The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-09-03


your high character and if well founded ought to con
sign my name 10 infmy. But in proportion to their
gravity, justice, TO say nothing OF Christian
charity required that before making them you should
have clearly ascertaned that they well founded
not they will rebound with whitening condemnation
upon their authors. Have you performed this prelimi-
nary duty towards the who, however unworthy, Is
the Chief Magistrate of your country II either you
or are laboring under strange deluson Should this
prove to be your case IL will present memorable
Pile of the truth that political prejudice ID blind to
the existence Of the painsst and most papabe historical
facts. To these facts let refer.
When entered upon the duties of the presidential Of
fee the 4th Of March last what the condition of
Kansas This Territory Ind been organized under the
act of Congress of 3Oth May 1854 and the government
in all its branches was in full operation. governor,
secretary OF the Territory chief justice two associate
Justices marshal and district attorney had been ap
pointed by my predecessor by and with the advice and
of the Senate and all engaged in dscharg
ing their respective duties code of laws had been
acted by the territorial legislature and the Judiciary
employed in expounding and carrying these laws
into effect 1t il quite true that controversy had pre-
viousy arisen respecting the validity of the election OF
members of the territorial Legislature and of the laws
passed by them but at the time entered upon my Off
cal duties Congress had recognised this legislature in diff
erent forms and by different enactncnts The delegate
elected to the House of Representatives. under territorial
law, had just completed his term Of service the day
previous to my Inauguration In fact found the gov
eminent Of Kansas well established that of amy
other Territory Under these circumstances, what
my duty Was ii not to sustain this government? to
protect from the violence of awless men, who de-
termncd either to rule ruin to prevent 1t from being
overturned by force Pin the language of the const
on ake that the laws be faithfully executed r.
1t was for this purpose and this alone, that ordered
military force to Kansas, to act posse oonis in aid
ing the civil magistrate to carry the laws into execution
The condition Of the Territory at the time, which
need not portray rendered this precauon absolutely
ccssary In this state Of affairs would not have been
Justly condemned had / loft the marshal and other Off
GERS of like character impotent to execute the process
and judgments Of courts Of justice established by Con-
grcss by the territorial Legislature under its express
authority and thus have suffered the government itself
to become object Of contempt in the eyes of the
pie And yet this is what you designate forcing the
people Of Kansas to obey laws not their own of the
United States " and for doing which you have denoui-
ccd me as having violated my solemn oath. ask, what
else could have done, ought to have done Would
you have desired that should abandon the territorial
government sanctioned as it had boon by Congress- to
Illegal violence and thus the Of civil war
and boodshcd which every patriot in the country had
deploredf This would indeed have been to violate my
oath Of Office and to fix danning blot the charac
ter OF my administration.
most cheerully admit that the necessity for sending
military force Kansas to aid in the execution Of the
civil law reflects credit upon the character Of our
country But let the blame fall upon the heads Of the
guilty Whence did this necessity arise A portion of
the people of Kansas unwilling to trust to tho ballot
the certain American remedy for the redress Of all
grievances undertook to create independent govern
ment for themselves Had this attempt proved
full it would Of course have subvctcd the existing gov
ermen prescribed and recognised by Congress and sub
stituted revolutionary government in Its stead This
usurpaton Of the character it would be for
portion of the people Of Connecticut to undertake to
abs separate government within Its chartered limits
r the purpose of redressing any grievance real nag
mary Of which they might have complained against the
legitimate State government Such principle If carried
into execution would destroy all lawful authority and pro-
duce universal anarchy,
ought to specify particularly condition of az
fairs, which have embraced only in general TERMS
During the presence Of a military force In Kansas The
Congress Of the United States had most wisely declared it
to be the true intent and meaning of this act the act
organizing tho Territory not to legslae slavery into any
Territory OF State to exclude it thercfro but to
leave the people thereof perfectly free to form aud rcgu
late their domestic institutions in their way subject
only to the constitution OF the United States AS a
natural consequence Congress has also prescribed by the
same act that when the Territory Of Kansas shall be ad
mitted State 'sha be received into the Union
with without slavery their constitution may pre-
scribe at the time Of their admission
Slavery existed at that period and still exists in Kan
sas under the constitution Of the United States This
point has at last been finally decided by the highest TIL
bunal known to laws How could ever have been
seriously doubted is mystery If confederation OF SOW
ereign States acquire Territory at the expense of
their blood and treasure, surely set Of the
partners have right to exclude the other from its
enjoyment by prohibiting them from taking into it what
is recognised to be property by the common con-
suton But when the people the bona de residents of
such Terriory--procecd to frame State constitu-
ton then 1t is their right to decide the important
question for themselves whether they will continue mod
ify, or abolish slavery To them, and to them alone
does this question belong free from all foreign interer
ence.
In the opinion of the territorial Legislature of Kansas
the time had arrived for entering the Union and they
accordingly passed law to elect delegates for the pur
pose of framing State constitution This law fair and
Just in its provisions. 1t conferred the right of suffrage
every mc fds inhabitant of the Territory " and for
the purpose preventing fraud and the intrusion Of cit
liens of distant States, most properly confined
this right to those who had resided therein three months
previous to the election. Here fair opportunity was
presented for all the qualified resident citizens of the
Territory, to whatever organization they might hive pre-
vously belonged participate in the election and to
express their opinions at the ballotbox the question