. Abraham Lincoln and the battles of the Civil War . how-ever, did not follow his example. Congress meton the first Monday of December, and the ser- ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 873 vices of the Acting Vice-President were neededin the Senate Chamber. But of such importancedid he deem the success of the conspircy inwhich he was the leader, that a few weeks beforethe session he wrote a short letter to the Senate,giving notice of his probable absence and advis-ing the appointment of a new presiding a necessary preliminary to organizingthe government of the territory, GovernorReeder, under the auth


. Abraham Lincoln and the battles of the Civil War . how-ever, did not follow his example. Congress meton the first Monday of December, and the ser- ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 873 vices of the Acting Vice-President were neededin the Senate Chamber. But of such importancedid he deem the success of the conspircy inwhich he was the leader, that a few weeks beforethe session he wrote a short letter to the Senate,giving notice of his probable absence and advis-ing the appointment of a new presiding a necessary preliminary to organizingthe government of the territory, GovernorReeder, under the authority of the organic popular sovereignty. But his short expe-rience with Atchisons Border Ruffians hadalready rudely shaken his partisanship. Theevents of the November election exposed thedesigns of the pro-slavery conspiracy beyondall doubt or concealment, and no course wasleft him but to become either its ally or itsenemy. In behalf of justice, as well as topreserve what he still fondly cherished as avital party principle, he determined by every. :&& ANDREW H. A PHOTOGRAPH BY R. KNECHT act, proceeded to take a census of its inhab-itants.* This work, carried on and completedin the months of January and February, 1855,disclosed a total population of 8601 souls, ofwhom 2905 were voters. With this enumera-tion as a definite guide, the governor madean apportionment, established election dis-tricts, and, appointing the necessary officersto conduct it, fixed upon the 30th of March,1855, as the day for electing the territoriallegislature. Governor Reeder had come toKansas an ardent Democrat, a firm friend ofthe Pierce administration, and an enthusias-tic disciple of the new Democratic dogma of * Reeder Testimony, Howard Report, p. 934. means in his power to secure a fair lines in the territory had become sharplydefined upon the single issue of free State and slave State. In his appointment ofelection officers, census-takers, justices of thepeace, and consta


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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade188, booksubjectgenerals, bookyear1887