submit to arrest for contempt of court, and tendering the judge a. posse of United States troops to aid in making the arrest.  The judge began to see that he had been making a fool of himself, and dropped the subject.  These Territorial judges had shown themselves capable of any excess of villainy, and had been a sure refuge in every time of trouble to this Lecompton party; but even the courts had now failed them, and these “border ruffian” judges were only laughed at by this Southern Governor.  One year before, these conspirators had assembled an army to drive out the Free State settlers, and to give the Territory into the hands of the South; but Gov.  Geary had interfered to thwart their purpose, and, what was worse, a majority of the leaders of that army, men of note along the Missouri border, had declared themselves in sympathy with Mr. Geary.  Then they had asked for a Southern Governor, for would not he be true to the South?  And now even this man had failed them, and had given the control of the Territorial Legislature into the hands of the Philistines!  They were indeed in evil case.  It seemed as if heaven and earth had combined against them, and that only hell was on their side.  One last chance remained.  If this was a desperate chance, it must be remembered they were playing a desperate game—­they would make Kansas a slave State in spite of the Governor, in spite of the Territorial Legislature, and in spite of the people of Kansas.

CHAPTER XXV.

The Convention that had been called to frame a State Constitution, and in which election the Free State men had taken no part, had met to do its work in September of 1857, and finished in November; but to the last it refused to make provision to submit the Constitution, when framed, to a vote of the people, for acceptance or rejection.  But in place of this thing, had virtually said to them:  “You must accept this Constitution whether you like it or not.  We will allow you to vote for the Constitution with slavery; or, for the Constitution without slavery; but you must vote in every contingency for the Constitution.”

But admitting the people had voted for the Constitution without slavery, still a trap was set for them in the following proviso, which would still remain an integral part of the Constitution.

“If, upon such examination of such poll-books it shall appear that a majority of the legal votes cast at said election be in favor of the ‘Constitution with no slavery,’ then the article providing for slavery shall be stricken from this Constitution, and slavery shall no longer exist in the State of Kansas; except that the right of property in slaves now in this Territory shall in no manner be interfered with.”