The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-12-26
Gov. Walkers Letter Of Resignation.
WASHINGTON CITY, Dec. Il. 1857.
| EwIs CAss, Secretary of State:

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territory OF kalsas. have brrn most rc-
luctantiy torced TO this conclusion. after
a,Ixlous and careful consideration Of nv duty
10 my country, TO ihc people of Kansas, tu
the president Of the United :. ties. a, 4 to NY
self. The grounds assumed hy the president
IN his late message Ia Congress. ara, In re-
Cent Instructions in CONVECTION with ,vtnt> now
transpirng here and In kansa>. aomonish
me that aS governor Of that territory il will
ia longer Be III my power to Preserve the
peace or promote the public welfare
At the earnest solicitation Of the president,
after repeated reiiu>al>. thr last being in writ
ing. formally accepted this Office upon his
letter showing the dangers and difficulties or
the kansas question and the ncccsitv of nj :
undertaking the ,a>k %: adjustment Under
these circumstances. notwithstanding the
great sacrifices 10 my personal. political and
pccunlary Interests. fvlt that | could 10
more refuse such 4 call from nv country
through her chief magistrate, than 4 soldier
in battle who is ordered to the command of
a tor!orn hope. accepted. however, on the
express condition that should advocate the
submission OF the constitution TO d vote of
the people for ratification or rejection These
views were clearly understood bv the presi-
dent and all his cabinet. They we're distinct
lv set forth IN my letter. on my acceptance
OF this office, o! the oS,h of March last, and
reiterated IN ny inaugural address of the
18th of May last. rs follows: Indeed can
not doubt that the convention after having
framed a state constitution Will submit il for
ratification or re- lection IL a majority of the
tlcn actual bona ti,.e resident settlers of
kansa>."
With these views well known to the presi-
dent and the cabinet md approved hy them.
accepted the appointment OF governor of
Kansas. My Instructions from the president
through the secretary of state. under date of
the 10Th OF March last. were 10 sustain the
regular legislature %! the territory in asscu;-
ny convention TO form Il constitution. X
they express the opinion Of the president
that when such Il constitution shall he sub
miitcd 10 the people of the TERRITORY the,
must be protected in the eAerci>, of their
right OF voting for or against that instrument
and the fair expression of popular viii must
not br interrupted. by tranh OF violence"
repeat iii-n, Il my clear conviction, that
unless the convention Submitted the consti-
tution ,o the vc,., nf ,ii the actual resident
settlers of hansHs. and the election he fairly
and justly conducted. the constitution Will be
and ought 10 he rejected h, Congress. This
inaugural most distinct. asserted that i, was
not Il uu, >tion of slavery merely. which be-
l;c,ct 20 be of little practical imprr;anca then
in it, application 70 kaa>a>. bat of tn, entire
constitution. which should h- submitted to
the pcnpie Of kll.s:;> lnr ratification or recc-
ton.
THESE are my words on thai subject. in nv
inaugural: III is not merely shall slavery
exist IN OF dis:pp,a: from Kansas. but shall
the great principles OF sclt-so,c:nmcnt and
STATE >o,erei gniy be maintained or subyer-
Ted" la that inaugural | proceed further Ia
say that the people may bs Subsequent
Vote. defeat the ratification Of ,hc constitution.
| designate this as Il great constitutional right
and add that the convention is the servant
and not the master Of the people. LIN my
os.ti''l dispatch to !ou of the ID of June last,
Il copy of that inaugural address was trans
mtted to vou for the further information of
the president and his cabinet
No exception WAS ever taken TO any por-
ton OF tia; address. On the contrary it was
distinctly admitted bv the president in hi.
message with commcrdahle tr,nknrss. that
my Instructions IN tavcr ot submission of
t..r constitution to Il vote of the people were
''cciIcral and unqualified" By that Inaugural
and subsequent ;;'!;.r>>. | was pledged TO the
people OF kar~as 10 oppose h, AL lawful
mca>urr> the adoption of any constitution,
which wa> i.irly and fully submitted 10 their
vote t,r ratification CT re ecton.
These pledges | cannot recall c- violate
without personal ,ii>hoi.or and The abandon
nrnt Of fundamental priuclp pies: and there
fore j, is Impossible for mt to support what
il called the l-rcompton constitution, because
II Is not submitted 10 Il vote OF the people
:"r ratification OF rejection. have ever uni
tormi maintained the rrincip that sovereign
~ is vested exclusively in the people of each
stat. and tha, i, pcriormcs lis first and high
est function in forming state government
and state constitution. This highest act of
>"NercIsnt::. IN my judgement, can only bc
performed by the people Themselves, and can
not be delegated to conventions or other in
tcrmcdlatc bodies Indeed. the whole doc
trnc Of the sovereignty of conventions a,
distinct f:om that of the people. Of conren-
,lonal or delegated sovereignty as contradis-
tlnsui>hcd from state or popular sovereignty.
has ever been discarded by me. ana5 was
never heard OF. 10 my knowledge. during the
great canvass of 1876. Indeed this is the
great principle of state sovereignty maintain
ed by the Virginia and kcntuck, resolutions
OF .9> and 30. sustained by the people in
the great political revolution of $500 and
embraced lii tiIi. amendment to TIE federal
constitution adopted under the a,spices os
MIR Jefferson. declaring that the powers not
cystcd Ia .hc United States bv the COLI
>,ltuil"n ror prohibited hy it to the states.
are reserved 20 the states respectively oe to
III" people. The reservation TO the states is
a> separate states in exercising the powers
granted by their state constitutions. and the
reservation to tn people of the several states
admitted or Incorporated. is OF exercising
their >overei gn right of framing Or amending
heir state constitutions.
This view WAS set forth in my printed ad-
dress delivered a. Matches, Miss, I'M January
1888. agains: the doctrine of nuIllfcatio..,
which speech received the complimentary
sanction OF the great and good Madison. the
principal founder Of our constitution, \,
shown by the letter of the Hon. Charles J.
lngcr>ol of Philadelphia. published in the
Globe at Washington in 1850. by this
clause of federal constitutional sovereignty.
the right Of the people Of each state Is clearly
reserved, and especially their own sEc2usive
right not to form their own state constioatiou.
shall not enter full. into the arkg0eat Of
this question at this period. but Nil aeaat
that this i, tn: position have evet 61nied
and nlv reasons for entertaining thisj