The Lecompton convention assembled on the seventh day of September, and, after organizing, adjourned to October 19th, as if to await the result of the election of the members of the Territorial legislature.
| The "Free-state" men in majority in the Territorial legislature. |
This election came off on October 5th. The Governor remained true to his pledge of protecting the ballot-box. The presence of United States soldiers discouraged any movements from Missouri, and peace reigned at the polls. The returns from the counties of McGee and Johnson were, however, so manipulated by the pro-slavery election officers as to give the majority of the seats in the legislature to the pro-slavery party. These returns, as well as those from the other counties, were, however, to be canvassed finally by the Governor and Secretary. The "Free-state" men now demanded of them the fulfilment of their pledge of pure elections. The "Free-state" men had their newly taken census, and they convinced the Governor and Secretary that about ten times as many votes had been returned from these localities as there were residents in them. Walker and Stanton threw out the fraudulent returns, and gave, thus, the Territorial legislature to the "Free-state" men.
| The Lecompton convention. |
Two days before the Governor announced his intention of purging the returns of the frauds committed by the pro-slavery men in regard to them, and while the excitement about them was intense, it was suddenly discovered by the conservative "Free-state" men that Lane was working up a conspiracy for using violence against the members of the Lecompton convention. He, as commander-in-chief, had ordered the "Free-state" forces to assemble in Lawrence on October 19th for that purpose. The conservative men at once set themselves against this movement, and after a serious struggle happily won the day. They appointed a mass-meeting of the party at Lecompton for the following week, as much to protect the members of the convention against any sudden attack by Lane and his reckless adherents as to watch their constitution-framing work. Before the meeting took place the Governor had announced the rejection of the fraudulent returns, and had thus deprived the "Free-state" men of all excuse for violence. Some boisterous speeches were, nevertheless, indulged in at the meeting, but the convention was allowed to complete its work in peace.
| The Lecompton constitution. Only the Slavery article to be submitted fully to the people. |