Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-09-04
WAsHryoroy CITY, Aug. -, 1857.


Gentlemen On NY recent Hturn to this city, at
ter fnrtnight's absence, -FOUR memorial, without
date, was placed 10 my hands, through the agency Of
Mr.. Horstio King, Of the Post dice Department, TO
whom it had been intrusted. Fpm the distinguish
ed source whence il proceeds, sswe as its peculiar
character, have deemed it pr0er to depar from
M general rule i'll such cases, aDi 10 give il IN
swer.
You fret ASSERT that tho fundamental prac pie o.:
the constitution of the United S,S:es and of or po
tical institutions ls that the people shall max their
own laws and elect their own rulers" You l!rn tx
press your grief aud establishment tlat sbor. i,ave
violated this principle, and, through Gov Walker,
have employed an army, lone purpose of Vile il 10
force Inc people Of Kansas 10 obey lans not a, otra
nor of Tie Umtcd iStats:, bit laws which it il Dtor
QUE, and established upon evidence, they lsrer
made, and rulers they nsver elected" Ana. co.
ro!ary from the foregoing, you represent tht ain
"opegy held up aud proclaimed, TO the great uroga
ton Of national character, as violating in most
essential particular the solemn oath which the resi-
dent has taken 10 support the constitution q tbs
Union."
These e-e heavy charges proceeding from satle.
men of your high character, and, il well ioudsd,
ought to cons!gu my ntula to nth'ny. But iDoor
portion to their gravity, couinoI justice, to sa!no.
thing Q. Chrstiau charity, required that beforena.
king them you sholld have clearly sscersined hst
they were we'll founded. II not, they will rebdnd
with whitening condemnation upon their author
Have you performed this preliminary duty towrds
the man who, however unworthy, is the Chief Ia
gistrate of our country If 30, eirher you or Ire
laboring under a strange deluson. Should this prGe
to b. your case it will present memorable exam IL
70 the truth that political prejudice is blind evento
the existence of the planest and most palpabs his1
rical facts. To these facts let US refer.
When entered upon the duties Of the presidential
Office. on the 4th of March last. what was the cond
ton of Kausasl This Territory had bssn ORGANIZED
under the act Of Congress OF Both May 1851, and th
government in all it's branches was in full operation
goys.nor secretary of the Territory, chief justice
two associate Justices marshal, and district attor
ney had been appointed by my predecessor, by anC
with the advice and consent CT the Senate and wer
all engaged in discharging their respective duties
A code CT laws had been enacted by tEa teJTitoria
legislature, and the judiciary were employed in e.
pounding and carrying these laws into effect II i
quite true that controversy had previously ariser
respecting the validity o. the election OF members o
the territorial legislature and OF the laws passed BY
them; but at the time entered upon nay official du
ties Congress had recognized this Legislature in diff
fereut forras and by different enactnens. The dele
gate elected to the Iforss of Representatives. under
territorial law, had just competed bis term of service
on the day previous to my inauguration. IN fact,
found tbs government of Kansas as we'll established
az that Of any other Territory Under these circnm
stances, what was my .ltyf Was it not to sustain
this government to protect it from the violence o
lawless men, who were determined either to rule Of
ruiui to prevent it from being overturned by force
that the laws be faithfully executed" 1t was fo
this purpose, and this alone that ordered military
force to Kapsss 20 act posse comitnt"s in aiding
the civil magistrate to curry the laws into execution
Tie condition of the Territory at the time, which
need not portray, rendered THE precauon absolute
" necessary. Ia this state Of Affairs would no
have been Justly condemned had left the marsbs
aud other officers Of like character npoten; to e1
ecute the process and judgments OF courts OF Justice
established by Congress, or by the territorial legs
aure under its express authority, and thus have SUI
fered the government itself to become al object o
contempt In the eyes of The pscplel And yet this i:
what you designate forcing 1.-THE people OF Kansas
to obey laws not their own OF the United Sates
and for doing which you have denounced me I'D hav.
ing violated my solemn OATH ask, what else could
| have done, or ought to have done! Would you
have desired that l should abandon the territorial
sanctioned As 1t had been by Congress,
TO illegal violence and thus renew The scenes OF OWL
war and bloodshed which every patriot in the coun
try had deplored7 Ihis would, indeed, have been to
violate my oath Of office, and to Xix damnlng blot
on the character of my Administration
most cheerfuIly admit that the necessity tor send
ing military force to Kansas to aid in the execution
of the civil law reflects credit upon the character
Of country. But let the blame fall upon the heads
oil the guilty. Whence did this necessity arise
portion Of the people of Kansas unwilling to trust 10
the ballot box-the certain American remedy tor the
rsdrRas of all 10 create an In
dependent Government for themselves. Had this at
tempt proved successful, it would, of course, have
subverted the existing government, prescribed and
by Congress, sac substituted revolu'
tionary government in its stead. TIis was usurpa
ton OF the sams character as it would be ~: por-
ton Of the people Of Connecticut to undertake. to s.
tablish separate government within its chartered
limits for the purpose OF redrsssng any grievance
real or imaginary, Of which they might have com
planned against the legitimate State government -
Such principle. il carried into execution, woplo
destroy all lawful authority, aud produce universal
anarchy.
ought to specify more particularly condition oil
afars. which have embraced only In general terms
requiring the presence Of military force IN hansas
The Congress Ct the United States had most wisely
declared it be tbs frye intent and meaning OF TINS
act 1.-THE act organizing the Territory not TO eg.late
slavery into any Territory State, cor to exclude II
thsrefrom but to leave the people thereof perfectly
free to form and regulate their domestic
in ,her own way, subject only to the constitution OF
the United States As natural consequence, Con
gress has also prescribed by The same act that when
We Territory of kansss shall be admitted es State
il "shall be received into the Union. with OF without
siavery. rs their constitution may prescribe Of the
tiE'u u: ihsir admission"
Slavery existed at that period, and still eIets IN
kansss, under the Constitution Of the United States
This point has at last been finally decided by the
highest tribunal known 10 our laws. How It could
ever have been seriously dosbted j. 8 mystery. u