Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1857-09-23

the people shall make their own laws and elect
their own rulers" You then express your
grief and astonishment that should have vi
olated this principle. and. through Gov. Wal |
ker, have employed an army, zone purpose |
of which is to force the people Of Kansas TO |
obey tdacs not their orn, nor Of the United
States. but laws which it is notorious, aud
established upon evidence, they never made.
and rulers they never elected" And, as 8
corollary from the foregoing, you represent
that l am openly held up and proclaimed,
to the great derogation of our national char
acter, as violating in its most ntial partic-
ular, the solemn oath which the President has
taken to support tie constitution Of this I'm
ion"
gentlemen OF your high cha aeter, and if well
foundes, ought to consgn my name to infa-
my. But III proportion to their gravity, com
mon justice, to sag nothing of Christian char
ity, required that before making them you
should have clearly ascertained that they were
well founded. If not, they will rebound with
wlthering condemnation on their authors
Have you performed this preliminary duty to-
wards the man who, however unworthy. is
the Chief Magistrate of your country1 If
SO, either you or l are laboring under strange
! dclusion. Should this prove TO be your case
| il will present memorable example ofsthe
| truth that political prejudice is blind even to
the existence of the plainest and most palpa-
| bic historical facts TO these facts let as re-
! fer ::
When entered upon the dnties Of the pres
| idential Office. OH the 4th of March last, what
was the condition of Kansas This Terrific
| ry had been organized under the act of Con-
I s # h..- l.b,,
ment in all its branches was in full operation.
4 governor, secretary of the Territory, chief
/ justice, two associate justices, marshal. and
district attorney had been appointed by my
predecessor, by aud with the advice and con-
sent of the Senate, and were ali engaged in
discharging their respective duties. \ code
! of laws had been enacted by the Territorial
legislature; and the Judiciary were employed
in expounding and carrying these laws into
| effect 1t is quite true that controversy
had arisen respecting the validity of the cleo
tion of members of the territorial Legislature
aud Of the laws passed by them; but at the
time entered upon my official dulles Con-
grcss had recognized this legislature in differ
eut forms and by different enuctments. The
delegate elected to the House Of Representa-
tiyes, under territorial law, had just compile
ted his term of service on the day previous to
my Inauguration. In fact. | found the gov
crnment of Kansas as we'll established as that
of any other Territory. Under these cireum-
stances, what was my duty? Was it not to
sustain this government TO protect 1t from
the violence OF lawless men. who were deter
mined either to rule ruin TO prevent it
from being overturned by force in the Ian
guage of the constitution, to ''tske care the
laws be faishfully executed = 1t was for
( ~ md tiis aiepa that I ovslar.4
military force TO ksusss, to act a posss
comitatus in siding the civil magistrate 10 car
ry the laws into execution
The condition CT the territory st the time.
which l need not portray, rendered this pre-
caution absolutely necessary In this state
Of affairs, would | rot have been justly cor
denlned bad | left the marshal and other Of
icers OF Ike character inpotent to e1scu:s
the procefs aud judgments Of courts Of Justice
established by Congress, or by the ;~rritori.l
legislature uader It's express authority. and
thus bave suffered shs government itself tc
become an object OF contempt in she eyes OF
the people! And yet this IS what ! GU dcsig-
nate as forcing the people Of Kansas to obey
laws not their own, nor of the United States;'
and for doing which you have denounced m-
as having violated my solemn oath l ask
; what else could have DONE or ought Il
1
should abandon the territorial government
sanctioned as it had been By Con sress, to l.
! legal violence and thus renew the sosnes g
, civil war aud blooishrd which every patriot
IN the country had dcplorcd I This would
indeed have been 10 violate my oath Of Office
aud to fix 3 dsnning blot on the character o
my admin st, alton.
most cheerfuliy admit that tha necessity
- n ,nti;terV f,r. IN X 10
in the execution ef the civil lau reflects n,
credit upon the character Of our country. Blu
, let tue blame isll upon the he.rls of the gull
ty Whence did this necessity arise :?
portion of the people of Kansas. unwilling It
trust TO the ballot box the certsin AmericsI
remedy for the redress of all gricvanccs-un
der; ook TO cieate an independent govcrnmen
for themselves. III sd this attempt proved sue
cessful, it wouid of course. have subvertr,
the existing government. prescribed aRd rec
ognized by Congress, and substituted rcvo
! lutionary government in It's stead This va
, . usurpation of the same character as it woul
! be for portion of the people of Connection
. to undertake to establish separate govern
mcnt within its chartered limits for the pur
pose of redressing any grievance. real or im
aginary. of which they might have complain
ed against the legitimate State government
Such principle, if carried into execution
would destroy all lawful authority and produc
universal anarchy.
| ought to specify moro particularly con
dition of affairs, which | have embraced onl
lin general terms, requiring the presence of
military force in Kansas The Congress
the United States had most wisely declared
to be the ''truc intent and meaning of tn
act (tho Act organizing the Territory not
legislatc slavery into any Territory or Stat.