New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-29
GOTERNOR REEDER IN REPLY TO THE
PRESIDENT

United States, communicated yesterday 70 Congress
assails not only myself personally but also my con-
stut nts, whom nclna well duty imperiously
demands of me to justify and protect. Entirely salts
fed a. with the adopted up to this time,
by the people of Kansas-oOnvinced that has been
dictated be desire to preserve the peace the reputa
ton and the glory of eountry-knowng that it has,
at every stage been characterized by the most conser
vative moderation and laudabe regard for the rights
of th.rs-having at every step the paines mani
festation of the anxious desire to avoid the
blance of epcroachment or aggression, should he
false to every manly Impulse and every sense of duty
if allowed the aspersons ofthe Message to pass un
noticed
Unless the Message shall ncite and stimulate new
nvasons of our Territory and fresh outrages upon our
citizens il will produce to Us no regret, as 1t has
caused no surprise. After having seen our people
trsu,pled on oppressed and robbed on the one hand
by the invaders of their SOIL aud the other by the
il fuence the authority, and the officers OF the pres
ent Administration after having witnessed the
cold blooded murder of an unarIned and unotfend
ing citizen by an officer of the Administration,
who is rot only unmolcsted by the laws and unre-
buked by the President who appointed him, but who
has perhaps strengthened his official tenant and
enhanced his chances of promotion by the act;
II IS not nj nj all surprising that should, by the
head of that Administration be msrepresented and
perverted After having seen the Chief Magistrate,
during five organized invasons of our Territory, I'M
moved by single sympathy in favor of an unoffend-
ing people, innocent of all wrong, and laborng only
to carry out faithfully for themselves the doctrine OF
self-government and to build up and extend the
greatness of our country-afer having seen our in
vaders coming upon armed without reproof if not
with official permission from the contents of the Ar
serals of the United States establishing system
of martial law over life and property, regu-
lated only by the uncontrolled will OF yIndc
tive and irresponsible men--a system under
which life was taken and property destroyed; the
highways obstructed; travellers seized searched and
detained; all the pursuits of life parayzed, and the
destruction and determination of whole settlements
threatened and evidently intended-backed ap by the
sanction and authority of the Federal officers, who
pledge publicly the cooperation of the President and
all based upon the fact that man encouraged per-
haps aided by his friends had made his escape from
an arrest on a copstables peace warrant. After hav-
ing thus seen our natural and legal protectors joining
in the most atrocious measures of oppression and
wrong it is no matter surprise to msrepresenta-
ton of our position and our objects emanating from
the same source.
This is not the mode nor the time in which to dis
cuss the themes of this Message Expecting as have
right to expect from the cearness of the exclusive
title am pref ed to show, that shsl enjoy seat
md voice on the floor of the House, am willing
patiently to bide my time" AT the proper time
and place, however, pledge myself to meet and ex-
pose the msstatements of facts and the errors of law
and logic which it contains. will show that there Is
nothing but cold cruelty and insult in the request of
appropriation to pay army or posse to prevent the
Deoue Of Kansas from the commission OF outrage and
treason | will show that the movement for State
Government is msstated "a to the facts OF
its origin and progress and that all have done in
this direction has been under the sanction OF the
precepts and examples of all the great men of the
country for the last fifty years-of the legislation of
Congress and the action of the Executive in repeated
and wel-consdered cases. and of deliberate opinion
of a high and distinguished AttorneyGeneral of the
United States and which, il is part of the archives
Of the Executive Department it is TO be regretted the
President did not consult before the delivery of the
NJ, ssage II il is ilegay and incpent treason for
new State TO be formed without an enabling Act OF
Congress will show that fourteen Senators OF the
United States hold their Seats and seven States stand
in this Union by virtue of illegal and reasonable pro-
ceedings-that Congress has sanctioned revolution,
ilegality and treason, again and again. and that the
rank and noxous weed has fourished in the
White House and the Executive Department; and,
having indicated my people, l will also, with the
utmost confidence of success, proceed to the minor
and secondary task of indicating myself in such
manner, trust, as to show the attack to have been
ill-adyised and unfortunate.
As to the discussion in the Message of the points
involved in the contested seat, shall meet them
when the case is heard and the House is the sole
constitutional judge of the qualifications Of its own
Members. trust that the minds of Members may be
kept open and unpreudiced until they shall hear the
law and the facts of the case, and that whether the
discussion by the Executive Of some Of the points n-
yolyed has been made because they were Incidental
TO another subject, aimed and intended to PREJUDICE
my claim hope in either that both sides may be
heard before decision.
This hasty note has sweled to an unprecedented
length Its object is only to solicit from the House
and the public suspension ofudgment as to the posi-
ton and action of our peope-a to my right to seat
and as to the charges against in the Message until
can be heard Very respectfully, yours,
Washin9toa City Jan. IS 1855. A III. hEEDLh'