The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-08-04
The Case of GOV. Resdsr.

The course pursued toward Governor
Reeder by the President and his sdxis-
Fers is inexplicable. At least it is diff
cult to imagine any explanation credita-
BILE to the powers at Washington. Our
correspondent at the capital intimates
| that the Governor is virtually suspended
from his Office, and NE have heard, thro'
a quarter generally well advised in such
matters, that it is by no means iuproba-
BILE that Mr. Stringfellow is determined
upon as Gov. Reeder's successor. If
this be so, the President must surely be
resolved upon casting loose altogether
from every claim to public confidence in
his administrative and executive policy.
We confess that Notwithstanding the re-
sponsibility of our informant, we are
not disposed to give credence to this
statement 1t surely cannot be that a
man made SO notorious as this Stringfel-
low has been recently for lawless proceed
ureand sectional partisanship--and whose
last recorded demonstration was one of
personal violence to the Chief Magistrate
OF the Territory-can receive such tes-
timonial of the Presidents appreciation
and confidence.
We repeat that the Presidents course
toward Gov. Reeder is inexplicable on
any hypothesis creditable to. the Chief
Magistrate of this Union. Of course,
we are aware that certain charges have
been made against Gov. Reeder of spec
ulatlng IN lands, not we believe contrary
to law, but in opposition to what lave
been understood to be the wishes Of ev-
cry Administration and the usages of
gentlemen appointed to similar trusts
Ii the charges were true few hours be-
fore the Governor took his departure for
Kansas, they were true also when the
Governor came from Kansas on visit to
his family, and they were then made with
as much explicitness as just before his
departure. During that time Gov. Reed
er was IN constant correspondence with
the government and personally visited
Washington. If these accusations i'm
pressed the President as strongly and
unfayorably as it was afterward represent
ed they did, Gov. Reeder ought then to
have been called upon for the disproof,
and failing to supply it, have been visit
ed with the Presidents displeasure.
But it would really seem that these
charges were but the ostensible and not
the real motive for Gov. Reeder's virtual
suspension and almost certain removal
from Office. The real reason to all ap-
pearance, is correctly assigned by our
Washington correspondent. Mr.. Secre-
tary Davis had demanded the Governors
removal, and Mr. Secretary Davis, while
on a tour in the South, had begun to show
signs of ''insubordination,' for which
the President must either punish him by
dismissing him from his Cabinet, or pre-
vent their repetition by conciliating the
free-spoken insubordinate. In the list of
Presidents, from Washington down to
Pierce, we believe there could only have
been found one man that would not have
had the courage summarily to dismiss
from his Cabinet any person that had
publicly spoken of his administration as
Mr.. Secretary Davis spoke ofthe present
one lately at the South. President Pierce
seems to be that exception, and Colonel
Davis is to be conciliated by the removal
of Gov. Reeder. But even this the Pres
identcannot do with manly boldness, but
accomplishes the removal on the pretext
of charges previously permitted to pass
unnoticed. 1t is impossible that the |
President can elevate himselfin the pop
ular opinion by pursuing such courss.
There is view of this matter, how
ever, vastly more important than any
bearing it may have upon the personal
OF political destinies of President Pierce,
Secretary Davis, or Governor Reeder.-l
The removal, unless its propriety and
necessity on other grounds are made
very apparent, will be regarded by the
country at large, and by the lawless in
Kansas Territory and in Missouri, as a
connivance at, if not an approval of, the
outrages committed by Missourians in
Kansas, at the instigation of Atchison,
Stringfellow, d Co., and will be regard
ed as virtual declaration by the Presi
dent that he will yield in everything to
the ultraists of the South. 1t cannot be
interpreted in any other light, unless
very clear case is made out of NAL
feasance in Office. If Governor Reeder
has not acted contrary to law, he ought
not, under the circumstances, to be re-
moved. In his Gubernatorial capacity
he has acted with an imparliality and i
fairness that have brought upon him the
and even the personal vio-
lence, of those whose bullyism and lille.
gal practices he has withstood and par
TALLY frustrated. These are employing
every means for his removal and the
in his place of one who viii
unite with them In riding rough -shod
over popular rights. or indifferently look
on while they "crush OUT the sanctity
of the ballot-box and the freedom of the
voter. If Gov Reeder is removed, ex-
cept for palpably illegal conduct, these
will attribute his removal to their efforts
and the Presidents weakness, and Law
and order in Kansas viii be most effect
ually prostrated and to the Presidents
or infrrnity of purpose, the
country viii owe the rapid growth of q
sectional feud that is even now sufficient i
y threatening-N. T. Spectator. !,
Peril of hia Life.
The Leavenworth Herald is downupon
Mr.. Conway. Speaking in relation to his
latter of resi0nation the Harcd savs.a /;