The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-11-17
LAWRENCE Kansas TERRITORY, sATuRpAY, NOVEMBER TO- 8

The only other part of the Defence in
which the President attempts to justify
himself, is that in which he labors to
show how unjust are the complaints
against him, for not interfering to pre-
vent the fraud and violence alleged to
have been committed in Kansas:
1--WE have seen the remark made again
and again by partisan opponents of the
President, that he is responsible for the
violations of the right of suffrage in
Kansas; that he ought to have prevented
it; and that be ought still to interfere
for the punishment of the offenders but.
we have seen no attempt to specify the
manner in which the President could
have interfered to prevent the evils, nor
in which he could now interfere, nor
upon what clause in the law or the Con-
stitutiOn he could find authority to inter-
fere. We know that under theconstitu-
tion the President is commander of the
army, but we know, too, that he is not
thereby empowered to employ the army
for any other than purpose specified by
law. The Advertiser deals in the lam
guage generally used by the fault finders
on this subject, but upon examination it
will be seen to be entirely too vague and
general to point out the course which
the President is advised to pursue. We
venture to affirm that he stands ready
and anxious to exert the full power vest
ed in him by the constitution and law,
to secure to the people of Kansas the
free and unrestricted right to carry out
the Kansas law in It's true spirit. We
doubt not he would be obliged to some
of the astute fault finders, to point him
to the authority under which he can do
more than he has long since done. 1t is
idle to tell him that he must discard all
sympathy with Atchison and his crew
he never had any sympathy with ahy
body who sought or desired, either di-
rectly or indirectly, to interfere with the
free right of suffrage by the Kansas peo-
pie. 1t is useless to call on him to 'sus-
tain the people of Kansas in the exercise
of the rights guaranteed to them, with
out showing in what way he can 'sus-
tain them more effectually than hereto
FORE He has exhausted all the authority
known to him in the effort to have the
law for organizing Kansas faithfully exc
cuted."
Let us see whether he is so impotent,
as he pretends to be. When the fugitive
slave act was said to be obstructed in its
operation, did not the President issue
proclamation, warning eyil-disposed per-
sons, calling upon good citizens to main
tain the law, and denouncing penalties
against law-breakers? Did he not put
the army and navy of the United States
in motion to enforce its execution Were
not dispatches sent to the marshal and
prosecuting attorney, to use prompt and
vigorous efforts against offenders? Why
all this exertion of federal power? Be
cause, the law, said to be resisted, was a
federal statute, and by the constitution
the President is bound to "take care that
the laws be faithfully executed" What
is the Kansas Nebraska Act but feder
al law, and, when resisted, when It's plain
provisions are attempted to be counter
acted by an organized conspiracy, how
is it that the President is not bound to
''take care that it be faithfully execu-
ted?" Why may he instruct marshals
and attorneys, issue proclamationS, put
the army and navy in motion, when one
federal law is seriously obstructed, and
have no power to interfere, when another
is still more seriously obstructed?
The truth is, ne not only failed to use
his power to support the law, but fla
grantly used it to support the law
breakers? He knew that Senator Atch-
ison was the head of the conspiracy to
convert Kansas into slave Territory
that Messrs. Whitfield and Stringiellow
were his chief efassociates-tha the Squat
ter Sovereign and Weston Argus, open
part:sans of Modification, hbejlers of the
free States, advocates of mob-violence
and the invasion of Kansas, were their
special organs. Will he explain, then,
to the country, why he elected Mr.. Ben
tons friends from Office, in Missouri, and
appointed instead the creatures of Mr..
Atchison, thereby giving the latter the
ascendency? Why he re-appointed Mr.
Whitfield, Indian Agent Why he gave
the government printing to the Argus
and the Squatter Sovereign Will he
tell US. why he appointed majority of
the Judges of the Territory from that
class of shareholders who deny that sIa-
very is local in its character, and assert
that it is recognised and protected by the
federal constitution Ill all federal Terri
tory. thus deciding, in advance, the
question of slavery for Kansas, so far as
the courts could determine it 4? VIII he
tell US, why he appointed. in the place of
Governor Reeder, Wilson Shannon, a
man whose first act was cordial recog-
milton of the spurious Legislature OF
Missouri, elected by Atchison men, and
one of whose first declarations was, that
she was in favor of slavery in Kansas ?''
Ah-the record of the President is a
black one: not only has he refused to
use his power in behalf of the actual
settlers in Kansas, he has used it against
them not only has he declined to see
that the laws be faithfully executed, he
has aided and abetted the men who de-
liberately violated them. HisDefence is
disingenuous in statement, sophistical in
argument, hbellous on the free States,
an insult to common sense.
/
What Does it Mean.