The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1856-05-14
see that they were faithfully executed.

see that they were faithfully executed. 1t
was his duty to suppress rebellion, and
put down treason. My colleague says
that it will be necessary to catch the trail
tor before the President can hang him.
My opinion is that, from the signs of
| the times, aud in view of all that is pas
sing around u.s. as well as at distance,
there will be very little difficulty in arres-
ting the traitors--and that. too, without
going all the way to Kansas to find them.
| Laughter. This Government has shown
itself the most powerful of any on earth
/ in all respects except one. 1t has shown
equal to foreign war or to domestic defense
equal to any emergency that may arise
in the exercise of its high functions in all
things except the power to hang trail
tori kaa5
I trust in God that the time is not
near at hand, and that it may never come,
when it will be the imperative duty of
those charged with the faithful execution
of the laws to exercise that power. l
| trust that calmer and wiser counsels will
prevail that passion may subside, and
reason and loyalty return, before the
overt act shall be committed. / fervent-
| Iy hope, that the occasion may never arise
which shall render it necessary to test the
power of the Government and the firm
ness of the Executive in this respect; but
4 if, unfortunately, that contingency shall
/ happen, if treason against the United
/ States shall be cousumated, far be it from
tmy purpose to express the wish that the
penalty of the law may not fall upon the
| traitors head $50 e."
Ny colleague also arraigns the Presi-
dent because he has issued proclamation
against the Insurgents in Kansas on what
he considers Insufficient evidence, and be-
cause he did not take effectual steps to
prevent illegal voting by non residents OF
the Territory at the general election on
the 50 of March, 1855. His words are !:
| Senators have justified ard commend
ed the entire action of the Executive in
reference to Kansas affairs; but, for my
part, / can see no justification in the doe
umeats before us for such proclamation
and/ such orders as have been issued.
When an invading army marched into
Kansas, and controlled its elections by
fdriying its inhabitants from the polls, we
latf mo ssseh- eai
cial knowledge of the fact as would justi
| fy his interference to protect the ballot
box How is it that he could neither see
nor hear of those invasiops, in utter dis
regard of an act of Congress- and yet is
! SO ready, without any official information,
I to take notice of an opposition to the
enactmeats of a spurious Territorial Leg
islature? The fact that Governor Reeder
did not officially notify him of the Mis-
souri, invasion is no excuse. 1t is the
| duty of the President to, see that the laws
| Of the United States be faithfully executed;
and if Reeder neglected his duty he should
have removed him. It cannot be that the
President, was uniformed of the manner
/ in which the elections in Kansas were car
lried; the facts were proclaimed through
out the, land, and, known to everybody" !"
8 Why can it not :. be that the, President
was aaaigformed of the manner in which
the elections in, Kansas, were carried ~
The minority report says that Governor
Reeder was .uninformed in relation there
to . ON the 5th of April, when he exam
ined the returns and issued the certificates
of election! Governor Reeder was ir
Kapsasfat the time-in the very center
of the scenes of the alleged invasion
charged with the imperative duty Of see.
ling the laws faithfully executed. The
election was held under his proclamation
as he had prescribed. 3 The judges who
I conducted the elections were all appoint
: ed by him; the returns were made to him
: he invieed contests to be decided by him
self in all cases of unfairness or irregular
!, Iity; he received protests, heard allega
tions, examined into the, facts, and grant
b ed or withheld the certificates according
as he found that the elections were fair o.
unfair, legal or illegal. In view Of al
; these facts the minerity report exculpate
and justi6es the Governor upon the grount
that he was :, uuinformed in relation tt
the conquest of Kansas while my colleagu,
says that cit cannot be that the Presi
dent" who was two thousand miles from
! the field Of operations, was !" uninformed'
in relation to the same facts! How wa
. the President to know :" the manner il
o which the elections in Kansas were car
lried unless he could rely upon the fidel
J Eity of the Governor to whom the law @
y Congress had confided the trust of super
J, intending the elections, and collecting tn
y facts and making known the result I? Blu
my colleague will not excuse hefPresi
= dent for being /" uniformed of fact
= which, if true, the Governor ought to hav
: known, but failednte communicate; Will
( the minoritydreport, which my colleagu
u proHounees a." mastery ," paper, find
70 ample justification for the Governor in tn
assumption that he was }suninforined i
t, relation thereto,a although present at til
le time, and required by law to know tn
al facts, and clothed with. the power an
, means sof ascertaining them. But m