Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-10-15
Mr.. Buchanan's Reply 10 the CIer-
gymen of Connecticut.
WASHINGTON CITY, August Is, 1857.

through the agency OF Mr- Hor=lo HING o.
the Post Office Department, TO whom Il had
been Entrusted. From he distinguished
source whence IL proceeds as well as it, pc
culiar character. have deemed il proper 10
5epsr, from my general rule in such cases,
ami to- give i an snsv-r.
v. fr-t ass--, hat the Fundamental
principle o the constitution of the United
States and of our political institutions, Is,
that the people shall make their own Jaws
and elect their own rulers.' You then ex-
press your grief and sstonishment that
should haze violated this principle, and
through Gov. Walker, hare employed an
a-mv. .Une purpose of which is TO force The
peorls Of haRsds 10 obsy ic'rs not thar OlCn
nor Of Ia. United St1fes. but ls~s which it Is
nofor iou>. aud established upon evidence,
mace. md rulers they &c We, eiec;ed. And,
Is ~1rroIIary from the foregoing. you rep
resent that am Openly held up and pro-
clsined, to he great derogation Of our naIi-
onei Character, as violating in It's most es-
=. Itiai particular the solemn oath which the
President has taken 10 support fhe ConsG-
fatisn Of this Union.
These are hea y charges proceeding from
gentlemen of your high character. and, i
well founded. ought to consign my name to
;nfamy. Bat in proportion to their gravity
common justice, to say nothing Of Christian
charity, required that, before making them
You .houd have clearly ascertained that
they were well founded doubt not, they
will rebound with whitening condemnation
upon their authors Have you performed
this preiiminnry duty towards the man who
however unx orthy, is the Chief Magistrate
uf your country? II So, either you or are
laburing under ii strong delusicn.-ShonIC
this prove to be your casr, il will present
4 memorable example o. the truth that po.
ltical prejudices is blind even to the exist.
ence of the 2laiuest and most palpabe his
torlcaI Tact. To- these facts LIT US re.er
When | enter, upon the duties of the
| Presi ienIial Cffice, on the 4th of March las,
what was the col dition of kansasi Thi:
Territory had been organized undrr the ac
of Congress OF 30.h May, 1854, and the gov
ernment in all Its branches was in lul
! operation. A governor, sec etary of tn,
Territory, chiet justice, two associate lusti
ces, a IN arshal, anc district attorney hat
been appointed by my predecessor, by ant
with the advice and consent OF the Senate
and were all eagaged in discharging thei
| respective duties. A code of laws had beer
enacted by the Territorial Legislature, an
the judiciary were employed in expoundin.
and carrying and carrying these laws int,
effect II is quite true that a con.rovers
had prev iously arisen respecting the val,dit
| of the hlection of members of the Territor
| ial legis lature and of the laws passed b
| them; but at the time | entered upon my
official duties, Congress had recognized thi
legislature in different forms and by feren
forms ard by different enactments. Tn
| delegate elected 10 the House uG Represen
/ tatives, under TerritorIa, law, had jus
comp ei,d his term of service on the da
previous to my Inauguration. la fact,
| Quad The gov, rnm mt OF Kansas as well es
,abiished as that of any Other Territory
| Under these circumstances, what was m
\ dutyl Was it not to sustain this govern
neni! TO protect it from the violence q
/ law less men, who were determined eithe
to rule or RUN? to prevent 1t from bein
! overturned by force!-In the languI ge o
the Constitution, to 't4ke care tha, the law
be faithfully executed! 1t was Tor .hiS pur
pose, anG this alone, that ordered nall
lury force to Kansas, to act as posse conf
tatus in aiding the civil magistrate to carr
! he laws into XsguTion.
! The c,ndi,jon oi tie Territory at III
time, which ! need mol portray. renderr
this precaution aOsoiu.e,y necessary. /
this state OF affairs, wuaid | net nave bee
Justly condemned had left the marshal an
other uficers of like character impotent /
execute the process and judgments Of court
of iustire established by Congress, or by til
Terri orial Legis allure under its express al
thor .ty, and thus have suffered the Govern
meet .tsrlito become an oDj-c. of contemf
in e yes of The ieople! Ano ye' this
wna, GU drsignltr as Orcing tine peopl
ut KanS - TO obey Laws not heir own. no
OF thr United States and !cr ioing whic
YOU have denounced me as having Niot"tt
nv solemn oath. | ask, what else couiG
have done, or ougn, TO have done! Wou
YOU have desired thIt should abandon th
Territorial Government, sanctioned as
had been by Congress to il-gal vIoirnc'
and thus renew the seen 5 oi ciTiI war an
: biondshed hich every patriot IN lie coul
try, had GeplUred! i is would, indeed, has
been 10 violate my oath OF OH, e. and % f
} a damniog blot or he character of my az
! III nistratiun.
mo,r ch er uly submit that the necf:
siIy for sending mi .tEry force TO Kansi
= t. aid In the execution O' ihs civil l.w r.
/ fees NJ credit upon the chlrsc,er of OF
coun ry Bat let the blame tall upon III
heads OF the guil,v. VI 0ence did this n,
g, c. ssity ar Sc! A pur'Ian o the peope
Kansa-, unwilling 10 trust to he baliot.bc
: the certain American remedy for the n
! dress OF all grievances - untertook 10 crea'
an independent government for themselVe:
Had this attempt proved successful,
would of course, have subverted the exis
ing Government, prescribed and recogn ze
by Congress, and substituted revolutionar
government in iis stead This was usu
patton OF the same character as it would b
for portion OF the people of Connecticut ;
un iertake L. eslaol h separate govern
ment within lis chartered limits, for the pu
p'se of redresslrg any gr evance, real t
Imaginary, o. which they might have con
planned, against the Legitimate State Gov
ernme,t. Such principle, il carried i'm
execution, would des'ruy al. lawful author
ity. and pr"duce universal anarchy
ought TO specify more particularly
,ndtinn OF affairs, which have embrace
only in general terms, requiring the pies
ence OF a military force in Kansas. Tn
Cungress of The Uni ed Safes had mus
wisely declared it to be 'lhe true intent an
meaning OF this act Che act organ zing tn
Territory MT 10 legi-late slavery into an
= 49,. :.