l tlwre to aast their ballots for members of a Constitutional Convention, to meet at 'l'opeka on the 4th 'l'ues<lay o f October then ne xt. '!'he proclamation designated the places of elections, appointed judges, recited the qnnlillca~i o ns or.voters atul the npportionUlent of me111lle rs o r the Conven~wn. . After this proclamution WRS i~~ ued , puhhc meettng!l we re held in every clil;trict in the 'l'crritory, and in n t:•nrly every preci n ct. 'f he State movement was a general to p lo of <l isc u~:~ii i o n tlaroughoot the 'l'~·t-rit o,ry, l.llld th~tre was but li tt le o pp o~:~ition exhibited lo tt. J•,l<.:ct tons wt·re h eld nt the time and places d e~ l gnated, and the r etullls were sent to the Executive Commlltee. The result or the election wns proclnilnell by the F.xecutive Committee ancl the member· elect. w •rc requi r ed to meet on the 2Bcl day of October, l HM, nt To peka. In pursuance o f Uti:; procla mation a o<l dir eelion, the ConRiitutiouul Convent.ion met nt tho time and place !I.J>p oiotctl1 and formed u. date Constitution. A memorial |