The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-05-29

AS legal body, and when he vetoed their act OF
adjournment TO the neighborhood of Missouri he
did it simply on the ground of the illegality OF
such an adjournment under the organic law.
Now, TO every assumption founded on these facts
there are two satisfactory replies first, that no
certificate of the Governor can do more than au-
thenticate subsisting legal act, without of itself
infuslng legality where the essence of legality is
not already; and secondly, that violence or fraud
wherever disclosed, vtiates completely every pro-
ceeding. In denying these principles, you place
the certificate above the thing certified and give
perpetual lease to violence and fraud, merely
because at an ephemeral moment they were I'M
questioned. This will not do.
Sir, am no apologist for Governor Reeder.
There is sad reason to believe that lie went to
Kansas originally as the tool of the President
but his simple nature, nurtured in the atmosphere
Of Pennsylvania, revoled at the service required,
and he turned from his patron TO duty. Griev-
ously did he err in yielding to the Legislature
any act of authorization; but he has in some
measure answered for this error by determined
efforts since to expose the utter illegaty of that
body, which he now repudiates entirely 1t was
said of certain Roman Emperors, who did infinite
mischief in their beginnings, and infinite good
towards their ends, that they should never have
been born, or never died and would apply the
same to the official life of this Kansas Governor.
At all events dismiss the Apology founded on his
acts, as the utterance of tyranny by the voice of
law, transcending the declaration of the pedantic
judge, in the British Parliament on the eve OF
our Revolution, that our fathers, notwithstand-
ing their complaints, were in reality represented
in Parliament, inasmuch as their lands, under
the original charters, were held sin common
socage, as of the manor of Greenwich in Kent,
which, being duly represented, carried with it all
the Colonies. Thus in other ages has tyranny
assumed the voice Of law.
Next comes the Apology imJeeile, which is
founded on the alleged want of power IN the
President to arrest this Crime 1t is openly as
serted, that, under the existing laws of the Uni
ted States the Chief Magistrate had no authority
to interfere in Kansas for this purpose. Such is
the broad statement, which, even if correct, fur
nishes no Apology for any proposed ratification
of the Crime, but which is in reality untrue; and
this, call the Apology of imbecilitx--
In other matters. no -sucA es.ssientatious imbe-
cility - pJIeffs. Only lately, vessel of war in
me Pacific has chastised the cannibals of the
Fejee Islands, for alleged outrageS on American
citizens. But no person of ordinary intelligence
will pretend that American citizens IN the Pa
cihc have received wrongs from these cannIbals
comparable in atrocity to those received by
American citizens in Kansas. All, sir the inter-
ests of Slavery are not touched by any chastise-
ment of the Fejees
Constantly we are informed of efforts at New
York through the agency of the Government,
and sometimes only the breath of suspicion,
TO arrest vessels about to sail foreign voyages
i'm violation OF oar neutrality laws or treaty slip
uiations. Now, no man familiar with the cases
will presume TO suggest that the urgency for
these arrests was equal TO the urgency for inter-
position against these successive invasions from
Missouri But the Slave Power is not disturbed
by such arrests at New York;
At this moment the President exultS in the
vigilance with which he has prevented the en-
lstmcnt of a few soldiers, 10 be carried off to
Halifax. in violation of our territorial sovereign
ty, and England is bravely threatened, even TO
the extent Of Il rupture Of diplomatic relations,
for her endeavor though unsuccessful, and at once
abandoned. Surely, no in his senses will
urge that this act was anything but trivial by the
side of the Crime against Kansas. But the Slave
Power is not concerned in this controversy.
Thus. where the Slave Power is Indifferent, the
President will see that the laws are faithfully
executed but in other cases where the inter-
ests of Slavery are at stake he is controlled alb
soIutely by this tyranny, ready at all time. to do,
or not 20 DO, precisely as it dictates. There
fore it is that Kansas is left prey to the Prop
of Slavery, while the whole Treasury,
the Army and Navy of the United States, are
lavished to hunt single slave through the
streets of Boston, You have not forgotten the
latter instance but choose to refresh il in your
minds.
As long ago as 1851, the War Department and
Navy Department concurred in placing the forces
of The United States, Boston, at the COM
nand of the Marshal, if needed, for the enforce
ment of an Act of Congress, which had no sup
port in the public conscience, as believe it has
no support in the Constitution and thus these
forces were degraded TO the loathsome work of
More than three years afterwards,
an occasion arose for their intervention. A fugi-
tive from Virginia, who for some days had trod
the streets of Boston rs freeman, was seized as
IL slave. The whole community was aroused,
while Bunker Hill and Fancuil Hall quaked with
responsive indignation. Then, sir, the President,
anxious that no title of Slavery should suffer,
was curiously eager in the enforcement of the
statute The dispatches between him and his
agents in Boston attest his zeal. Here are some
of them:
BosroS 1fay %, 1854
n, the President If tis Jai.ei States
IN consequence of attack upon the Courthouse last
night the purpose rescung fugitive Save under
arrest. and which OF my guards was killed,
hr aral nnu OF he requires ofis Ui;ed States PLACED
adF oonHof on ieiT to" me War d"d NARY DParf-
from Fori Independence, stationed in the Courhous-
own .rnrd WATSON FREEMAN
Uaii,d Statss Marshal BoAion, Mass
wAsmSoroS Nay q, l75i
To W,fson FTeeo'oa
Usfsd SidsS Marshal. Boston. Mus:
Your conduct is approved The IA must be executed
FRANKLIN PIERCE
WASHINGTON May N. 1854
To Hon Is f. Hallefi Bosfon, Mas:
What - the state OF the case OF Earns,
SIDNEY WEBSTER
iPT'rdte Sscretary Of The PrsSDisIil
WASHINGTON. 9fau 81, ls5i
Caitsd S,a,fS Attorney Boston, Mass:
Incur amy expense deemed necessary by the Marshal
and Yourself for Ciy Miary or 20 insure the
execution OF the law. FRANKLIN PIERCE.
But the President was not content with such
forces as were then on hand in the neghborhood.
Other posts also were put under requisition. Two
companies of National troops, stationed at New
York, were kept under arms, ready at any mo-
ment to proceed TO Boston; and the Ad)utant
General of the Army was directed to repair to
tie scene, there to superintcnd the execution of
the statute. Al this was done for the sake of
Slavery; but during long months of menace
suspended over the Free Soil Of Kansas, break
ing forth in successive invasions, the President
has folded his hands in complete lstlesspess, or,
if he has moved at all, it has been only to Ell
courage the robber propagandists.
and now the intelligence of the country is iu-
suited by The Apology, that the President had no
power to interfere. WHY, sir, to make this con-
tession is to confess our Government to be a
pracsua, failure-which | will never 40, except
indeed as il is administered now. No, sir; the
irnbeeity Of the Chief Magistrate shall not be
charged upon our American Institutions. Where
there is {. will, there is a way; and in his case
had the will existed, there would have beer g
way easy and triumphant, to guard against the
Crime we now deplore. His powers in ev-
cry respect ample; and this | will prove by the
statute book. BY the Act of Congress of 18th
February, 1875 it is eaacted, that whenever the
laws of the United States shall &c opposed, or III,
execution fereof o6strueted, in any State 10y cca-
1 c..l L. L Al.
ordinary course of judicial proceedings, or by
| the mowers vested in the marshais" the Presi