The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-01-06
NisceilapecQs.

| WisceiIapecqs.
Letter from the Governor.
The following very interesting CORES
pondence, as a portion of the history o
Kansas, is invaluable and though con
siderably behind time, will be found i'm
portant as defining the position of tn,
Governor on foreign dictation. Every
real citizen of the Territory is justly
proud of the letter, and the regret i.
unanimous that the people of Missour
had not generally read it, or taken soDa,
method by which they could have learned
| its contents, and so have remained al
home looking after their own domestic af
fairs, instead of returning to Kansas by
hundreds and participating in the election
of a Territorial Delegate to Congress.
The letter to Gov. Reeder, to which
this is a reply, has never been received
by us, consequently we are deprived the
pleasure of publishing it:
CopY.
To his Exeellency, A. H. REEDER,
Gov. of Kansas: DEAR SIR Having
been informed that you were waited on,
few days since, by committee of per-
sons, acting by authority of meeting
held at the town of Leavenwortl, on the
] 9Th instant, to urge upon you the neceS-
Sity of an immediate election for members
for Territorial Legislature and that a
correspondence upon that subject, of a
nature extremely interesting to all citizens
of Kansas has taken place between you
and said committee, we respectfully So
licit of you a copy of the same for publ
cation. Very respectfully, yours, DC,
J. G. THOMPSON,
- ROBT.. III. HIGGINS,
M.F. CONWAY.
Fort Learenworth, X. T., Nov. 22, 1854
sf-l.- 't-t t ltE
GENTLEMEN Yours of to-day is re-
ceived. As the correspondence to which
you refer is one that lad its origin in a
public meeting-relates to public affairs,
and was carried on with me as public
officer-I have no hesitation in furnishing
the inclosed copy for publication, if you
deem proper SO to use it. Very respect
fully yours,
A. III. REEDER.
To:J. c. Thompson, Robt HI. Higgins,
M. L. Conway, Esqs.
Fort Leauenworfh, Nov. 22, 1854.
Fort LEAvENwoRTH, K. T.,
November 81, 1854.{
GENrLEMEs:-On the 10th inst. you
called on me in the capacity of "a commit
tee, claiming to represent and speak for a
meeting of citizens of Kansas Territory,
held the preceding day at Leavenworth
City, and presented me your memorial
on behalf of that meeting. The memo
rial commences with the statement that
you are acting under resolution of such
meeting, and ends by urgently press
ing" me to comply with the wishes of
those by whom you were appointed.
Finding that you did not come as indi-
yidual citizens, acting for yourselves, but
as the representative of others, I took
the ground that it was necessary and
proper for me to know WHOM you repre-
sentcd, and that / must have copy OF
the proceedings of the meeting which ap-
pointed you. Your chairman seemed at
first to think that was unnecessary.
replied that it was very obviously ncces-
airy / should know, by the only authentic
evidence, that you had been appointed,
and by whom; and further staied, that
unless the proceedings were furnished,
should not consider myself bound to no
tice your memorial You then agreed to
furnish them. / waited their coming un-
til last evening, when | received from the
post Office a communication from you,
dated the 18th inst, but with no post
mark to inform me when it was mailed
This communication declines TO furnish
the proceedings of the mceting-profess-
es to give reasons for the refusal-con-
tahls the very deliberate annunciation o.
some inherent rights of the people of Kan.
sas, which no one would ever think OF
questioning, and some other propositions
which must, in confusion of correspon.
dence, have got into that letter by mistake,
as | have been utterly unable to discover
how they were connected with the subject
of discussion; and again requests that my
answer to your memorial be made known
to You and those "whose organ you have
! the honor to be- The reasons you give
may be very briefly stated. Eira, you
say, that some of you, at least, are .srec.
ognized inhabitants" of Kansas and as
serting your own character as honorable
men, you claim that | should have in
dorsed your own opinion on that head BY
taking your allegation of tie facts, instead
lof asking for the usual and natural eyi
denee OF them .Sesc,a1iy, that the peo.
pie of Kansas have a right 10 make knawr
their wishes to the Executive withou
putting them in writing, or organizing
any meeting for that purpose. To the
latter. l have only to say, that admi
Icheerfully the proposition it contains
but | am at a loss to understand wha
possible bearing it has upon the question
whether am entitled to have copy O
the proceedings of this meeting which la,
Jeea held. and an extract from which yor
profess to give. As to the first reason
passing over the indelicaey Of gentle
men putting their personal character nm
necessarily and Improperly in issue, and
demanding Of me, who never impugnet
or mpeached it, that I should dispenss
with the forms and vouchers which ths
occasion demanded ,sby adopting, in liet