1918 KANSAS AND KANSANS | Chapter 26 | Part 1 |
The meetings of the pioneers leading up to the "Peoples Convention" have already been noticed. That at Lawrence on the 15th of August and the Big Springs Convention made the Topeka meeting a part of the Free-State program. And, forgetting past views and differences on the subject, the Free-State people stood loyally and undivided behind the Topeka or Statehood movement. It was without precedent, and, considering that there already existed in the Territory a government set up by the United States, and the fact that that government had been denounced and defied - the acts of the Legislature so oppressive and reprehensible that they were to be resisted to a "bloody issue," the Topeka Movement was in reality an insurrection. For the proclamations giving notice of it recited the oppressions of the Territorial Government side by side with the invasion of the Missourians and their conduct at the polls. That it escaped the usual fate of the insurrection, rested in the fact that to have suppressed it with a ruthless hand by the military would have brought upon the Federal Government the combined wrath of the Free States of the Union.
The Topeka Movement resulted finally in an appeal to force. Considering the political complexion of Congress its failure was a foregone conclusion. As a novel plan of keeping Kansas uppermost in the public mind, it served a very useful purpose. On the whole, its benefit to Kansas Territory and the Free-State cause far exceeded the troubles which followed in its wake.
The "Peoples Convention" met at Topeka on the 19th of September, 1855, pursuant to the various calls already noticed. William Y. Roberts was made President. The Vice-presidents were J. A. Wakefield, P. C. Schuyler, L. P. Lincoln, Joel K. Goodin, S. N. Latta, and R. H. Phelan. Secretaries, E. D. Ladd, J. H. Nesbit, and M. W. Delahay. A Business Committee consisting of fifteen members were appointed. On motion of J. H. Lane a resolution was adopted appointing a committee of eighteen to issue an address to the people of the Territory "and to the Civilized World, setting forth our grievances, the policy we have been compelled to adopt, and which we have determined at all hazards to carry out." Colonel Lane was made Chairman of the committee.
The future course of the Free-State party, so far as it should be bound by the movement, and a plan for the movement itself appeared in the report of the Business Committee, which it is necessary to set out at length, as follows:
The Executive Committee of Kansas Territory was appointed. It was composed of J. H. Lane, C. K. Holliday, M. J. Parrott, P. C. Schuyler, G. W. Smith, G. W. Brown, and J. K. Goodin. The convention then adjourned.
On the following day at 5 o'clock, P. M., the Executive Committee met in Topeka, at the house of E. C. K. Garvey and organized for work by electing James H. Lane as Chairman and Joel K. Goodin as Secretary. On the 21st of September the Committee met at the house of Dr. Robinson, at Lawrence to consider the work to be done. The Territory was divided into four districts for "canvassing purposes." Meetings were appointed for these districts beginning September 27th and running to October 8th. Speakers, the most prominent men in the Territory, were assigned for the meetings.
The Proclamation calling an election for delegates to the Constitutional Convention was issued on the 22d. It named the "Second Tuesday" of October next" as the date of the election, and set the date for the meeting of the Convention on the "4th Tuesday of October next" at Topeka. Polling places were specified, instructions to Judges of Election formulated, an apportionment of delegates made, and qualifications for voters set out.
The election was held on the 9th of October. Except at Leavenworth there was no interference by Missourians. Andrew H. Reeder was chosen Delegate to Congress on the same day and at the same election. The total vote cast by the Free-State party for delegates to the Constitutional Convention was 2,710. The vote for Reeder was 2,849. These figures would indicate that there was on the 9th day of October, 1855, a Free-State population in Kansas Territory of at least 15,000. The Pro-Slavery population could not have been more than 5,000. To show the distribution of the Free-State population the vote cast for Reeder is here tabulated.
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A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans , written and compiled by William E. Connelley, transcribed by Carolyn Ward, 1998.