The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-07-31
A CARD ANDREW H. REEDER.
wAsHlsoros, May 80, 1856.

TO Tie Editor Of he Union;
SlR Among the documents appended to the reFort Of
the select committee Of the House Of Representatives on
Kansas affairs just published, find sworn statement
from Andrew H. Reede late governor Of the Territory Of
Kansas In that statement page $685. Governor Reeder
uses the following language:
As to the charges Of purchasing Indian lands and In
terests in towns he 1.-THE Presidency said he was entirely
satisfied TO the former that Il Was all lair and honorable
and that hundreds had done so before rdiculed Mr.
Manypennys objection 10 It. and said he had rebuked him
when he talked 10 him OF It, He 1.-THE
presdenD wished no explanation nor found any fault as
the contract for halbreed Kansas lands but have
already stated he expressed himself in strong language
entirely satisfied the fairness and honorable charac
lands had been before him 1.-THE Presidency with the
companying papers in the month of January previous and
upon Mr. Manypenny making most violent and high
tempered report against Them upon the ground OF unfair
ness well vi technical want OF conformity to the
rules OF the de- artment he had returned them To sim
ply declining to confirm them"
asonisbed the audaey which dictated the above
Statements and astonished that committee of Con
gress has been found possessed of nrepdy enough To
dispose of the grave charges made against Governor
Reeder by the President of the United States in solemn
message TO Congress- by submission of an affidavit
OF the officer accusedl
Gov Reeder was appointed in June, 1854 but fingered
60 long in the eastern cities that he only made his appear
in Kansas the 18th October Going there conscious
of possessing the entire confidence of the administration
himself he did stop at Fort Leavenworh to organize
the government and take steps to have legislature
Bembed TO give laws 10 the people he was sent out to
erna duty which he ought to have performed immediate
ly after his appointmen-but presuming upon his pot
cal influence he latter attending the first sale OF
lots in the OF Leavenworh aud patronzng that law
less affair." passed up the country to begue the Indians
their halfbreed children of their lands His first
the performance of duties already shameully delay
ed but attempt despo the helpless and uneducated
denzens of the forest whom it was his official duty to pre-
tect Such his advent to Kansas. Such his dis
regard Of duty such his disregard of the rights the feeble
and helpless; such his of morality and conscience
the outset of his official His is not that
old officer around whom temptations have been grad
ualy and from time to time alluringy spread but that
of who set out in search Of pluader.
The President candidly informed Congress that Gov.
Reeder had neglected his duties become complicated il
specuaons and thus produced disorder and confusion.
This partly the result of and partly hide his specu-
laons Thus make his speculations Pawnee valua
BILE he convened the legislature there hide those ano
other speculaons to avenge his losses and his morca
tion he raised his first quarrel with the legislature about
their legal Poper to remove her session to place where
the comforts OF life could be exchanged for the
these at Pawnee although the legislature adjourned to
very place where be had located the executive Office Thu
was rapidly followed by change Of sides-Gov Reede,
never openly taking sides against the administration and
conduct in the Kaw half-breed land speculations
Hence 1t becomes important to the people of the United
States to know whether the great outages committed In
Kansas were or not melted and brought about in
whole or in part by reckless SPECTATORS anxious to
trieve past specuations TO naugurate new ones
The committee have attempted satisfy this desire of
the people know the truth not by taking evidence in
relation thereto by calling this and other public
offices and inspecting the official papers, many of them in
the handwriting of those who have done most TO brine
about civil war, but by receiving and publishing long
affidavit of that very chief conspirator who is also thu
chief specuator
To make short work of this matter shall prove tina,
that eeIdavit is not true
euabc the people to understand the character of the
committee who have placed that affidavit avoraby before
them though true and to be respected as true
will state this:
The Official and VIGOROUSLY known regulations of this
Office in relation to Indian conveyances REQUIRE amopg
other things that the instrument must be executed in b
presence Of and be attcsted by dsnterested witnesses
'hat Gov keeder had committed the fraud of signing
contract as witness though he Acknowledges the con-
tract was for himself in he name of another
That committee knowing that Gov Reeder had neglect
cd DIS ocia duties TO go up the country TO do this act
that committee knowing that Gov Reeder was depavef
enough to thus act when he fret arrived in Kansas before
he had become involved in the slavery quarres has vel
haa the moral inepd 10 content themselves with taking
'" '"SS-"o ana setunR IL forth as to
inc charges Of the Chief Magistrate Of their country Its
mus seen how far party make men forget what ia due
70 the President 10 Congress and to the pcople-I will
not say, and to themselves also
But as 1t affects my conduct will before I Law dovn
my PEN strip this affidavit and its endorsement of all
sIble importance in the eyes of honest men.
Referring TO the extracts set forth In the opening of this
letter. have TO sey that the time TO which Gov Reeder
refers no contract Of his had been before the Indian Bureau
Tor my action and therefore, could not have been IRE
OnEed by the President for my objections, to Gov Reede
purchasing Indian landsT lie was In the beginning
ai May 1865 that this declaration made by the Pres
uent II bad passed upon his contract In the amonth Of
January previous bis interest concealed and hidden
from my view beneath the OF another man. and he
appeared ouly MS disinterested witness The fact thai
Governor Reede was secretly interested in the
contracts was revealed TO me by himself in manner as
impudent as the transaction dsrepuabe The reader
viii please glance at the following from Governor Reede
to me, extracted from letter dated at Shawnee Mission
March 30, 1855:
These contracts for convenience sake were made In
the name OF judge Johnston although IL was well under
stood that Judge Emore Col. lsaacs and myself eeder
were equally interested
THIS report Of yours you have given to the public In
the shape Of congressional document
You have thus raised issue between yourself on the
one hand and myself and three Of territorial officers
the other which be settled not In corner bpt 4,
the full blaze Of day and before the whole public and IL
10 no less grave question than whether the one hand
we dishonest dshonorabe men, guilty Of revolving
fraud or whether you wnl and INSCRIPTIONS slam
derer who does not recognise the binding obligations OF
truth and justice the sacreduess Of private character
You have deliberately and publicly asserted the one side