Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-09-04
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81
BY THE UNION LINE.

BY THE UNION LINE.
OFFICE. CORNER WATER AND MONROE STREETS.
THE PRESIDENTS REPLY TO sELLIAf.NN.
WASHINGTON, Sept 3.--The following con-
4 tains the most important features of! President
| Buchanan's reply to the memorial OF ProtesSoi
i Seiliman and forty-two others of Connecticut,
Ion the affairs of Kansas. He cotnmcfces by
Stating, that from the distinguished sources from
which it proceeds, as well asiitS pure chn'astcT,
/ he has deemed it proper to depart from its gene
raj irnlc in such cases and TO giyeiitan answer
[e then argues, you first assert that tbs. fanClt-
mental principle of the Constitution of the o.
s. and of our political institutions, is.that the
people shall make their own laws and elect their
own rulers; yousthen express grief and astonlsll-
mcnt that shold have violated this principle
aud through Governor Walker, have en-
lpIoycd the army, one of the purposes of which
is to force the people of Kansas to obey, not
their own nor the U. s. laws, but laws which it
is notorious aud established upon evidence that
obey never madeantlaS rulers they never elected
and that from the foregoing, you represent that
! am openly held up. and proclaimed TO the
great ereogation Of our national character as vo-
Hating in its ost essential particular the solemn
oath which the Presitlenthas taken TO support
the Constitution of the Union; theselar heavy
charges proceeding from gentlemen of your
Thigh character, and if well founded ought to
Econsign my name to iiifany.
l. Butin proportion to their gravity, common jus
tfcc to say nothing of their christian character
Ereouire that before making them you should
hbayc clearly ascertained that they were we'll
founded Ii not, they should rebound with
condemnation upon their author. Have you
iperCorned this preliminary toward the man who,
however unworthy, is the Chief Magistrate OF
your country.P II so, eithersyouors tnre labor
ling undera strange dclusion. Should this prove
to be your case, itwillsprcscnt a memorable cS-
ample of the truth, that political prejudice IS
blame even to the existence OF thetplalnest and
most palpable historical facts. To those facts
let us refer. When entered upon the duties
of the Presidential office, on the 4tll of March
Hast what was the condition of Kansas = That
TERRITORY had been organized and the Govern
Iment in all its branches, was III full operation.
"A Governor, Secy of the Territory, Chief JUS
Iticc, Marshall and District Attorney had been
appointed by my predecessors and were all en-
gagged in. discharging their respective duties.
a code of laws had been cxacted by Terrific
Trial Legislature and the Judiciary were employ.
ed in expounding and carrying these laws into
effect Interfering TO the controversy that had
previously arisen respecting the election otmemr
Ibers to the Territorial Legislature, he says IN
fact I found the government of Kansas as well
established MS that of any other Territory. I'm
der these circumstances what was my duty !!
WAS it to sustain this government, to protect 1t
from the violence of lalgless men who were de.
ltermined to rule ruin, to preventlt from being
Overturned by force in the language of the Con-
stitution to take care that the laws be faithfully
executed. Itwas for this purpooe and thisalOne
that ordered n military force to Kansas MS a
'.p0sse c0metatus ordering the Civil Magistrates
to carry the laws into execution. The condition.
ufthe Territory at the time which l need mol
portray rendered this precaution actually neces-
lsary. g
In this state Of affairs would not have been
Justly condemned had l left the Marshal aud
Iother officers of like character, impotent to exc
Icute processes and judgments of Courts of jus
Itice, established by Territorial Legislature IN
tder its express authorship, and thus have suffer-
erred the government itself to become an object
lof contempt in the eyes of the people And
yet this is what you represent as foreign TO The
Ipeople of Kansas, to obey the laws, not titelt
Town, nor of the q. S., for doing which you have
denounced me as having violated my oath.
ask, what else could have done2 or ought
LII to have done2 Would you have decided that
II should abandon the Territorial government;
sanctioned as it has been by Congress, to ilie.
gal violence and thus renew the scenes Of civil
war and bloodshcd, which every patriot had
ldeplored
This would indeed have been 10 violate my
Ioath of office and to fix damning bio upon
my administration. most cheerfully admit
THAT the necessity for sending of military force
Ito Kansas to aid in exacting civil law, reflects
Inc credit on the character of our country; but
llct the blame fall upon the heads of the guilty
Whence did this necessity arise? portion OF
1.-THE people of Kansas, unwilling to trust the
ballot box, the certain American remedy for re-
Edress of all grievances, undertook to create an
INDEPENDENT government for themselves. Had
this attemptproved successful, itwOuld OF course
Ehave subverted the existing government pre-