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

You will readily perceive that your letter,
written while Congress was in session, and
more than two months before its adjourn
ment, might possibly subject you, in some
minds, to the imputation of an extraordina-
ry haste, in desiring, as officers of the State
of Michigan, to interfere with things belong
ing to the General Government and in no
way connected with the duties of the offices
you are new filling II is quite time enough,
in my estimation, for the officers of the States,
to undertake this supervision, when the Gov
eminent of the United States shall have
shown itself incompetent to performance of
its duties and obligations At present am
constrained to think that the House of Rep
resentatives did not consider the state Of
things in Kansas, in the condition you have
supposed; or certainly, some proposition,
would have been introduced and passed, for
the restoration of quiet. Unless indeed,
those who were in the majority, and controll-
ed its action, looked to the remedy you have
suggested as the most available means of af-
fecting the result of the Presidential election.
In any view of it, am constrained, from a
sense of duty to the Federal Government of
the State of Indiana, and the other States of
Union, to decline compliance with your
suggestions, and to say that l see in them
nothing but such consequences as every pat
riot 10 the county would be compelled to de-
plore. [ am charged by the Constitution with
the duty of converting the Legislature, when
ever, in my opinion, the exigency of public
affairs in this State shall require it. But am
not aware that there has been conferred up
on me, or that it was intended TO confer upon
me, the power to do so, in view of any ext
gency that may arise in the affairs of the Gen
eral Government, or those of any of the other
States or Territories. Whatever the Legis-
lature while in session, might suppose 10 be
its duty, on these subjects, they are not such
matters as justify me in converting them at a
time net fixed by law.
You give it as your opinion that the
question is now fairly and emphatically pre-
sented to the FREE STATES, whether these
rights are to be upheld" &c. understand
you of course, to mean, that the "Free States
are called upon to employ their legislative
authority to interfere in the affairs OF Kan
sas-both for the purpose of seeing that
slavery is not extended, and to protect the
people of Kansas from fraud and violence"
| differ with you, both as to the powers and
duties of the Free States" In my judg-
ment, if they were to interfere, it would be
Government, and of unwarrantable interfer-
ence with matters in no way pertaining to
their own domestic government Such an
act of revolution would be war, and such a
war would put an end at once and forever to
the Union of the States. / have altogether
misunderstood the doctrines of the Virginia
resolutions of 1898, to which you appeal in
support of your views, if they justify the meas
ures you suggest. Those resolutions were a
protest against the unconstitutional legisla-
ton of Congress, in violation of the rights of
the States and their citizens, and the most
that was ever claimed for them, by those who
were the most anxious to pervert their mean
, ing, is, that they justified the States in re-
sisting the usurpation of the FEDERAL au-
thority. Your letter presents no such case
as this; but simply one in which you say
that the Constitution and laws of the United
States have been violated, and that fraud
and violence" have deprived the citizens OF
Kansas of their just rights under them. The
trainers of the Virginia resolutions of 1898,
If they were yet alive, would doubtless Won
} der how it could be possible for any ingenuity
, so to torture their meaning as to make them
justify the STATES in interfering in matters
: of this soft. 1t certainly has occurred to you,
that the Federal Government has power
enough to protect its own Constitution and
laws, and consequently to protect the citi-
zens of its territories in all their rights under
1 them. If it shall turn out, contrary to the
design of those who framed the Constitution,
e and the universal public judgment since its
: formation, that it does not possess this pow
q er, it will be quite time enough for the
? STATES to act, when the fact is properly an.
Y nounced to them and their assistance re.
g quired. Until then it occurs to me that they
J, have quite enough to do, in attending to theil
r own domestic affairs, in developing their OWL
D resources and in cultivating the spirit of true
patriotism, and that Just subordination tc
2 law, which is not only the foundation Of theil
own prosperity, but the most reliable assn.
rance of Union and harmony between them
You give it as your opinion, that strong
and numerous emigration from the free States
{ to Kansas supported in some measure by The
free States, with view to act decisively upon
, the elections merit falls the most effectua
, and perhaps the only means of disappointing
the efforts of the abettors Of the fraud and
violence Of the comparatively feso and reckless
men" whom you represent as interested in
the extension of slavery" and you ask my
! Sanction and corporation" in this plan
) Of operations, as Governor of one of the " free
States" | should subject myself to the
charge of an utter insensibility to all the OBJ
, legations belonging to my position, if 1 could
be induced to cooperate in any such plan.
presume it is the first time it was ever
seriously proposed that the Legislature OF
any State should be convened for the purpose
: OF inducing its citizens TO emigrate beyond its
borders, at the expense of the people Of the
State, to be paid out Of the public Treasury
And il this proposition was not now made by
+ gentlemen who fill five of the most impor-
tant offices in a neighboring State, you
will permit me to say that could scarcely
suppose that the purpose was seriously enter
tanned by anybody. But have no evidence
that it is reciProcated by any number of the
people of this State. II so, they are evil
IDENTIFY disposed to introduce new policy
into the Legislature Of the State, which, so
far has been employed toinduce emigration
10 and not emigration from the State. To
such policy 1 am unwilling to give my as
sent for many reasons, and for one controlling
one, if no other, that it is utterly absurd.
But has it not occurred to you to enquire
how it would be possible for the Legislature
of the "Free States " to provide fund for
the support of these emigrants to Kansas
, until they could "act decisively upon the
, elections next fall?" | am not aware of any
, provision in the Constitution of State
which would warrant its Legislature in ex-
pending the peoples money in the Treasury,
: for such purpose-so foreign from all the
intentions for which public money is raised
by taxation. There is no such provision in
f the Constitution of the State, and if there
was, | am far from being satisfied that any
portion of citizens would tolerate the
expenditure of the public money for such a
purpose. We have, already, quite as heavy
burden as we are disposed TO levy, in the
shape of taxes, without increasing them
in any such unnecessary and dangerous mode
as you recommend.