The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-02-16
Sov' Reedcr in Reply to ahe Presi6ent.
10 the E53or Of the N Y Iribxaa.

e"cr In NePiy - aRe Prextcents
10 the Editor Of the N Y. TTi6sas.
: SIR The Special MesaaIe Of the Presi-
dent OF the United States. communicated
yesterday 10 congress, assails not only my
! SELF personally, but also my constituents,
whom inclination as well as duty imnerionslv
demands Of me to justify and protect. En-
tirely satisfied as am with the conrsae
, adopted, up to this time, by the people of
Kansas--convinced that it Eas been dictated
by desire to preserve the peace, the repu-
tation and the glory Of our country-know-
ing that it has, at every stage, been charac-
terized by the most conservative moderation
and laudable regard for the rights Of others
having seen at every step, the plainest
manifestation Of the anxious desire to avoid
even the semblance of encroachment or ag-
gression, I should be false to every manly
impulse and every sense of duty, if allowed
the aspersions Of the Message to pass un-
noticed.
Unless the Message shall incite and stinu.
late new invasions of our Territory and fresh
outrages upon our citizens, it will produce to
US no regret, as it has caused no surprise.
After having seen our people tramp1ed on,
oppressed and robbed, on the one hand by
the invaders of their soil, and on the other
by the influence, the authority, and the Off
GERS of the present Administration after
having witnessed the cold-blooded murder of
an unarmed and unoflendng citizen by an
officer of the Administration, who is not
: only unmolested by the laws and unrabuked
By the President who appointed him, but
who has, perhaps, strengthened his official
tenant and enhanced his chances of promo
ton by the act !; it is not at all surprising
that we should, by the head of that Admin
istration, be misrepresented and perverted.
After having seen the Chief Magistrate,
during five organized invasons Of our Terri
tory, unmoved by single sympathy in favor
of an unofending people, innocent of ALI
wrong, and laboring only to carry out faith
fully for themselves the doctrine of self
government, and to build up and extend the
greatness of our country-after having seen
our invaders coming upon US armed (without
reproof if not with official permission from
the contents of the Arsenals of the United
States, establishing system of martial law
over life and property, regulated only by the
uncontrolled will of vindictive and irrespon-
sible men-a system under which life was
taken and property destroyed I; the high
ways obstructed; travellers seized, searched
and detained; all the pursuits Of life para
lyzed, and the destruction and determination
of whole settlements threatened and evil
IDENTIFY intended-backed up by the sanction
and authority of the Federal officers, who
pledge publicly the cooperation of the Pres
ident, and all based upon the fact that man
encouraged, perhaps aided, by his friends,
had made his escape from an arrest on q
constable's warrant. After having thus. seen
our natural and legal protectors joining in
the most atrocious measures of oppression
, and wrong, it is no matter of surprise to see
? misrepresentation of our position and our
objects emanating from the same source.
) This is not the mode nor the time in which
to discuss the themes of this Message. Ex-
pecting, as have right to expect from the
clearness of the exclusive title am prepared
to show, that l shall enjoy seat and voice
on the floor of the House, am willing pa
tiently to bide my time" At the proper
time and place, however, pledge myself to
meet and expose the misstatements Of facts
and errors of law and logic which it con-
tains. | will show that there is nothing but
cold cruelty and insult in the request of an
appropriation to pay an army or posse to
prevent the people Of Komsas from the COM
mission of outrage and treason. ~
i will show that the movement for a State
Government is misstated as to the facts, of
its origin and progress, and that all we 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 fif-
ty years-of the legislation of Congress and
the action of the executive in repeated and
well-considered cases, and of a deliberate
opinion of a high and distinguished Attorney
General Of the United States, and which, as
it is part of the Executive Department., it
is to be regretted the President did not con-
suit before the delivery of the Message If
it is illegality and incipient treason for new
State to be formed without an enabling act
of Congress, will show that fourteen Sena-
tors of the United States hold their seats and
seven States stand in this Union by virtue of
illegal and reasonable proceedings--that
Congress has sanctioned revolution, illegali-r
ty and treason, again and again; and that the
rank and noxious weed has even fourished
in the White House and the Executive De-
partment; and having vindicated my people,
I will also. with the utmost confidence of
success, proceed to the minor and secondary
task of vindcating myself in such manner, Z
i trust, as to show the attack to have been ILL
advised and unfortunate. ..s .-..,.,,...u,
AS to the discussion in the Message of the
points involved in the contested seat, shall
meet them when the case is heard; and as
the House is the sole constitutional Judge of
thequalifcations of it's own members, trust
that the minds of the members may be kept
open and unprejudiced 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 involved has been made
because they were incidental to another sub
/ ject, or aimed and intended to prejudice my.
claim, hope in either case that both sides
may be heard before decision. i.ia
! This hasty note has swelled to an unpre-
. meditated length. Its object is only to So
licit from the House "a and the public q saspen-
of our people-as to my right to seat, and
as to the charges against me in the Message,
until can be heard.
Very respectfully yours, .o- 8fpoL >
I tor sF E A. III. REEDER. oIs
Washington City,, Jan. Is, 1856. l5.er
80 FEB. S, 1856.