Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-12-28
secretary Cass' Reply 70 Gov. Walker.
STATE DEPARTMENT.

STATE DEPARTMENT.
WASHINGTON Dec IS, 1857.
SrR:-On Wednesday last received your
communication Of the 18th inst, rendering
your resignation ss Governor of kansas.-
The resignation is accompanied by long
argument on the affairs Of the Territory
generally, to which you are we'll aware it
would be impossible for this Department to
reply. II every officer Of the Government
who feels himself constrained 10 refuse ODE
dience to the Instructions Of the President
shall pursue this unusual course and thus
place on the files of the appropriate depart
Inent criticism on the policy Of the Ad-
ministration, no person knows better than
yourself to what consequence this must
lead them. He must either cause the
charges and argument against the President
to be filed among the public archieves of
the country without contradiction or reply,
or it must spend the time which ought to be
devoted to the public service in controver-
sizes with subordinate officers who may dis
approve Of the Presidents policy Whilst
duty therefore forbids me to enter in con-
troversional discussion with You on the var
ious topics embodied by your argument, it
10 proper that should make remark up
on single point. You state that the Pres
ident has changed his policy in regard to
Kansas, and why this allegation? Simply
because the Convention Of Kansas have in
the exercise of the rights belonging to them,
decided that they would not submit. the
whole Constitution to the people, although
they had submitted the all important and
dangerous question Of slavery which threat
ened to convulse tire Union, and was alone
prominent in the majority of the people
throughout every State. He had not treat
Cd the subject of this momentous question
% mere nullity. Under these circumstan.
cea it was his imperative duty. and in con-
formity with instructions to take strict care
that fair election should be held on this
important question, and TINS give peace to
the Union. If he acted in any other man
ner merely because he preferred the sub
init Of the Constitution originally to the peo-
pie. his responsibility would have been of
the greatest character if he intended or ex-
pressed the opinion that the Convention was
bound to submit any portion Of the Consti-
tuition to the people except the question of
slavery. Much less than that portion
would be invalid without such submit
Had he entertained such an opinion this
would have been in opposition to the num-
the adoption of the General Constitution
by the different States. The question of
| slavery was the all-absorbing question, and
you were sent to Kansas with the full con-
6dencs of the President to carry out the
principles Of the Kansas n ebraska act with
the question of whether Kansas was to be a
free or slave State You were not to in
terfere. You were to secure to the people
Of Kansas free and fair election to decide
the question for themselves The President
was therefore happy to learn from your dis
patches to this Department, Of July 18th
last, that in all your speeches You had re-
Trained from expressing any opinion as to
whether it should be free or slave State.
| am instructed to inform you, that your
resignation Of the office Of Governor of Kan
sas has been accepted. I'm sir, your obedi.
ent servant,
(Signed) LEWIS CAss.
To 4. j. WALKER.