months afterwards, was, “ All’s well!” He recognized this Legislature after it was organized, and after he knew full weft how it was elected. I must therefore receive with many grains'of allowance what he now asserts, all tending towards nothing more strongly than the impeachment of his own official integrity. His position is not such as to warrant me, as afair man, now to back him in his present revolutionary movement. I see no sufficient grievance even alleged to justify me in. doing.it. Grant that some of the laws passed by the Legislature that Reeder certified to as having been duly elected were bad laws—not a single case of oppression, growing out of any one of these laws, has arisen. I was on this point when interrupted by the gentleman from Ohio, [Mf. Campbell.] How does it appear but that the courts would pronounce these laws unconstitutional, as some on this floor maintain that they are ? Why resort to revolution until the courts fail? Nay, more: if a majority of the people of Kansas are opposed to these laws, as is so boldly asserted on this floor, why can they nothave them repealed by the next Legislature, soon to be elected, even if the courts should sustain them ? The ne^t Legislature is to be chosen in October. Why not settle that question at the ballot-box ? Is not that a fair and just way of settling such questions? Is it not the way we have to do in all our States? Are those who press this ex parte constitution upon us afraid of the ballot-box? Whatever else maybe said of the acts of the Kansas Legislature, they certainly secured the purity of the fountain of po- •litical power. Here is a part of their election law: “ Sec. 24. If any person, by menaces, threats, and force, or by any other unlawful means, either directly or indirectly, attempt to influence any qualified voter in giving his vote, or to deter him from giving the same, or disturb or hinder him in the free exercise of his right of suffrage, at any election held under the laws of this Territory, the person so offending shall, on conviction thereof, be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor, and be punished by fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year. “ Sec. 25. Every person who shall, at the same election, vote more than once, eithgjat the same or a different place, shall, on conviction, be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor, and be punished by fine not exceeding fifty dollars, or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding three months. “ Sec. 26. Every person not being a qualified voter according to the organic law and the laws of this Territory, who shall vote at any election within this Territory, knowing that he is not entitled to vote, shall be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor, and punished by fine not exceeding fifty dollars. “Sec. 27. Any person who designedly gives a printed or written ticket to any qualified voter of this Territory, containing the written or printed names of persons for whom saul voter does not design to vote, for the purpose of causing such voter to poll his vote contrary to his own wishes, shall, on conviction, be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor, and punished by fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding three months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. “ Sec. 28. Any person who shall cause to be printed and circulated, or who shall circulate, any false and fraudulent tickets, which upon their dice appear to be designed as a fraud upop voters, shall, upon conviction, be punished by fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the county jail, not exceeding three months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. “ This act to take effect and be in force from and after its passage.”—Chap. 52, p. 281. setts.) That is the sort of liberty. None of your Socialism liberty. None of your Fourierism liberty. Constitutional liberty—“ law and order” abiding liberty. That is the liberty which they meant to perpetuate. Now, Mr. Speaker, to return from this digression—I was on the subject of the Kansas laws— I had a good deal to say on that point I tpust no w omit; for I have a good deal I wish also to say on the measure immediately before us, and the amendment which I have submitted, and my time is rapidly passing away. I shall proceed, then, to the bill and the amendment. The bill under .consideration proposes to admit Kansas as a State at once under the Topeka constitution. I am opposed to it; because that constitution was formed without any authority of law, either from the territorial authorities or from Congress. It was formed in open opposition to law; it was formed by men in open rebellion, with arms in their hands, against the only legally- constituted government in the Territory. The leaders most conspicuous in getting it up are pow under arrest for treason. Whether they are guilty or not, I will not even express an opinion. That is a question for the courts—the Federal courts— not the courts created by the Territorial Legislature, but the United States courts, with ai^ appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States—to determine. I do not wish in any way to interfere with that judicial question. Let these gentlemen stand nr fall according to their guilt or innocence, as it may be made to appear before the proper tribunals, At the proper time. Let us not, in the mean time,prejudge the case either-foror against them. The man who claims to be Governor under this Topeka constitution is now in custody awaiting his trial for the highest offense known to the laws and Constitution of the United States. 1 am opposed to this bill,.because.we have no evidence that a majority, or anything like a majority, of the - people of Kansas are in favor of this pretended Topeka constitution. It is an ex parte proceeding from beginning to end. It was got up by a party. It was contrived by Governor | Reeder;, and though he and his associates now) place the whole grounds of their justification | upon the plea that the Territorial Legislature was i composed of usurpers—that the election was carried by an invasion of non-residents, who passed laws 1^iat they cannot submit to, yet it must be recollected by all fair-minded men that this Legislature, however elected, was organized under the auspices of Governor Reeder himself, tie was the judge of the election returns of its members in the first instance, and he duly commissi-med a large majority of both branches of it, and gave his own official certificate that they were duly elected. If what is now asserted by him and others be true, why did he not at the proper time arrest it ? Why now lay a complaint at the door of the President for not preventing an invasion of Kansas, or setting aside the legislative election, while he, as G°vernorJ made no complaint to the President? He was the sentinel placed upon the watch-tower in Kansas. The only cry heard from him by the President or the country, during this now-pretended invasion, and for several long
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