Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1855-08-18
GOV. REEpERps REMOVAL.

The Official account Of Gov Reeder's
.;oction from Office confirms to the fullest
cxtent. the belief that he was not removed
ON account of his alleged illegal speculation
in Indian lants,--not for any OF the reasons
sneci6ed in the memorial OF the Kansas Leg
islature.-but because he would not cooper
ate with the propagandists inforclng slavery
upon the people of the new TERRITORY. "a
Yarv brief examination of the facts OF the
case will expose the hollowness of the pre-
text. that his land speculations were the
cause of his removal.
On the 18th of June, just upon the eve oil
his departure for Kansas, Secretary Marcy
informs Mr.. Reeder that he is accused OF
having been engaged Illegally in the purchase
nf lands from the Indians and that unless
these charges can he explained to the Presi-
dents satisfaction, be will be removed. At
the earliest possible moment after his arrival
ON the 26th of the same month-Gov
Reeder writes to Mr.. Marcy in explanation
of the charge referred to,--the only specific
charge that had been brought against him
His explanation was denial He said he
had made no such purchase OF lands,-that
the only transaction Of the kind in which he
has been engaged, was an agreement to pur-
chase certain lands, if it should meet the
Presidents approval. He had laid the mat
upon it. Here very clearly no offence had
been committed. If the President should
upprooe the contract, he could not deem it
nh offence, fit was illegal, or in any re-
spect improper. he would not approve it, and
then it would have no existence. And after
consultation with the Secretary of the lnte-
rior and the Superintendent Of Indian Af-
fairs, he determined not TO give it his appro
val--a decision Of which Gov. Reedsr is ap
prised in q letter from the Secretary of the
Interior, dated the 18th Of July.
That put an end, necessarily, to the whole
transaction. The alleged contract ceased t,
have any existence, aud could no longer al
ford any pretext for Reeder's removal. Blu
that event had not been delayed, to await tn
result of the examination into the charge
upon which it was to rest. He was removed
fire days before the date Of the letter an
nouncing the Presidents adverse decision
And in the letter announcingit, not asyllabl
is said of the argument that, inasmuch "a
the approval of the President was essentia
to the validity of the contract, no offenc
could be committed by it unless the Presiden
should become o party to it. No 'referenc
whatever is made to the circumstances G
the case But Gov. Reeder is removed bC
cause he had not, in his letter. explained Gel
tain other transactions of which, 1t is cor
fessed, no explicit mention was ever mad
by the Administration
1t was scarcely worth while for the Pres
dent to trump up these accusations agains
Gov. Reeder, since they were virtually abar
doned as ground for his removal. 1t woul
have been more manly to have elected hin
at once. without any pretence of misconduct
upon what was the actual ground of his dis
mssal,--his refusal to be made the tool ofth
Pro-Savery propaganda. That act would O
itself have been base enough to sustain tn
reputation of the Administration the COW
ardly double-dealng Of the course pursued
may make it somewhat more in character =
but it cannot render it whit more popular