The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-12-13
he Constitution, and of the existence of the

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Union. 4
Thus, when the acts of some of the States to
nulllfy the existing eXtradition laws imposed
upon Congress the duty of passing a new one,
the country was invited by agitators to enter
into party organization for it's repeal. but that
agitation speedily ceased by reason of the i'm
practicabilty of its object. So when the stat
ute restriction upon the institutions of new
| states by geographical line had been repealed
the country was urged to demand its restora-
ton, and that project also died, almost with its
birth, then followed the cry of alarm from the
North against imputed Southern encroachments
which cry sprang in reality from the spirit of
revolutionary attack on the domestic institu-
lions of the South, and after troubled exist
ence of few months has been rebuked bv the
voice Of patriotic people.
Of this last agitation one lamentable feature
was that it carried on at the immediate expense
OF the peace and happiness of the people OF the
Territory of Kansas. That was made the bat
tie field, not so much of opposing factions, or
inherent within itself, as of the conflicting pas
slons OF the whole people of the United States
! Revolutionary disorder in Kansas had its origin
In projects ofintervention deliberately arraign-
ed by certain members of that Congress which
enacted the law for the organization of the
Territory, and when propagandst colonization
OF Kansas had thus been undertaken in one
| sCCtiOu w Tut L uIOu iOT the systematic promo
ton OF its peculiar views of policy. then ensued
as matter OF course, counter action with OPP
pOsite views in other sections Of the Union.
In consequence of these and other incidents
many acts of disorder, it is undenable have
| been perpetrated in Kansas, to the Occasi nal
Interruption rather than the permanent sus-
| pension of regular government. Aggressive
and most reprehensible incursions into the Ter
ritory were undertaken both in the North and
the South. and entered it on its northern Dor
der by the way of Iowa. as we'll as on the east
ern, by the way of Missouri, and there had en-
listed Within it state of instruction against
the constituted authorities, not without coun-
tenance from inconsderate persons in each of
! the great sections of the Union. but the diff
cultles in that Territory have been extraya-
gantly exaggerated fer the purposes of pOit;-
cal agitation elsewhere.
j The number and gravity of the acts of vio-
lence have been magnifed, partly by state
ments entirely untrue and partly reiterated
accounts OF thesame rumors or facts Thus the
Territory has been seemingly filed with ex-
IRENE violence, when the whole amount Of
such acts has not been greater than what occa
slonally passes before us in single cities, to the
regret OF all good citizens, but without being
regarded as OF general or permanent political
Importance.
Imputed Irregularities in the elections held
in Kansas, like occasional irregularities of the
same description in the States were beyond the
sphere of action of the executive, but incidents
OF actual violence. or of organized obstruction
OF law, pertlnaclously renewed from time, have
been met as they occurred by such means as
were available and as the circumstances reuuir.
ed, and nothing of this character now remains
to affect the general peace Of the Union
The attempts of part of the inhabitants OF
| the territory to erect revolutionary govern
ment, though sedulOusly encouraged and sup
ported with pecuniary aid from active agents
Of disorder in some of the States has complete
ly failed. Bodies of aimed meu foreign to the
| Territory, have been prevented from entering
o! compelled to leave it. Predatory bands en-
gagged in acts Of rapine, under cover of the ex-
listing political disturbances, have been arrest
ed or dispersed, and every well disposed per
is now enabled once more to devote himself in
peace to the pursuit of prosperous industry.
for tie prosecution of which he undertook TO
participate in the settlement of the Territory
1t affords me unmlngled satisfaction thus to
announce the peaceful condition of things in
Kansa. especially considering the means to
which it was necessary to have recourse to the
attainment Of the end. viz: the employment of
a part of the military force of the United States
The withdrawal Of that force from its proper
duty of defending the country against foreign
foes or the savages of the frontier to employ
for the suppression of domestic insurrection, is
when the exigency occurs, matter of the most
earnest sOlicitude. On this occasion Of inner
alive necessity, it has been done with the best
results. and my satisfaction in the attainment
of such results by succh means is greatly en-
HANGED by the consideration that through the
wisdom and eneIgy Of the present executive OF
Kansas, and the prudence, tirmness and vgi-
lance of the military officers on duty there.
tranquility has been restored without one drop
of blood having been shed in its accomplish
ment by the forces Of the United States
The restoration of comparative tranquility
in that territory, furnishes the means of OBJ
serving calmly and approaching at their
just value the events which have occurred
there and the discussions of which the GOV
eminent of the Territory has been the sub
|ject. We perceive that controversy, con-
corning its future domestic institutions, was
inevitable-that no human prudence--no
form of legisl .tion-no wisdom on the part
of Congress could have prevented this. Its
idle to suppose that the particular provisions
of their organic law were the cause of aeita-
ton. Those provisions were bnt the occa-
sion or preteXt of an agitation which was in
herent in the nature of things. Congress le-
gislated upon the subject in such terms as
were most consonant with the principle of
our popular sovereignty which underles our
government.
1t could not have legislated otherwise with
out doing violence to another great princi-
pie of our institutions. the imprescriptble
right of equality of the several States. We
here perceive also that sectional interests
and party passions have been the great i'm
pediment to the salutary operation of the
organic principles adopted, and the chief
cause OF the successive disturbances in Kan
sas, the assumption because in the organiz,-
ton of the Territories of Nebraska and Kan
sas, Congress abstained from imposing re-
strctlons upon them to which certain other
Territories had been subject, therefore dis
orders occurred in the latter Territory, is
emphatically contradcted by the fact that
none have occurred in the former The dis
orders were not the consequence in Kansas
of the freedom of self government conceded
to that Territory by Congress, but of un-
just interference on the part of persons not
inhabitants of the Territory. Such interior
ence, wherever it has exhibited itself by
acts of insurrectionary character, or of the
obstruction to processes of law, has been re-
PEELED or suppressed by all the means which
the Constitution and the laws place in the
hands of the Executive.
In these parts of the United States, where
by reason of the inhamed state of the public
mind, falls, rumors and misrepresentation
have the greatest currency, it has been as
sumed that it was the duty of the executive,
not only to suppress insurrectionary move
mentS in Kansas but also to see TO the irrpp-