The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-09-10

:
States, by employing arms in KnDsas to
uphold body Of men and a code Of enact
ments purporting to be legislative, but which
never had the election, nor sanction, nor CON
sent Of the people of the Territory. We
earnestly represent to your Excellency that
we, also, have taken the oath 10 obey the
Constitution, aud your ExceIlency may rest
assured that we shall not reruin from the
PRAYER that Almighty God will make your
\ administration an example of justice aud
benclicence, and with His terrible majesty
protect our people and our Constitution.
THE PRESIDENTS ANSWER.
WASHINGTON, Aug, Is, 1857.
GENTLEMEN:-On my recent return to
this city, after fortnight's absence, your
memorial, without date, was placed in my
hrnds through the agency OF Mr.. Horotlo1
King, OF the Post Office Department, to
whom it had been in,ruSted. From the dis
tnguished source whence it proceeds, as
we'll as its peculiar character, have deem |.
cd it proper to depart from my general RUE
in such cases, and give it an answer.
You first assert that "the fundamental
principles OF TIE Constitution of the United
States, and OF our political institutions, are
that the people shall make their owN laws
and elect their own rulers" You then ey-
press your grief that should have vinlrtel
! ibis principle, and through Governor Walk,
er, have employed an a.my, "o"c rurPose OF
which is 10 force the people Of Kansas to
! obey laws not thcir own, nor OF the United
| Stotcs, bU: laws which, is notorious and es-
| t"tlisned upon evidence, they never made,
and rulers they nevec elected" and as Cur.
olary from the foregoing You represent that
am "openIy held up aud proclaimed to the
great dcrcgatian OF our natIunal character as
violating in its most essential particular the
solemn tn which the President h taken
to support the Constitution ui tits Union
These are heavy CHARGES proceeding rom
men OF your high character, and il well.
founded ought to consgn uy name 10 lnjt
my. But in proportion to their gravity
common justice, to say nothing OF Curi, it
charity, required that before making them
: you should clearly usce. taned tLat they
were well ounded. Ii not they will re
bound with Nitbering conl mn ton uj"i
their Il, thors. Have you performed this pre-
; .imnary duty toA ards the min vino, hov, v.
! uaworhy, is tnc Chief Magistrate OF YOU
county! | eo. either you or | are labUriD.
-. ,..., -, ....,,...., L.; :, s',,,.rl ,i,; -
,''L,' $.'"" i'-1' '','oa'r '.,'' P'1'
I"' ',''' .h, . =
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ct all most poipa0c historical facts. +,
+ these tacls letu refer. Whtm'I eAt,ard upUi
az W 'y t-,J,; '''N " . -
j "''' ""1 10 '''' ''''" Wv" ~ IA ''''
his terfIory ma Deeh "rg nz"H undr
Under the act u congress OF the 3yt1 .
May, 1904, ana 'he NvFtFh!htht III an IL
! branches was IA tull uP,r"tioo' Il "oN'F
Iio'' o'cfCtary oi 'l' i'FI'Iry, N"i@, " ~
i ,!ce, TWO A'scIH'e Ju,'ceS' Hl"fSh.' "h'
DistFict AUyrnty had 0eeh "pP"Ih 60 ny Hj
+ predecessor, by ana Wlt'' TIE ""|!ce q. ~
Senate .4nd were all engaged ~ d!scA"f- ~.
/ thclr respective dulles. y code o. I'"' T. 4
been enacted by The Terriori.i L'aiS!atH"'
ana the .JuJ'ci1ry were cm3j"y'd eHp GHJ
l"g ana carrying thcse laws !nL" eject.
1t Is quite true that II controversy H2d pre-
e vionsIy arisen respecting HE v:ittIlY OF 'h'
I election OF the members O. the .cfrt4rlt
Legislature, and OF the laws posed by them
bat at the time entered upon my utlcla
duties Congress had reeognz d THIS LegS'
lnture in different enactment3. The dele
gate elected TO The House OF Representa-
tlVfs under Itrrltora! law lust completed
his term of service on the day previous tC
; my inauguration. In fact ioand the gov
D "rnmcnt OF Kansas os we'll established a:
} ~" o' any o'heF Iefr''ofy. Onder theSt
= {" "cuu'>l4hct7, Wha' was l"y duI was
hot 70 S"-t"in 'n's %o''fhMeht' 10 pro-
'eet u rem NE V,0'ehce o' '""ieS, men VIZ,
were ue'e'ihih e" 10 RUE "F rum! 10 pre-
VeNt II rom 0eih- overturned oy 'oF"es IL
h Tue 'anGn"2e OF s"0 '''n"''ot'oH u y LAX!
care 'hat th' laws o. 'aiul'oiy executed,
1t VAS Tor this purpose ana ms alone that
, ordered military force Kansas, to act as
[ pH%Se cOmHItuS III hto'hS t"V c.Eii 'd:iS'rdt'
q to carry the laws INTO execution. The con
. dItlon OF the terrltory at the time, which
= need not portray, rendered his prec-H'i0j
absolutely necessary. In this state OF all II
d would not have been justly condemned ha
d | lett the Marshal, ard other officers or iik
character, impotent to execute the process
u and judgments of the Courts OF Justice, es
tablisted by-C0ngress, or ty the re, ,ritorlu
ID Legislature, under its express authority, an
. thus have suffered the Govenmen itseI! t
h become an object of contempt in the eyes ,
the people! And yet this is wnut YOU de,
OF ignate as "Gorcing the people o. Kansas
obey the laws, not their own nor OF til. Un