the anti-slavery crusade-第27章

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ity　of　free…state　men；　would　be　received　as　a　free　State　without　further　ado。　The　case　was　different　with　the　Democrats　of　western　Missouri；　already　for　ten　years　in　close　touch　with　those　Southern　leaders　who　were　determined　either　to　secure　new　safeguards　for　slavery　or　to　form　an　independent　confederacy。　Their　program　was　to　continue　their　efforts　to　make　Kansas　a　slave　State　or　at　least　to　maintain　the　disturbance　there　until　the　conditions　appeared　favorable　for　secession。　In　February；　1857；　the　pro…slavery　territorial　Legislature　provided　for　the　election　of　delegates　to　a　constitutional　convention；　but　Governor　Geary　vetoed　the　act　because　no　provision　was　made　for　submitting　the　proposed　constitution　to　the　vote　of　the　people。　The　bill　was　passed　over　his　veto；　and　arrangements　were　made　for　registration　which　free…state　men　regarded　as　imperfect；　inadequate；　or　fraudulent。　President　Buchanan　undoubtedly　intended　to　do　full　justice　to　the　people　of　Kansas。　To　this　end　he　chose　Robert　J。　Walker；　a　Mississippi　Democrat；　as　Governor　of　Kansas。　Walker　was　a　statesman　of　high　rank；　who　had　been　associated　with　Buchanan　in　the　Cabinet　of　James　K。　Polk。　Three　times　he　refused　to　accept　the　office　and　finally　undertook　the　mission　only　from　a　sense　of　duty。　Being　aware　of　the　fate　of　Governor　Geary；　Walker　insisted　on　an　explicit　understanding　with　Buchanan　that　his　policies　should　not　be　repudiated　by　the　federal　Administration。　Late　in　May　he　went　to　Kansas　with　high　hopes　and　expectations。　But　the　free…state　party　had　persisted　in　the　repudiation　of　a　Government　which　had　been　first　set　up　by　an　invading　army　and；　as　they　alleged；　had　since　then　been　perpetuated　by　fraud。　They　had　absolutely　refused　to　take　part　in　any　election　called　by　that　Government　and　had　continued　to　keep　alive　their　own　legislative　assembly。　Despite　Walker's　efforts　to　persuade　them　to　take　part　in　the　election　of　delegates　to　the　constitutional　convention；　they　resolutely　held　aloof。　Yet；　as　they　became　convinced　that　he　was　acting　in　good　faith；　they　did　participate　in　the　October　elections　to　the　territorial　Legislature；　electing　nine　out　of　the　thirteen　councilors　and　twenty…four　out　of　the　thirty…nine　representatives。　Gross　frauds　had　been　perpetrated　in　two　districts；　and　the　Governor　made　good　his　promise　by　rejecting　the　fraudulent　votes。　In　one　case　a　poll　list　had　been　made　up　by　copying　an　old　Cincinnati　register。　In　the　meantime；　thanks　to　the　abstention　of　the　free…state　people；　the　pro…slavery　party　had　secured　absolute　control　of　the　constitutional　convention。　Yet　there　was　the　most　absolute　assurance　by　the　Governor　in　the　name　of　the　President　of　the　United　States　that　no　constitution　would　be　sent　to　Congress　for　approval　which　had　not　received　the　sanction　of　a　majority　of　the　voters　of　the　Territory。　This　was　Walker's　reiterated　promise；　and　President　Buchanan　had　on　this　point　been　equally　explicit。　When；　therefore；　the　pro…slavery　constitutional　convention　met　at　Lecompton　in　October；　Kansas　had　a　free…state　Legislature　duly　elected。　To　make　Kansas　still　a　slave　State　it　was　necessary　to　get　rid　of　that　Legislature　and　of　the　Governor　through　whose　agency　it　had　been　chosen；　and　at　the　same　time　to　frame　a　constitution　which　would　secure　the　approval　of　the　Buchanan　Administration。　Incredible　as　it　may　seem；　all　this　was　actually　accomplished。　John　Calhoun；　who　had　been　chosen　president　of　the　Lecompton　convention；　spent　some　time　in　Washington　before　the　adjourned　meeting　of　the　convention。　He　secured　the　aid　of　master…hands　at　manipulation。　Walker　had　already　been　discredited　at　the　White　House　on　account　of　his　rejection　of　fraudulent　returns　at　the　October　election　of　members　to　the　Legislature。　The　convention　was　unwilling　to　take　further　chances　on　a　matter　of　that　sort；　and　it　consequently　made　it　a　part　of　the　constitution　that　the　president　of　the　convention　should　have　entire　charge　of　the　election　to　be　held　for　its　approval。　The　free…state　legislature　was　disposed　of　by　placing　in　the　constitution　a　provision　that　all　existing　laws　should　remain　in　force　until　the　election　of　a　Legislature　provided　for　under　the　constitution。　The　master…stroke　of　the　convention；　however；　was　the　provision　for　submitting　the　constitution　to　the　vote　of　the　people。　Voters　were　not　permitted　to　accept　or　reject　the　instrument；　all　votes　were　to　be　for　the　constitution　either　〃with　slavery〃　or　〃with　no　slavery。〃　But　the　document　itself　recognized　slavery　as　already　existing　and　declared　the　right　of　slave　property　like　other　property　〃before　and　higher　than　any　constitutional　sanction。〃　Other　provisions　made　emancipation　difficult　by　providing　in　any　case　for　complete　monetary　remuneration　and　for　the　consent　of　the　owners。　There　were　numerous　other　provisions　offensive　to　free…state　men。　It　had　been　rightly　surmised　that　they　would　take　no　part　in　such　an　election　and　that　〃the　constitution　with　slavery〃　would　be　approved。　The　vote　on　the　constitution　was　set　for　the　21st　of　December。　For　the　constitution　with　slavery　6226　votes　were　recorded　and　569　for　the　constitution　without　slavery。　While　these　events　were　taking　place；　Walker　went　to　Washington　to　enter　his　protest　but　resigned　after　finding　only　a　hostile　reception　by　the　President　and　his　Cabinet。　Stanton；　who　was　acting　Governor　in　the　absence　of　Walker；　then　called　together　the　free…state　Legislature；　which　set　January　4；　1858；　as　the　date　for　approving　or　rejecting　the　Lecompton　Constitution。　At　this　election　the　votes　cast　were　138　for　the　constitution　with　slavery；　24　for　the　constitution　without　slavery；　and　10；226　against　the　constitution。　But　President　Buchanan　had　become　thoroughly　committed　to　the　support　of　the　Lecompton　Constitution。　Disregarding　the　advice　of　the　new　Governor；　he　sent　the　Lecompton　Constitution　to　Congress　with　the　recommendation　that　Kansas　be　admitted　to　the　Union　as　a　slave　State。　Here　was　a　crisis　big　with　the　fate　of　the　Democratic　party；　if　not　of　the　Union。　Stephen　A。　Douglas　had　already　given　notice　that　he　would　oppose　the　Lecompton　Constitution。　In　favor　of　its　rejection　he　made　a　notable　speech　which　called　forth　the　bitterest　enmity　from　the　South　and　arrayed　all　the　forces　of　the　Administration　against　him。　Supporters　of　Douglas　were　removed　from　office；　and　anti…Douglas　men　were　put　in　their　places。　In　his　fight　against　the　fraudulent　constitution　Douglas　himself；　however；　still　had　the　support　of　a　majority　of　Northern　Democrats；　especially　in　the　Western　States；　and　that　of　all　the　Republicans　in　Congress。　A　bill　to　admit　Kansas　passed　the　Senate；　but　in　the　House　a　proviso　was　attached　requiring　that　the　constitution　should　first　be　submitted　to　the　people　of　Kansas　for　acceptance　or　rejection。　This　amendment　was　finally　accepted　by　the　Senate　with　the　modification　that；　if　the　people　voted　for　the　constitution；　the　State　should　have　a　large　donation　of　public　land；　but　that　if　they　rejected　it；　they　should　not　be　admitted　as　a　State　until　they　had　a　population　large　enough　to　entitle　them　to　a　representative　in　the　lower　House。　The　vote　of　the　people　was　cast　on　August　2；　1858；　and　the　constitution　was　finally　rejected　by　a　majority　of　nearly　twelve　thousand。　Thus　resulted　the　last　effort　to　impose　slavery　on　the　people　of　Kansas。　Although　the　war　between　slavery　and　freedom　was　fought　out　in　miniature　in　Kansas；　the　immediate　issue　was　the　preservation　of　slavery　in　Missouri。　This；　however；　involved　directly　the　prospect　of　emancipation　in　other　border　States　and　ultimate　complete　emancipation　in　all　the　States。　The　issue　is　well　stated　in　a　Fourth　of　July　address　which　Charles　Robinson　delivered　at　Lawrence；　Kansas；　in　1855；　after　the　invasion　of　Missourians　to　influence　the　March　election　of　that　year；　but　before　the　beginning　of　bloody　conflict：　〃What　reason　is　given　for　the　cowardly　invasion　of　our　rights　by　our　neighbors？　They　say　that　if　Kansas　is　allowed　to　be　free　the　institution　of　slavery　in　their　own　State　will　be　in　danger　。。。。　If　the　people　of　Missouri　make　it　necessary；　by　their　unlawful　course；　for　us　to　establish　freedom　in　that　State　in　order　to　enjoy　the　liberty　of　governing　ourselves　in　Kansas；　then　let　that　be　the　iss