Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1857-10-02


Justify or palliate another lawless at
tempt, for the same purpose:
Further: In your reply you seem to
your Memorialists to concede, in all its
truth and force, the principl, which they
maintain. Thus you unequivocally and
justly assert that for portion OF the
people of Connecticut to undertake to
establish separate Government, within
its chartered limits for the purpose of
redressing any grievance, real or imagin-
ary, would be usurpation, and add that
such principle. clrried into execution
would destroy all lawful authority. and
produce universal anarchy. Your
Memorialists fully subscribe to this doc
trine. But what is the act which. you
call usurpation in the case supposed!
what is it but setting up Government
claiming authority, and Jaws demanding
execution. which, in the nature of the
case, can claim no authority and we are
opposed to existing authority7 If you
would call this 'usurration' in Com ect..
cut, if it would destroy all alegal author
ity and produce universal anarchy Whit
is tlis but the very act which Missouri
invaders have perpetrated in kars
There was Government in Kansas-gor-
crnment under the Constitution of the
United States. Law was there also,
law for the organization of Government
by the people of the Territory. Right.
too, was there: inviolable right of the
people to make their own laws and elect
their own rater In opposition to the
existing Government, in violation of
that existing law. trampling upon those
inherent rights, Missouri invaders have
set up bloody tyranny, which has, in
fact, produced anarchy and bloolshcd.
If you conlem1 the one. condemn the
other a 50. Your Mcmoralists have
nothing to ask of You in this matter
but consistency of principle. Condemn
the same conduct in both cases: put
dowt the usurpation in Kansas, and the
friends Of truth, justice, and Of the coan-
try, would rejoice.
Your Mcmoriall,ts again a *, whether
a case can well be imagined, to which
the name ofanthoritive government could
be applied with more palpable improp.
riety and untruth. than 20 the Territorial
Government or Kansas: Might not even
political shamelcssnoss blush to call it
by such name Was not the true and
only character Of this Government known
to You and TIE whole country before your
Inauguration. and during the Presidential
canvass Did YOU not, with the full
knowlel &c Of it accept yopr nomination,
which YOU were free TO decline, and thus
avoid the responsibility of executing
these neharious laws or, did you suppose
that the oath of Office would exempt YOU
from this responsibility You admit
the Constitutional duty of the President
to take care 'that the laws be faithfully
executed" AMI now, without holding
YOU responsible for any acts of your
predecessor, for which you are not will
ing to be responsible AMI have not fully
sanctioned. your mcmoralists would ask,
was there no law to be taken care Of,
by preventing a weil-known projected
invasion of til, political rigi's f.th,
people Of Kansas no law to be takeu
care of aftcrward by expelling the in
vadars from the Territory no law t, be
taken care Of in respect to tn, the itts.
the robbcrics, the incendiarism and the
murders that were pcrpetrated no w
to b, taken care of in tn, IN ID o. evil
administration adopted by Federal Off
cials no law to be taken care OF in not
appointing officials whose hands were
red with innocent blood. or in Knowing
brb d AMI pcrlurcd judges: NJ law to
be taken care Of by securing to the pao-
pie Of the Territory that fund .mcntal
ri hit of the Constitution "A ii hit guar
ded by an express law of Congress
rishti'' to make thc.i ovE laws and elect
their own g rulers 2 no law t. BE- taken
care of in giving to Congress Information
at least of tho ,tttc Of the Union, and
especially in recommending necessary
and cxpcdicnt mclsnlcs for th, re'tsf OF
tn, people of Kansas IRON the injustice
the oppression and the barJatitics to
which they were nljectcd Had then
Great Britain any sacii laws to take care
o i" France, Wlcn the present Enperor
was cuthronel there by usurpat:on. as
those which our Government = our Pre-
sident-was bound to take care of in
our own Territ ry In utteri neglect
Of these laws, have you not, with full
knowledge of the nature of this usurpa-
ton, its origin, its progress, its violation
of Constitution. and Of fundamental
rights, its violence, its pine, its mas
sacrcs, its confagration, AMI it's shame.
sustained at every step ITS authors and
abcttors to this hour Have you not
sanctioned such conduct by pacing. or
retaining, prominent leaders therein in
officill stations
Again, are the troubles and calamitics
of Kansas the legitimate results Of the
wise dminis;ration-of the true aud
right working in such an cxigcncy-of
our national Government the most
perfect specimen Of huran government
the world has secn--to Our own admira.
ton, the perfection ofexcellence. Surely
such results bespeak some arrangement,
some disturbing force in the e,olutions
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