Political text-book for 1860 : comprising a brief view of presidential nominations and elections, including all the national platforms ever yet adopted ... with the most notable speeches and letters of Messrs. Lincoln, Douglas, Bell, Cass, Seward, Everett, Breckinridge, H.V. Johnson, etc., etc., touching the questions of the day : and returns of all presidential elections since 1836

Page 59

•• }06 A rOLlTlC~\L TEXT-D':OK Jo~OR I ~ GO. l Instances <mgugcu in these outrages, nnu in no in- Jmine 011 his peril, we declinerl t.o gh•e him n11y Jl!Oitdlon 6~.~~?~~edlu we lcam that any man was arre:~tc<l, iud.icl cd, or lflke :•ny llCt.lon In the matter. li e n·fuseu to obey the 0; >UHished for any of these crimes. \\'bile ~uch ollense~) \l'l'it.t bcll~ving it to l:.e .a mere pr~·ten~c to (.(ct the t·u~totly wc:c couuuittell with impunity, the law~. were us~< I. a~ a of l11s p e1 son, and f< .ult1 (.(, us he .dlcgt•d, that he would he , s f iudicting m •n for holding •lect10ns, prchnunary 1 \1\JSIIt::sinated hy lawles~ bands of lllt' ll tht•n gathcrin~: in ~~r,~m~n, a 'om.t.itution nnd lLJlJllying for udmi~siou into · and ncar Lecompton .. He then kft the 'l'enit ory. ll , l.lnl ug us the State of 1 Kausus. hargcs of high trea- ~uhsequently, 11. ?.Jiles !lloorc, nn nttornt•y in Lenv~n· " ~~ Ill" tl• "ga1•11ut prominent citizens upon grounds worth ity, but for several y~:ar:l ll citizt·n of \\'t•ston Mo " 011 we·~ ... ~ ~ " · · · 1 I C i I f · · ' ., which seem to your Committee nbsunl 1~nd rlchculous, autl kinclly furmshe< t lC . ornm t tee n o;·matton ~~~ to the m i. under tlt es~ charges Lhcy arc now held m custody and arc dcncc of persons vot mg at the elt'chon!l, and 111 some cnsta refused the privilege of bail. In several cases, men were examined wit ne~ses he fore us. Jl c was H ITt Sled on the HtTc:ltcd in the t.atc of !llissourl, while passing on t.hcir streets of that tow_n hy a.~ armc ~l hand of ai10UL thirty lawful businl'SS through that tate, nod detained untll 1u- menl headed. by W .. I>. "tlkes, ."":Ithout any color ?f nu. rnctmeuts could IJe fouuc.lln the 'l'crrltory, thor ly, confined, wtth other Clllzcns, under a nulltnry 'l'hcse proceedings were followctl by an otrcnse of slill F,un.rd for tw l'~ly- fo~r hours, nne! then n otitl~·rl to leave t h~ g:·catcr magnitude. Uudcr color of legnl process, n com- I crrltory. ll1s testu11ony was ~cgard c cl ns tmpm·tant,nnd Jmny or auout 700 armed men, the grc:~l body of wh~m, upon his swom statement. that 1t. would endun~c,r hi~ per· your Committee arc !mtis(lc<l, were not c1lizens of the 1 er- son to give it openly, t1.1e ma;ol'ily of your ( ommlttee ritory, m:tn:hcd into the town of Lawrence, ~nue r Mar- clecmcd it proper to examme him ex-pnrt.e, nn<l did so. shal Don!Lldson and S. J. J ones, o!licers clahmng to act lly reason of these occurr~ncrs, the conlt·stunt nnd the under the law, anti hotnb tmled and then burned to the party with t~nd for whom he a cted, were unr.cprcscntctl he· ground a ,·a,luaule hotel and one private house; des.troyed fore UB dunng a. gr~akr portion of the tnm•, and your two printing presses anti material; and. then, bcmg rc- Committee were rcqmred to ascertain the truth in the bebt lea8ecl by the otlicers, whose posse they clanncd to be, pro- manner they could. cecdcd to sack, pillngc, and rob houses, sto res, t,nmks, etc., Your Comrn~t.tc c report the f?llowlng facts nn<l conclu· e,·w to th~ clothiug of women and children. Some of the slon!l a11 established by the te ~tnn o ny: ktt.erl:! thus unlawfully tak en were private ones, written IJy .First. '!'hat each election In the Territory, held under the co nte~t in~; Del eg:~lc, and they were on·ercd in cvidcn.cc. the orFanic 01· a!leged 'J'erritori:LI law, h n~ been carried "Y Your Couunitlec clitl not deem that the persons hollhng org:tmzt•<l in\'a~wns f1·om the ~tate of 1\h~souri , hy wlJich them had any right thus to usc them, anti refused to l.Je the JH•oplc of th ' 'l'crritory have becu prcYcntcd from lll tLde t.lte im;lrumeuts to report private letters Ums ob- cxerchdttg tJ,c right::! secured to them by thl! organic tain ed. law. 'l'hi.s force was not resisted because It was collected and Se('Oud 'l'ltat tht• a ll l.'l:(C(l Territodal L(•gislalure wns mfLrshah;cl under lhC forms Of l:tW. lJut this :tct Of lJar- an illt'J;:dly-t'OII,titnli:<l body, and had 110 )101\'Cr to p:I>S lmrit.y uuexampled in the history of oud.lovernment, was valid ltt\\ ! 1 aud thdr enactwcnts arc, therefore, null and follow~d by it-s natural consequences. All the restraints voicl. which American citi7.cns arc nccustomeu to pay even to 1'hi1·ll. 'l'hat these alleged 1:1\vs ha\'e not, n~ a gcncr~l U1e appeamnce of law, were th rown on·; oue a ct of Yio- thing, been u~ed t.o prott'ct persons and prope rty and to 1\!u,·e led to another; homicides became frequent. A punish wrong, but for unlawful purpOBl'R. JHtrty under ll. C. l'at.c, co1nposcd chiefly of citizens of .Fourth. 'I' hat the election under which the sit tin~: Dele· 1\li:.~ouri were taken priso1ters by a party of settlers ; and gate, John W. WhiUidd, holds his ~ l·at., \l' rt8 not held In whilt.: yo~r Collltoiltcc were at Westport,~~ company chie fly pursuance of any valid law, and llml it. sltoulcl hl• rc•gardrd of Mbsourians, accompanied by the acting Delegate, went only ns the exp re~s i o n of the choice of those rc~idcut citl· to relit.:I'C Pate and !tis party, ancl1t collision waB prevented zens who voted for him. I.Jy t.hc United States troops. Civil war has seemed im- .Pifth. 'J'hnt the election under which the contesting tH:ncliug in the Territory. Nothing can prevent so great a Delegate, And1·cw H. Reeder, clahns his scat, was not held eulalllity but the prese11ce of a large force of Unitetl Slates in pursuance of law, and tha.t it. hould be regarded only troops, under a commander who will with prudence and ns the expression of tlle choice of the r esident citizens who dl~cretion quiet the excited passions of both parties, and voted for him. expel with force tile nrtned bands or la.wlcss men coming Siceth. 'l'hat Andrew H. Reeder r ecclvc<l a ~realer num· from Missouri and elsewhere, who with criminal pertina- ber of votes of r esident citizens than J ohn W. Whitfield, city infest tlmt 'l.'erritory. for Delcgat.e. lu some cases, a.nd as to one entire election district, the Se;ve11th. 1'hat In the present condition of the Territory, condition of the country prevented the attendance of a fair elecllon cannot l>e held without a new census, a witnesses, who were ~: it.ll\!r n.rrcstt:d or detained wltllc obey· stringent and well-guarded election law, the selection of ing OUI' process, or deterred from so doing. 'l.'he Sergeant- Impartial Judges, and the prese~ce o! United States troops at-Arm!1, who served tlte process upon them, was himself at every place of election. arrested or detained for a short time by an armed force, Eiohtl~. 'l'hat the various elecllons held by the people claiming to be a part of the posse of the 1\larl:lhal, but or the 'l'erritory preliminary to the formation of the State was allowed to proceed upon an examination of his pa- Government lmve been as regular as the disturbed contll· pers, and was furnished with a pass, signed by" Warren tlon of the Territory would allow· and that the Constltu· D. Wilkes, of So~lll Carolina.." John UpLon, another offi- tion passed by the Convention, h~ld in pursuance of sttid cer of the Committee, was suhscqucntly slopped hy a law- elections, embodies the will of a mnjorit.y of the people. lc~s :orcc on the border~ of the 'J'cn·i~or.y, and after being As it ia not the province of your Connnltt~·e to sugges\ delamcd and tre;~tcd w1t~ great hahgutty, was rel~ased. r emedies for U1c existing troui.Jles in the 'L'arllory of Knn· lie also was furnl:lh ed with a pass slgued by two c1tlzens sas they content them~:~clves with the foregoing statement of ?lli~souri, and acldressetl to "l'ro-Shwcry men." By or facts. r eason of these disturbances, we were delayed in Westport, AU or which 1.s respectfully submitted. so th rtt while In session tllerc, our time was but partially Wllf. A. flow ARD, occupied. JouN Sm:nMAN. llut the obstruction which created the most serious em-barrassment to your Committee, Wt\B the attempted arrest of Oov. lteetle r, the contesting Delegate, upon a writ of attachment issued against him by Judge Lecompte, to com­pel his attendance as a. witness before the Oranu Jury of Douglas County. William J:<'aoe, r ecently from the State of Georgia, and claiming to l?e the Deputy Marshal, came into the room of the Comm1ttce, while Gov. Reeder was examining a witness before us, and producing the writ re­quired Uov. lleeder to allenu him. Subsequent events have only st.1·cngthened the conviction of your Committee that tl1i~ wa!! n wnnton and unlawful interference by th~ Judge who i~sucd the writ, tending greatly to obstruct a full and fair inYcsligalion. Oov. lteeder autl Gen. Whitfield alone were fully possessed of that local information which would enable us to elicit the wholo truth, and It was obvl­c~ s to every one that nny event whlcb would separate elther of them from the Committee, would necesMar1ly llin­der, dcl!Ly, and embarms~:~ it.. Gov. Reeder claimed tba.t under the circumstances in which he wus placed he wa~ prlvUegccl from arrest except for treason, felony, o~ breach ..,r the peace. As Uus was n question of privilege proper for the Courts, or for the privileged person alone to deter- Tho Free-State Constitution fram ed nt To· peka for Kansns, by the Convention cnlled by the Free-State party, (n.s set forth in the ~or&­going documentc;;,) was in due season s ubrmtted to Congress-Messrs. Andrew H. Reeder (the Frec-Stllte Territorial d e legate) nnd J ames II. Lane hn.viug been chosen by the first Fret-Sl!ltC Legislature, Senators of' the United S trttes., nnd Mr. M. W. Dc,ln.hay e lected Rept·esentative 111 the House, by tho Free-State m en of ~Causae. Of c ourse these were not enti tletl to thctr seals until the 'a foresaid ins tnuuent (kuown as thtl "'l'opekn Constitution") s houltl b e accc pt<>d by Congress, and the State thereupon .11Jt11.ittd into the Union. This Constitution, bcwg form • ally presented in cit.her House, was received nnd TIIE TOPEKA CONS'riTUTW~. 107 rt>ft•ncd to t h e ir r espect r e Committees .on 'rr r· j. Mr. Steph.eus's substitute, i'I.S thu .t.m 'ntl?t~ b .v : : ,~ . 1. ttt the ucconrplmyin(Y 1\fcmonal from tts udvcrsa.nes, was abandoned hy rts Ol'tgrnal ll tOitlo,, u e . If'' the }'rcc- 'tn.te Lrgi~Slltture, ~ettwg. for~h the ncn d s , n n d rece 1. ve d ,u, ut t1 /JO v?tc.-tl lOSe o f . d. o f the appl ication and praymg for atl- Mes t·s. Ge orge G. Dunn: of Intlullla, and John gr.~U .. Olll llS n SllltC was ttftcr haviurr been re- Scott Harrison, of Ohio-Nays, 210. mr. Sl " , ' o '1 D 1 d . I d r ceive<l uy the Scnatl', recons ide red, r ej ected, .11 r. unn Ht prevwus y move n. r ;J(.'I'ence J r >turncd to Col. Laur , on th' allegation o f the bill to the ~ommitt.ce of the \\ l:ole on ~~~tat nmterinl chnngc~ had bt'Cn Ilia d e in it since the state of the Umon. '!'Ius was now defeated: it left Kansas. The Senate, in like manner,.re- Yens, 101 j Nays,, 100. . . ·cctcd n•peatcd motio n s to :lCc ~p t the Conslitu- . M1·. Jo.nes, of 'I ennessee, n?w m o >ed L}~,1t tho J. d thereupon admit Kansas as a l•'r e hill do he on the tn h lc, whtch was tleleatctl. ~~~~nntltcre nev r being more than :Mel:'s rs. Ye1:s, l OG ; NayA, ~ 07 j (Ba r c lay of' P~'n.n~yl­Ilnltlliu aud }'cRsendc n, of Maine, Jl nle nnd B •ll, vn.rua, Dunn of ~ndmn a, lin.ven and \ Vdlrams, of New-ll:unp hire , Collamcr and Foot, ofVer- of Ne w-~ork.-J eas: .Bayard C!a~·k<' , of Ne.w· mont Sumner nnd \Vil·on, of Ma,s., }i'o~te r, York, Ut ckm~n and 1\ftllwnrd, of~ ennsylvn.um, of C~nnccticut, Seward a nd F i h, of New-York, Moore, of Oluo, and Se?tt, of In(h.ana.- rNays : ' V· 1" of Ohio Durkee and Dod(Ye of Wiscon- \:ott llarri on, of 0111o, not votmg, \V ells ot ac~, ' 0 sin 'l'r·umbull o f Ill inois, and Harl'a n, o r I owa, 'rV 'r sconsr· n, a b sent ). '1'1 1e If ouse n ow r e f u. e d IIG 1 ) l' ll:t tors 1 in fn,·or of such admi sion, untl to n.djourn b): 106 to .102; ttn d , nfter a long ~hc.e never all prct-~en t at the nme time. , ~ru(Yg~ ' , the hnnl quest~on wns n'nchcd, and Lho ln the Jlou~->c-l hc afore. aid Con titution n.nd bill rcj('c tcd: Y e as, l OG i Nays, l u7. Memoria l lt1tving b een , uhmittcd to the Oou1- So the hill wn.s lost. ) mittce ou T e rrito ries-its Chairman, Mr. Grow, Jnly lst.-lir. Darclay , (De.m .) of 1 e unsyl-of r~ n nn. , from a maj o rity of said Uommit.tee, vnnia ro~e to ~ pri vi leged motrou .. H e lllO v c tl reported in favor· of the admi ·,i o n of Kan ~ns a t:rcon s rdc r;atron of th.e preccd,•~g ~~:c., ~y under such Constitution, n · a }t ree State; anu winch the li rce-Knnsn.s bt.ll !mel U?( n 1 ~~cct.cd. nfLcr debate the l'rcYiom; Question th e r eon was A stonny d ebate ensued, 111 the llt tdsl, o f .wlltl~l~ ordered ( J une :2 th) uy a vote o f 98 Ayes to M.r·. llownr.d,. o f Michigar!, r?s~ to~~ ct.~',;=-tton .o ~ G:~ Not's. Pre\'ious to thi. , howeYe r·, Mr. Ste- lughcr pnvilegc (ns a!lecLltl 0 the Jreht ?' "· ph en" of Gcor<Yia had proposed as nn amend- m e m ber [delegate] to l1is seat) a.rlll ~uum~tted mcnt ' ot· sub~:<titu1tc a radically' dil!e r e nt bill, the r eport of th e Kansas I nve~t1ga• r ng .om­cOIIt mplating the ;,ppowtnrent .b~ tire rrc ·i- mittce (a~reatly given)~ The ~pe:~l\CI.' .su~taltled dent and 'enat<' o f tivc CommtssJoncrs, who the m ollon, und the ll o u, c t->UHt.uneu the should r epai r to Kansas, take a census of the 'pcakcr. The r port was ther upon pres e n ted inhauitlltltS and lerraJ \'Oters and thereupon prO- and n•atl, COIIS U111111g 0. f~11l dnr. . . cbed to rtpportiono, dun. ng th' e m onth o (' l:• ;eptcm- J tt t. '1 3 ~· J· :-'1'1 1e qtt, e ::·; tton oi • reco•n H• Hlcnngrr th. e ocr, 185(), tho dt•h·g atcs (52) to form n Consti- v o te defcats ng t he ~ rec-~(ltllHMI b tll wns nnam tu tioual Conventio n to be e le cted by the l en-a! r e ached. Mr. Uoustort, o{ Alabama, moved that voters afot·es,\iu · s:~i d dclcrra tes to be eho~en it do lie on the table; d~fc<ttcd : Y c a s, 07 i on the cl:ty o{· th' e Pre, ·• tlc lbl tr· a l c 1e ct·t on ('1' ue.- .J~,\,.T a)• H, 1 ()'~~ . Tlte ma.'tn .n, ue's t ron wa.· t h e n o. rder-day Nov. 4th 185li) n.nd to u.semblc in Con-ed: Y e11s, 101; Nays, 08; ant! th e rccon 1d.era.­vcn~ ion on tll~ firl:lt blonua.y in December 185G tion c a r ried: Y eas, 101; Nay~, !1!). 'l:hc prcvrous to form ll 'tate Con~titutiOI~. 'l'he bi ll pt·o~)OS('U: question o n the pa.S!-H;ge o f ~he utll w:~s IIOW also penn.lties fo r ille crnl votirw at ·aid lcction . ordered : Y eaR, nu ; N ays, :)(j; a nlOLIOil l~y '1'~ tll i:; s uus titute -ui ll Mr . Dunn of Indiana ~lr. McQueen, of Soutl.l Caroltn:!, to lax th~ brll proposcJ the f.o llow.t ug a' lllend111 e n t' , to co11•c 1· n' o n tl 1e t·· ' I J le ' v•·t.", •' .l ch" tl , 1l• ·• • 1 t,• at-~ • •!. l,' ·'. ?\, a:., . ~ ' a t lll C en J as nn a d ,u, .t tt· on:t1 sect·t on : I UO ·' •'I ll (! tlll'U the b rll W:ll:l hn,tll) Jnf8.w;d. l t.ts, s~. c. 1 .-.And be Ujwrtller' cnact ecl, That so IIIU CII or the fourtcclltlt scctiou uud of the tltlr ty-seconu Mection of the net passt:tl at. till! first Ht·~~iou of the 'l'ltirty-'l'ldrd Con­gr~ s~, con1rnou ty enlk-cl tl•e J\:a nsa8 anti N ch ra ~kaact, ll!! rt:acl~ 11.~ f,.llo w:~: "Jo:xr~ ·pt the eigllth section of the act prepar:ttury to the lldmi-::dou of l\l i;;sou ri into the Union, upprovt:d ~lar('h tl, 1 i ·•, which, bt.:ing inconsistcu t with tltt: (lrinciplc of t l~llt-iotc rvcnt ion by Congress wit.h 'ltLV\'I'y in I he ' tat t·l:l unci Te rr ito r ie~, as recogn ized by rile lcgislatiun of 1-,:>n, conuuonly call ed tile Comprornise ~lo:a~u rt~, i~ hereby dt.:cla rerl inoperative and void i . it bc1ug the rru1· int ·nt ami n1eaniug of tid<~ act not to lt:gl~­latc Slav~: ry tnto Ill.\' ::3tnte or Tet'l'ilory, or to cxcludclt thcrcfron,, hut tc> ll';; ve the peo ple thereof perfectly free lo fon n ancl rq~ul:ue thetr d omes tic inl:'titutionM iu their &wn way, ~u l>j l!c L ouly to tl1c Constitution of the Unlt ecl tate~: P l'ov i lled, That uot.loing herein contaiucd ~hall be const r ued to I'CYive or put in fo rce any law or rcgula­tlou whkli muy have cxi:~tc< l prior to the a ct. of 6th of Man·IJ , 1&20, either pro t ectln ~, ci!t ablh>lting, prohtultiug, or aboiJ~ I dng Slavery," l>e, :111<1 the ~amc I:~ herchy, rc ( ~<·nlcd. Povirled, 'J'llllt nny person or persons bLwfully ltt:ld to Rcrvicc wllltln either of th~ Territories IHLIII<:d In S11id acL tihall b,i: tl illchargcd fr om such service, if Lhey Hlwll not he rcui"Vctl and kq•t ou t of a it! Tcrritorle:1 with I" twdvc IIIO ntlts from t h~ pllssage or th l~ act. Mr. Dunn's umeudu1c n t to t h e Stephens ntllcndmc nt or subsLiLutc, wad carried : Y ca.;, luv; .K a.yR, 102. UV · KaY~, !)7. ~1r. drow, of r cnusylva n ia, moved the t:ccon­siucration or this vote, n.nd thut tho ltl Ot 1011 to r econ sider do lie on the t[tblc, which was per· mitted, with out further division . Jnne :.SUlh.-Mt·. Douglas n'por·tptl to the Senate on several hill::~ ::;ubmittcd by l\l~R. rs. Claytou, Tombs, and others, fo r the pn.cltica· tio n of the Kan~as troubles, ns al~o dccrJedl.y a(Yaiust Gov. 'cwnrd'::~ propoRi tion to adnut K:w as as a Free State, und r· her 'l'o~eku.. Con­stiwtion. Mr. Collamer, b eing the n11n.o r·!ty o f the Territorial ComntiLlee, made o. lme f and pungent counter-report. Mr. D o ug las gave 11otice that h e would u:;k fo1· n. final vote on the Jay afte r the u e x t . J ,rl!J !st . - Bill debated by Messrs. Thompson of Ky., 11 ale of N II ., Big lc t· of' Pn., Atlams of Mi~s. , n.nd Crittenden of' K y . July ~J.-Dcba. te continue~ t!lrong i: t~te d :ty nud following uight, the lllHJOnty r c:;1 tm)g all motions to adj o urn. .Me 1:\1'8. Wu.tle.' I ugh, !Jrig gR, Big ler, 'l'oo111hs , Cl1tyton , . C nttt•.n tl •n, lldl, l:;cward: Uale, 1\nd nearly hal l the en1Llt'