White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1857-06-04
Address Of the Hon. T. P. Stanton, Sec
rotary and Acting Governor, to the
People Of Kansas Territory.

rotary and Acting Governor, to thu
People Of Kansas Territory.
FeIg0v CifiEsns The Hon. Robert J. Walk
er, present Governor of the Territory. accepted
his appointment from the President upon eondi
ton that he should not be required to leave
Washington until the first of next month, ant
circumstances beyond his control render it i'm
possible for him to start before that day he may
therefore, be expected BIZ the middle of mex
month, and will then assume the Executive au
thority Of the Territory.
During the absence of the Governor, by the
organic law of tho Territory, the whole dutie;
and responsibilities of the Executive are de-
volved upon me, by virtue of my commission a:
Secretary. On assuming to exercise the func
tons of this high Office at this critical juncture
in the affairs of the Territory. it is not inappro-
pirate that should briefly indicate the course
which / shall pursue.
The Government of the United States recog.
nizes the authority of the Territorial Govern
ment in all matters which are within the scope
of the organic act of Congress, and consistent
with the Federal Constitution. l hold that there
can be no other rightfu authority exercised with
in the limits of Kansas, and shall proceed to
the faithful and impartial execution of the laws
os the Territory, by the use of all the mean,
placed in my power, and which may be necessa-
ry to that end.
The Government expressly recognizes the
Territorial act which provides for assembling
the Convention to propose Constitution; with
a view Of making application to Congress for
admission as Stats into the Union. That act
is recognized as presenting the only test of the
qualification of voters for delegates TO the Con-
vention, and ali preceding repugnant restrictions
are thereby repealed. In this light the act must
be allowed to have provided for full and fair
expression of the will of the people through the
delegates who may be chosen to represent them
in the Constitutional Convention. l do not
doubt, however, that in order to avoid all pre-
text for resistance to the peaceful operation OF
this law, the Convention itself will in some form
provide for submitting the great distTactng ques-
ton regarding their social institution, which has
so long agitated the people of Kansas, to 4 fair
vote of all the actual bona fde residents of the
Territory, with every possible security against
fraud and violence. II the Constitution be thus
framed, and the question of difference submitted
to the decision of the people, l believe that
Kansas will be admitted by Congress, without
delay, as one of the sovereign States of the
American Union, and the Territorial authorities
will be Immediately withdrawn.
need scarcely say that all the power of the
Territorial Executive will be exerted with en-
tire impartaity to prevent fraud, to suppress vi
olencc and to secure to every citizen fair OPP
pOrtunity for the safe and peaceful exercise Of
the election privilege; and it will be no less the
duty than the earnest desire and great pleasure
of the Governor, or acting Governor Of the Ter
ritory, to carry out, in good faith, the policy
avowed By the President Of the United States,
in his recent inaugural address, in which he de-
clares it to be " the imperative and indispensable
duty of the Government of the United States,
to secure TO every resident inhabitant the free
and independent expression Of his opinion by his
vote. This sacred right to each individual must
be preserved" and that being accomplished,
nothing can be fairer than to leave the people of
tie Territory, free from all foreign influence, to
decide their own destiny for themselves, sub
ject enly e. the Constitution Of ,Ie United
States.
Nothing is wanting but to secure the confi-
dence of the people of all parties in the SINGER
ity of the declared intentions of the Territorial
Executives to carry out these principles in good
faith, in order to induce the corporations Of all
good men in the pending measures for adopting
State Constitution. The principles themselves
can not fail to be acceptable to the sober judg
ment of the people, and ardently hope, for the
sake Of the paramount interests involved, that
the necessary confidence will not be withheld.
The deplorable events which have marked
the history of the Territory up to this, have
doubtless left their natural results Of enmity and
heart-burnings among the people, as also upon
the criminal records of the Territorial courts.
Indictments have been found against manysof
those who acted in a military capacity under
the authority of the Territorial Government,
for acts and excuses alleged to be wholly illegal
and unjusti6able. On the other hand, similar
prosecutions have been instituted against those
who resisted the Territorial authorities, and who
undertook to retaliate for the alleged wrongs
committed against them.
1t is my deliberate opinion, that in order to
promote peace and harmony, and to secure the
future repOse of the people, there ought to be
general amnesty in reference to all these acts on
both sides, which grew out of the political con
test, and which were not corruptly and feloni
ously committed for personal gain and to crafty
individual malignity. These measures, if adop-
tee at all, ought to be generously, without any
consideration of the origin Of the difficulty, or
without question as to the party which may be
responsible for the wrong 1t will involve no
concession or advantage to either party, but will
be merely an act of clemency, designed to OBJ
literats, as far as possible, from the hearts of
the people, all memory of the disastrous and Ia
mentablc contest which has heretofore desola
ted the unhappy Territory, If it shall have the
effect, though it may pardon some instances of
gross wrong and outrage, it will tend to calm
the excited passions Of the people, and to pre-
vent similar occurrences in the future. 1t viii
be measure of eoHciiation and peace, but will
leave the people free from apprehension in the
future so they can securely devote themselves
to those important labors which are destined to
make this Territory great, prosperous, and hap