Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1857-09-17
WASHINGTON CRY, .august 15, 1857.

= Gentlemen: On my recent return to this
city, altar fortnights absence, your me-
mortal, without date, was placed in my
hands, through the agency of Mr.. Horatio
King, of the Post Office Department, to
whom it had been intrusted. From the dis
tinguished source whence it proceeds, as
well as its peculiar character, have deem
ed it proper to depart from my general rule
in such cases, and to give it an answer.
You first assert that ''the fundamental
principle of the constitution Of the United
States and of our political institutions is.
and elect their own rulers" You then ex-
press your grief and astonishment that
should have violated this principle, and,
through Gov. Walker, have employed an
army, zone purpose of which is to force
the people of Kansas to obey lars not their
so,en, nor Of the United States, but laws
which it is notorious, and established upon
evidence, they never made, and rulers they
never elected" And, as corollary from
the foregoing, you represent that [ am
":openly held up and proclaimed, to the
great derogation Of our national character,
-as violating in its most essential particular
the solemn oath which the President has
taken to support the Constitution Of this
Union. -.+
These are heavy charges proceeding from
gentlemen of your high character, and, if
well founded ought to consign my name to
infamy. But in proportion to their gravity,
common justice, to say nothing of Christian
charity, required that, before making them,
you should have clearly ascertained that
they were well founded If not, they will
rebound with whitening condemnation upon
their authors. Have you performed this
preliminary duty towards the man who,
however unworthy, is the Chief Magistrate
of your country? If so, either, you or I
are laboring under a strange delusion.-
Should this prove to be your case, it will
present memorable example of the truth
that political prejudice is blind even to the
existence of the plainest and most palpable
historical facts. TO these facts let us refer.
When [ entered upon the duties of the
Presidential Office, on the 18th of March
last, what was the condition of Kansas?-
This Territory had been organized under
the act of Congress of the 30th May, 1854,
and the government in all it's branches was
in full operation. A governor, secretary of
the Territory, chief justice, two associate
justices, marshal, and district attorney
had been appointed by my predecessor, by
and with the advice and consent of the Sc
nate, and were all engaged in discharging
their respective duties. A code of laws had
been enacted by the Territorial legislature;
and the Judiciary were engaged in expound-
ing and carrying these laws into effect. It
is quite true that controversy had previ-
ously arisen respecting the validity Of the
election Of members of the Territorial legis-
lature and of the laws passed by them but
at the time entered upon my official duties
Congress had recognized this Legislature in
different forms and by different enactments.
The delegate elected to the House of Re-
representatives., under Territorial law, had
just completed his term of service on the
day previous to my Inauguration. In fact.
found the government of Kansas as well
established as that of any other Territory.
Under these circumstances, what was my
duty? Was it not to sustain this govern
ment? to protect it from the violence of law
less men, who were determined either to
rule or ruin? to prevent it from being over
turned by force in the language of the