Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1855-06-30
From the Washington Union Of Jane ls'
AFFAIRS IN KANSAS.

-
e.......z1 ..fz..... aa.s.....
From the Washington Union Of jane l9'
AFFAIRS IN KANSAS.
Governor Resder to Commissioner Manypenng.
SHAWNEE MISSION, KANSAS TEKRifoRf,
March 80, 1855.
Sir: On tug 10th January last four con-
tracts made with Hon. S. W. Johnson.
for the sale of tour tracts OF land IN this
Territory reserved to half.breed Kansas
Indians. were submitted to you as the head
of the bureau for report thereon, with
memorials of the reserves praying that the
contracts might be confirmed, and they al
low ed to make the deeds. These contracts
were for convenience sake, made in the
name Of Judge johnson, although twas
we'll Understood that Judge Fillmore, Co..
onel Isacks, and myself were equally in
terested. The granioIs were Joseph James
Louis Papin aud wife. FIaneois Aubrey
and wife, and Moses Belnard and wife.
In your report to the President. OF Jsnu-
AIRY l5tl,you recommend that these con-
tracts be not confirmed; you allude to them
as "disreputabe attempts OF certain official
functionaries to speculate on these lands
Gu characterize the n as ola demoraliziDg
tendency upon the inhabitants otthe Ter
ritory, botl. Indians and whites you state
that "thesp purchases are the result OF
systematic plan to torestall competition in
the purchase and monopoly at low prices
OF these reserves" you stigmatise them as
marked .by ,ndelicacy and imProprlety'
you undertake 10 quote from,and endorse as
"ent,lsd to the fullest credit" letter in
which it Is eaid that grantors have been
"chratrd,n and at the close oil your report.
in speaking of the agreements, you say
that .they disclose condition OF things
among the federal officers which, il not
sooner ,sbuked, must produce 9 state OF
Decentralization in the Territory, the effects
of which will be as IameDtable as the acts
themselves are disgraceful." This report
of ours you have given to the public IN
,he shape Of a congressional document, IN
der r.,,cIgtlpn of the Hous. Of Represen-
,u,ives calling Upon your department for
information, which resolution, ! have rea-
son to believe. was offerd by your procure
ment under other circumstances. The law
aud the logic OF your report would make
fruitful and amusing theme, but matters
OF grave import.exclade discussion. You
have thus raised an issue between your
self on the one hand, and myself aud three
ofthe territorial officers an the other, which
must be settled, not in a corner. but IN The
full blaze OF day. aud beioie tho whole
public, and it is no less grave a question
than whether. on the one hand, we are dia'
horrst slishonorable men, guilty OF revolt
ing fraud, o, whether you ate vile iand I'M
scrupulous slanderer, who does not recos
nize the binding obligations Of truth and
Justice or the sacredness OF reputation.-
You have deliberately and publicly as
serted the one side of that issue, aid now
as deliberately aud publicly assert the 9th
er, and before | am done with you SIT,
intend to DO with my proposition what you
have not attempted 10 do, aud cannot DO
with yours-establish it by competent
proof. A controversy ofthis kind is to ev-
ery man Of well regulated mind, or delica'
cy of feeling most dstastefGl occupation;
to the inocent man who does not rcpel j.
with defiant indignation it is imputation Of
base cowardice; ID the man who 'wantonly,
and without foundation, pave Ats-'', itls
the inetfaceable brand Of injustice, bruia''
ity aud faiseLood. That you have been in
this business only the creduious tool oil
other men, " Ito have for their own purpos-
es used YOU to sraduce me, cannot alter the
course which my se!t-respect requires me
10 pursue. If they have duped YOU into
difficult, from which you cannot be ex'
tracted, il is no concern ct mine l am
equally bound to defend my reputation
against your ferocious assault, whether II
be dictated by malace or stupidity. A.
a set-off to your wholesale charges OF fraud.
/ will, before coming 10 the main object oil
this letter. state few facts which, for the
present, l rest on my own assertion. First,
no NAV will deny that all individual dy az
cepting public office does not forfeit his
fiihs to buy land, and make profit il he can
provided the vendor is fully competent to
manage his own affairs aud make his own
bargains, and ne fraud, deceit, or misrep-
resentatiom is practised upon him. The
man who denies this proposition | shall
not attempt to convince. He is welcome
to believe what he pleases, and l shall un-
der,ake no such Quixotic task al to supply
his deficiencies oil common sense. With
this preface, | assert that these vendors
whom you have probably led the public
10 regard as wild. un,utored savages, are,
in truth. as competent to manage their own
aifairs, you or I. Louis Papih awhile man,
shrewd and intelligent Frenchman.ss VIC
speaks the Preach aud English well, and
IS quite at home in all the ordinary trans
actions OF life, and who is so far from be-
| ing al Indian that he has not the slightest
mixture Of Indian blood, and, ! think
cannot even speak the language. Aubu'
rev is precisely the same. and no more o.
au Indian than Yourself. Their wives are
the daughters Of Louis Goavil, French