Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-10-02

your State. We have the honor to be &C.,
J. M. HOWARD, Atty General,
JOHN Mckinney, Sec'y of State,
WHITNEY JONES, Auditor Gen'l.,
S. M. HOLMES, State Treasurer,
5. B. TREADwELL, Com. st. Land Office.
To his Excellency, Governor WRIGHT, In
dianapolis, Indiana.
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 81, 1856.
GENTLEMEN Your communication of
June 4th was received some time ago. Its
extraordinary character would have precluded
a reply from me, but for the fact that the
Legislature of Wisconsin has been assembled
to consider the subjects to which you refer.
The matter has been gravely suggested in
other Northern States; and have been called
on by the Party Press of the State to con-
vene the Legislature here. As you have
each signed this letter, in your official char
acter, am Of course to suppose that you
wish me to consider the views you express,
as entitled to higher consideration, than if
you were acting merely upon your individ-
ual responsibility. You will pardon me,
however, for not regarding them in that
light, since am not informed that the sub
jects, of which you treat, properly pertain to
the duties of the positions you respectively
occupy. AS an executive officer nsyseJ, /
am unwilling to countenance the employment
of a public Office for any OTHER purposes,
whether of party or individual character,
THAN THOSE WHICH BELONG TO IT; and
hence, shall be obliged to consider your let
ter as wholly unofficial; but yet. at the same
time, entitled to the consideration and re-
spect, which is justly your due, as individ-
uals and gentlemen.
Your speak altogether in the tone, if not in
the language of the party press. and the senti-
ments you utter are quite familiar to those
who have watched the progress of the party
struggle, into which the country has been
plunged. A struggle which is sufficiently
characterized, by angry feeling, without any
unwarantable employment of the influence
of official position in the several States
whether North or South. Yet the manner
in which you have treated the subjects to
which you refer, and the alarming PROPOSE
tons you suggest, wW justify me in replying
somewhat in detail.
do not propose to discuss ,0iM you the
question whether there has or has not been
a gross disregard of the constitution and
laws of the United States, and the rights OF
American citizens" upon the part of persons
in Kansas, "and some of the slaveholding
States in order to secure the further ex-
tension of slavery into that and other terri
tories" These are matters which properly
belong to the authorities of the Federal Co..
e7nment, and which cannot, in my judgment
be interfered with, by the authorities of the
States, without usurpation, on the part of the
latter. If the States were to assert the pow
er and right of such interference, it is easy to
see that a conflict between them, and the
Federal authority would Immediately ensue,
which would lead to the most disastrous
consequences to thewhole country-perhaps,
if not inevitably, to blood shed and revolu-
ton. But if this result should not be brought
about by collision between the government
of the United States, and those of the States,
it would be produced in another way equally
fatal to the public happiness and peace. If
the Northern States should undertake to de-
termine whether the Southern States had
violated the Constitution and laws, and
should feel themselves called upon to avenge
such violation, as they might suppose to ex-
ist, the Southern States would, of course as
SCIt, duQ cAOlOloc OuO odmC oubhOiAbf, duN ~
would require but short while in the pres
ent excited state of the public mind, to bring
the citizens of the two sections in deadly
conflict with each other. Such conflict
would be civil war in its worst and most
ruinous form. 1t would necessarily destroy
the Union, and render its reformation impos-
sible. If such consequences, if so awful a
calamity is to be brought upon the coun-
try, it shall receive no aid or countenance
from me, either as an individual, or as the
Executive of State, whose citizens have
always been distinguished for their patriotic
devotion to the Union.
Without furnishing me any facts upon
which you have predicated your opinion, or
informing me wherein there has been a
" gross disregard of the Constitution and laws
of the United States, and the rights OF
American citizens" you have assumed that
the facts are as you state them, and upon
this assumption have informed me that in
your opinion it " imperatVely requires the at
tention Of the State legislature" L have no
doubt that there have been wrongs perpe-
trated in Kansas. Perhaps the Constitution
and laws of the United States have been
violated. But have no information before
me officially in reference TO these things
certainly none such as could justify me in
calling the attention of the Legislature of
the State to them. You will pardon me for
saying that this information is not so furnish
ed by your letter, as that / should feel
myself justified to make it the basis of an
Executive communication. The Congress of
the United States has just adjourned, after
a protracted session of nine months. The
House of Representatives, large majority
of whom entertained political sentiments,
which, | suppose correspond with your own,
sent committee of its members to Kansas,
to ascertain and report upon the condition of
affairs there. The report of this committee
was made some time before the adjournment,
and has been very extensively circulated
throughout the country, especially in the
Northern States. Whether it put Congress
or the country in possession OF the real COD.
dition of things in Kansas or not, do not
know, but | cannot avoid the conviction that
the information furnished by it, was quite
as extensive any which you may have
obtained by private means. Ye; either the
House of Representatives dill not consider
the crisis so important and al arming as you
do, or, if they did, were guilty of most culpa-
bic omission, of not providing some effectual
remedy, before the adjournment. 1t would
have been quite well enough, at all events,
if you had waited until that event, so as to