The Placer herald., 1857-10-10
THE PRESIDENTS ANSWER.

WAsHlNCTON, Aug. Is, 1857.
G0dlswen: On my recent return to this
city, after fortnights absence, your me-
mortal, without date, was placed in my
hands, through the agency of Mr.. Horatlo
King, Of the Post Office Department, to
when it had been intrusted. From the
distinguished source from whence it proceeds
as well as its peculiar character, | have
deemed it proper to depart from my gen.
eral rule in such cases, and to give it an
answer.
You fist assert that "lhe fundamental
principles of the Constitution Of the United
States, and of our political institutions is,
that the people shall make their own laws
and e'ect their own lulers." You then
express your grief that | should have vio-
lated this principle, and through Governor
Walker, have employed an army, zone
purpose of which is to force the people of
Kansas to obey laws not their own, 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 a coralary from the fore
going you represent that | am "openly
held up and proclaimed to the great dero-
CATION of our national character as viola
ting 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
we'll 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 ma
king them, you should have clearly ascer-
tanned that they were well-founded
If not, they will rebound with withering
condemnation upon their authors. Have
you performed this preliminary duty to-
wards the man who, however unworthy,
is the Chief Magistrate of your country!
If so either you or | are aboring under
a strange delusion. Should this prove to
be your case, it will present memorable
example of the truth that political pref
udice is blind even to the existence of the
plainest and most palpable historical facts
To these facts let us refer. When L en-
tered upon the duties of the Presidential
office on the 4th of March last, what was
the condition of Kansas?
This Territory had been organized I'M
der the act Of Congress of the 30th OF
May, 1854, and the government in all its
branches was in full operation A Gov
ernor, Secretary of the Territory, Chief
Justice, two Associate Justices, a Marshal
and District Attorney, has been appointed
by my predecessor, by and with the adj
vice and consent of the Senate, and were
all engaged in discharging their respective
duties. A code of laws had been enac-
ted by the Territorial Legislature, and the
judiciary were employed in expounding and
carrying these laws into effect.
1t is quite true that controversy had
previously arisen respecting the validity o
the election of the members of the Terri
torial Legislature, and Of the laws passed
by them, but at the time | entered upor
my official duties Congress had recognized
this Legislature in different forms and by
different enactments. The delegate elec
ted to the House of Representatives under
Territorial law had Just completed his
term of service on the day previous te
nv Inauguration. In fact found the
government of Kansas as we'll established
as that of any other Territory. Under
these circumstances, what was my duty
Was it not to sustain this government