Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-12-24
GOVERNOR WALKERS LETTER OF
RESIGNATION,

TO Hon. LeDts Cdss, Secretary of State.
Iresign the Office of Governor of Kansas.
| have been most reluctantly forced to this
conclusion after anxious and careful consid-
Grafton Of my duty to the country, to the
people of Kansas, to the President of the
United States and myself. The grounds
assumed by the President in his late mes
sage to Congress and in the recent instruc-
tions in connection with the events trans
piring here and in Kansas, ad@onished me
that, as Governor Of that Territory, it will
no longer be in my power to preserve peace
or promote the public welfare.
At the earnest solicitation Of the Presi-
dent, after repeated refusals, (the last be-
ing in writing) finally accepted this office
upon his letter, showing the dangers and
difficulties of the Kansas question, and the
necessity of my undertaking the task Of
adjustment.
Under these circumstances, notwith-
standing the great sacrifices to me, perscn-
al, political and pecuniary, l felt that l
could no more refuse such call from my
country. through her Chief Magistrate, than
a soldier in battle who is ordered to CON-
mapd forlorn hope. / accepted, howev-
er, upon the express condition that l should
advocate the submission of the Constitu-
tion to a vote of the people for ratification
or rejection.
These views We clearly understoon by
the President and all bis Cabinet. They
were distinctly set forth in my letter of ac-
eeptance of this office, on the 26th day of
March last, aud reiterated in my Inaugu-
raj Address, on the 9th of May last; as
follows:
"Indeed, cannot doubt that the Con-
vention after having passed State Consti-
tuition, will submit it for ratification or re-
lection by majority of the bona fide resi-
dent settler of Kansas"
With these views, well known to the
President and his Cabinet, and approved
by them, l accepted the appointment of
Governor of Kansas.
Ny instructions from the President,
through the Secretary cf State, under date
of the 18th of Mach last, sustain the regu-
lar Legislature of the Territory, in assemb-
ling Convention to form a Constitution,
and they express the opinion of the Presi-
dent that when such Constitution shall
be submitted to the people of the Terrific
ry, they must be protected in the exercise
of their right of voting for or against tnat
instrument.
The fair expression of the popular will
must not be interrupted by fraud or vio-
lence. l repeat, then, as my clear convic-
ton, that unless the Convention sould SUBJ
NIT the Constitution to the vote of all the
actual resident settlers in Kansas, and the
election be fairly and justly conducted, the
the Constitution will and ought to be re-
jected by Congress. This Inaugural most
distinctly asserted that it was not the ques-
tion of slavery merely, which l believed to
be of little practical importance in its ap-
plication to Kansas, but the entire Consti-
tuition which be submitted to the people
for ratification or rejection.
(After quoting from the Presidents In
augural, Gov. Walker refers as follows to
his course as Governor of Kansas, and the
good effects thereby
The power and responsibility being de-
voted exclusively upon me by the Presi-
dent, of using the Federal army in Kansas
to suppress insurection, the alternative was
distinctly presented to me, by the question
propounded at Topeka, of arresting revolu-
ton by the slaughter of the people, or Of
preventing together with that of civil war,
which must have extended throughout the
Union.
My solemn assurance was then given
that the right of the people to frame their
own government, so far as my power ex-
tended, should be maintained; but for this
assurance, it is conceded fact that the
Topeka State Government, then assembled
in legislative session, would have been put
into immediate actual operation, and that
sanguinary collision with the federal
army and civil war must have ensued,
extending, it is feared, througout the Union.
Indeed, the whole idea of an inaugural
address originated in the alarming intelli-
gence, which had reached Washington City
of a porinlous and incipient rebellion in
Kansas.
This insurrection was rendered still more
formidable; upon my reaching the Terrific
ry, by the near approach of tho assemb-
ling of the revolutionary State Legislature,
/ and the very numerous mass conventions
by which it was sustained.
In truth had to choose between arrest
ing that insurrection, at whatever cost of
American blood, by the federal army, or
to prevent the terrible catastrope, as did
by my pledges to the people, Of the exer-
ton Of all my power to obtain fair cleo
tion by the vote of the people for ratif-
cation or rejection.
My inaugural and other addresses were
therefore really in the nature of proclama-
tions SO often issued by the Presidents and
Governors, with view to prevent, as they
did in this case civil war and insurrection.
Now by my oath of office, I was sworn
to support the Constitution of the United
States, which have shown in my judg-
ment, required submission of the Consti-
tuition to vote of the people.
was also sworn to take care that the
Kansas Nebraska bill should be faithfully
executed, which bill, in my judgment, as
heretofore stated, required that the Con-
stitution be submitted to the vote of the
people, and l was, therefore, only perform
ing my solemn duty, when, as Governor of
the Territory, to whose people my first OBJ
| legations were due, endeavored to secure
to them these results.