Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-09-12

iuy IRON, the foregoing, you represent that
am .openly held up and proclaimed, to
the great derogatio, of our national charac-
ter" rs violating in its most essential par
ticular, the solemn oath the President has
taken 70 support the constitution of this
Uniol.
These are heavy charges proceeding from
gentlemen of your high character, and, if
well founded, ought to eonsign my name to
infamy But in proportion to their grav-
ty, commcn Justice, to say nothing ofChris-
tiau charity, required that before making
them you should have clearly ascertaincd
that they were well founded If not, they
will rebound with withcring condemnation
upon their authors. Have you performed
preliminary duty towards the man, who,
however unworthy,sis the Chief Magistrate
of your country? If so, either you or [
are laboring under strange delusion.-
Should this prove to be your case, it will
presents memorable exampleof the truth
that political prejudice is bliud,evcn to the
existence of the plainest and most palpablc
historical facts. 70 these facts let us refer.
When ] entered upon the duties of the
presidential Office, on the 4th of March last,
what was the condition Of Kansas? This
territory had been organized under the
act of Congress of the 30th of MAY,
1854, and the government in all its branch
cs was in full operation. A governor, sec
retary of the territory chief justice, two as
sociate justices, u marshal, and district at
torney had been appointed by my predc-
cessor by and with the advice and consent
of the Senate, and were all engaged in dis
charging their respective duties. y code
OF laws had been enacted by the territorial
legislature; aud the judiciary were en-
ployed IN expounding aud carrying these
laws into effect. 1t is quite true that
controversy had previously arisen respect
ing the validity ofth election of members
of the territorial Legislature and of the laws
pussed by them; hut at the time | entered
upon my official duties Congress had recog-
niAed this Legislature in different forms and
by different cnactments. The delegate
elected to the House of Representatives,
under territorial law, had just completed
his term of service on the day previous to
my inauguration. In fact, | found the
government of Kansas as we'll established
as that of any other territory. Undcr
these circumstances, what was my duty?
Was it not to sustain this government to
protect it from the violence of lawless men,
who-werc determined either to rule or ruin?
to provent,it from being overturned by
force? in the laHguaguc of the constihi-
ton, TO "take care that the laws be faith
fully executed z" 1t was for this purpose.
and this alone, that | ordered a military
force to Kansas, to act as posse comitatuS
IN aiding the civil magistrate to carry tho
laws into execution, .y
The condition of the Territoryoat the
time, which need not portray, rendered
this precaution absolutely necessary. IN
this state of affairs, would L not have been
justly condemned had | left the marshal
and other officers of "A like character impo-
tent to execute the process anG Judgments
.of courts of justice established ~ Congress,
or by the territorial legislature under its
the government itself to become an object
Of contempt in the eyes of the people?
And yet this is what you designate as for
cling ''the people of Kansas to obey laws not
their own, nor of the United States )" and
for doing which you have denouncod me
as having violated my solemn oath i ask
what else could have done, or ought l to
have done? Would you have desired that
should abandon the territorial govern
ment, sanctioned as it had been by Con-
gross, to Illegal Violence, and thus renew
the scenes Of civilwar and bloodshed which
ever, patriot in the country had deplored?
This would, indeed, have been to violate
my oath of Office, and fix damning blot
on the. character of my administration.
! most eheerfully admit that the nccessi-
ty for sending a military force to Kansas to
aid in thecxecution of the civil law reflects
no credit upon the character of our coun-
try. But lot the blame fall upon the heads
of the guilty. Whence did this necessity
arise A portion of the people of Kansas,
unwilling to trust to tho ballot-box-th
certain American remedy, for the redress
OF all grievances-uud to create an
Independent government for 'thomselves.-
Had this attempt proved successful, it
would, of course, have subvcrted the exist
ing government, prescribed and recognised
hby Congress, and substituted revolutionr-
ry government in its stead. This was a
usurpatien ofthe same chaacteras il would
be for portion of the people of Connect
cut to undertake to establish q separate
government within its chartered limits for
the purpose of redressing any gficvancc,
real or imaginary, of which they might
have complained against the legitimate
State government. Such principle, If
carried into execution, would DESTROY all
lawful authority ehdproduce uniyersal am,
| archy.