LECOMPTON. 66 1863. Lccoiiipton (named in honor of Judge S. D. Lfcoiiite. prominent in the early history of Kansas) was settled in 1854 by pro-slavery men, and during the contest for the control of Kansas between the pro-slavery and 'free-State' settlers, was the lieadiiuarlors of the former. It was here that in Oetol)er-NoveiMbcr, ISfiT, the convention met Avhich drew up the Lecomj)tiin Constitution (q.v.). (See Kansas.) I'opula- tion, in IS'.IO, -l.iO; in IHOO, 408. LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION. In Ameri- can history, a form of ^lovcrnment for the State (then llie Territory) of Kansas, adopted by a convention, of disputed legality, held at I-eeomp- ton, Kan., Ootober-Xoveml>er, 18.i7. The Le- conipton Constitution declared the right of slaveholders in Kansas to their slaves to be inviolable, prohibited the Legislature from pass- ing any aet of emancipation, and forbade any amendment of the instrument before 18()4. The Constitution itself was not submitted even in form to the people; they were only to be allowed to vote ujion the question whether they would have the "Constitution with slav- ery' or the 'Constitution with no slavery,' the instrument being so worded that in cither case it would fasten slavery ujion the State, tlicrc being a clause to the effect that the right to slaves already held in Kansas was inalienable. The Constitution was thus formally submitted to the electors Decemlier 21, lSo7. For its adop- tion 'with slavery' the vote returned was C2li(;. more than half of which was from the counties along the ilissouri border, whose whole num- ber of voters, according to the censvis. did not exceed 1000. For the Constitution 'with no slavery' 509 votes were returned, hut th<^ great body of the free-i'tate men declined to vote at all. regarding the election as a fraud and a farce. The legally constituted Territorial Legislature, controlled by the free-State men, submitted the same instrument to the consideration of the people of Kansas. .Tanuary 4. IS.tS. and the result was a vote of 10,22fi against it. and of less than 200 in its favor. The question was carried to Congress, where the Senate voted to admit Kansas with this Constitution. The House, how- ever, rejected this bill, and after a conference of committees both Houses agreed on the so-called English 15111. This, among other things, pro- vided for a second submission of the Leeompton Constitution, the acceptance of which l)y the people was made a sine f/ua non as regards the immediate admission of Kansas into the Union. On August 2. 1858. the Constitution was again rejected by a majority of 10,000. This virtually ended the struggle for the establishment of slav- ery in Kansas. An anti-slavery Constitution was framed and adoptid in 1S50. and the State was admitted to the Union, .January 20. 18(51. See Kansas. LECOMTE DTJ NOTIY, Ic-koxt' di.i noo'«i', Jrij;s .Tkax Antoixf (1S42— ). A French his- torical and genre painter, born in Paris. He ■was a pupil of Cleyre. Gerome. and Signol at the Ecole des Beaux-.Arts. where he won the second Prix de Rome in 1805 with his "Death of .Tocasta" (Arras iluseum). This was fol- lowed by "Invocation of Neptune" (ISOO. Lille Museum), and among his subsequent productions exhibited annually in the Salon are to be espe- cially noted "Love Which Passes ajid Love Which LE CONTE. Remains" (1809. Boulogne Museum); "The Sorcerer" (1870. Rhcims iluseum) ; 'Heivrers of Kvil Xews Before Pharaoh" ( 1872, Luxembourg) . In fresco, he painted "Two Kpisodcs in the Liii of Saint Vincent de Paul" (187U-79), in the Church of the Trinity, Paris. Although some- what conventional in style and dull in coloring, all his works are to be commended for correct drawing, subtle characterization of the figures, and sound arclueological knowledge. He painted also excellent jwrtrait-s, was awarded medals in London (1802), Paris (1800, 1809, and 1872), and X'ienna (1873). and decorated with the Legion of Honor in 1870. LE CONTE, le kont', .loiiN (1818-91). An American phjsieist, the son oi Lewis Le Conte. He was born in I^iberty County, Ga. ; graduated at Franklin College (now the University of Georgia) in 1838, and at the College of Physi- cians and Surgeons. New York, in 1841: became professor of natural philosophy and chemistry in Franklin College in 1840. and resigned in 1855 to become lecturer on chemistry in the College of Physicians and Surgeons. New York. In 1850 he lieeame professor of natural and mechanical philosophy in .South Carolina College, at Cohmibia ; in 18(i9 he was appointed professor of physics and industrial mechanics in the Uni- versity of California, at Oakland; in 1870-81 was president of that institution, and in 1881 resumed the chair of pliysics there. He was a memlx'r of the ])riiicipal scientific associations, and published, besiiles numerous papers and mag- azine articles, Philosophi/ of Medicine ( 1849) and fHud;/ of the I'hysirul ticieiices (1858). LE CONTE, .Tou.x K.vton (1784-1800). An -American natiiialist, brother of Lewis Le Conte. He was born in Shrewsbury, N. J.; entered the United States Army in 1813 as a topographical engineer, and made many surveys and plans for fortitieatiims until 1831. when he was retired with the rank of major. He devoted much of his I time to extensive studies in natural history, and I published: Monoiirnphs of Xorth .l»ierica»| Kpecies of Ulriciiloria, Gratiola, and Ruellia;' "Observations of the North American Species of ' Viola," and "Descriptions of the Species of North American Tortoises," in the Annals of the Xew York Liiceum of Xotural flistori/; "A Monogra|)h of North American Histeroides," in the lioxton Journal of Xuttirnl Hislori/: and "Descriptions of Three New Species of Arvieola, with Remarks Upon Other North American Rodents." in the I'rocerdinfi.i of the Academy of Xatitriil KnVjire of I'hUadelphia. LE CONTE, .ToHK Lawrexce (1825-831. An American entomologist, son of Major .John E. Le Conte. He was born in New York City, and graduated at -Mount Saint Mary's College. Em- mitsburg. ild.. in 1842, and at the New Y'ork College of Physicians and Surgeons, New Y'ork, in 1S4C, He made scientifie excursions in Western States when a student, and afterwards traveled extensively in North and Central -America, transmitting the results of his observa- tions to scientific societies. He entered the army as surgeon of volunteers in 1802. and was pro- moted to medical inspector in the Regular .rniy with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, which posi- tion he retained until the end of the war. In 1873 he was elected president of the .American -Association for the Advancement of Science.
