Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1857-12-25
9puIttitaI.
GOV. WALKERS LETTER OF REsIG.
NATION

NATION.
WAsmsoroS, Dee II. The following is the hotter Of
the Hon ltoht j. Walker, rcsignng the office Of Gov
crnor Of Kansas
wAsurNorov CRY. Dec. Is. 1857.
Hon. Lewis Cass. Secretary of State;
Sfp-l resign the Office of Governor OF the Territory
Of Kansas have been most reluctantly forced to this
conclusion after anxious and careful consideration of
duty 20 country the people NJ Kansas the Pres
dcni Of the United States, and 10 myself
The grounds that assumed by the President in his
late message TO Congress and in recent instructions in
connection with events transpirng here and IN Kan
s1 admonishcd me that Governor n that Territory
Will no longer b. in my power to preserve the peace or
promote the public welfare.
the solicitation OF the President after
peaicd refusas-the last being IN wrtngl formally
cepicd ths ohco upon his letter showing the dangers
and dicues Of the Kansas question. and the necessity
of my undertaking the task Of adjustment. Under
these circumstances Notwithstanding the great sacrifices
to my personal political and pecuniary interests. felt
through her Chief Magistrate-no more than soldier
in battle who Is ordered 10 the command Of forlorn
accepted, however on the express condition that
should advocate the submission uf the constitution to
we've were clearly understood by the President and all
his Cabnct. They distinctly forth in letter
ON my acceptance Of this office. the 2Gth Of March
last and reiterated IN my inaugural address of the 9th
Indeed. cannot aiSs' dous, A., the Convention amer
having framed State constitution, will submit Il for rat
hcation rejection by a majority Of the then actual
bona hde, resident settlers NJ Kansas"
WITH these views well known 20 the President and the
nent Of Governor Of Kansas My instructions from ihc
President through the Secretary u State under date Of
3lh March last, sustain the regular Legislature Of the
lfuhofy m assembling Convention 20 form Const
tuition, and they express Tic opinion Of the President
that when such Constitution shall be submitted to the
people OF the Territory fhcy he protected in the
exercise Of their right of voting for against that in
siruncnt. and the fair expression of the popular will
must not be interrupted hy fraud or violence"
repeat then, my clear conviction that unless the
Convention submtcd the Constitution to the vote of all
ne actual resident settlers q Kansas and the election
be ary and Justly conducted, the Constitution will be-
aud Ought to be- rejected by Congress- This inaugural
most distinctly asserted that Il WAS not a question Of
slavery merely which believed 20 be Of little practical
importance ihcn IN its application 70 Kansas. but Of the
entire Constitution which should be submitted to the
people Of Kansas for ratification or rejection. These
my words on that subject, in my inaugural
"lt is not merely, shall slavery exist in disappear
from Kansas but, shall the great principles " self-gov
cnmen and State sovereignty be maintained or subyer
In that inaugural proceed further to say the people
may, by subsequent vote defeat the ratification Of the
constitution designate this "a great constitutional
right and add that the Convention is the servant and
not the master Of the people"
In my official dispatch 10 YOU, Of the 2d June last
copy OF that inaugural address transmitted 20 YOU,
for the further information or the President and the Cab
met No exception taken % any portion Of that
address On the contrary IL distinctly admitted hy
the President IN his message, with commcndahc frank
that my instructions in favor Of submission Of the
Constitution to vote Of the people were general and
by that inaugural and subsequent addresses, was
pledged 10 the people OF Kansas oppose hy all lawful
measures the adoption OF constitution which
alrly and uy submitted 20 their vote for ratification or
rejection These pledges cannot recall or violate with
out personal dshonor and the Abandonment Of fInda
mnntal principles and therefore u s impossible for me
20 support what is called the Lecompton constitution,
because it is not submitted to vote Of the people for
ratification or rejection.
have ever maintained the principle that sovereignty
s vested exclusively in the people Of each State and
that it performs its first and highest function in forming
State government and Statc constitution. This high
est act Of sovereignty IN my Judgment can only be per-
formed by the people themselves and be delcgat
ed TO conventions or other intermediate bodies
indeed the whole doctrine OF the sovereignty Of Con-
ventiOns distinct from that of the people or Conyen-
tonal delegated sovereignty, contradstinguished
from State popular sovereignty ever been discard
ed by me- and was never heard Of 10 nv knowlelve
during the great Of 1856 Indeed, this is the
great principle of state sovereignty maintained By the
Nir ma Rna heni inflF resolutions ot l7YoJH sustained
by the people m ihc great poiiural revolution ~ 1890
anu 'nui',eu ih mat amendment 60 the Federal Con
suuiuoh ADOPTED undor the auspices Of Mr.. Jefferson,
e. ~ .A the powers not oeieHateu 70 the United
state ul the toustuinn nor prohibited by II 10 the
are reserved to the sstes respectively, and to the
peTppe.
~ teserrhton 20 inc states Is az separate States in
80: "c powers granted oy tneir state cnnstftu-
i1e 70 the people OF the several States
e W n.ru ~ eisihg heir sovereign nght
- 'e ~, ~ sl lung 'loil Ht''e 'uhsu'uiioh ms
N,ba Ri Ri o'' ~ my PrIndSsg Idea auIess, delivered at
which sncerb rccoiy he M, "s',e @ nil'a'on, ~ ~
, G ~ i NJ w It lile u'puhohta,y sanction o. the
ga, enG g'oa hadls9n he principal founder Of our
gc,soi If bbidihi ~ Wv ,u'v y, nun m mas; a. IN
- ~ ,o Nv a, puuahfu N the 1'ope az
tntionai ~ 90 ~ 's eiause ~ reueIel opnSu-
-eu'a - oHgelshy oI the people eaeh state is clearly
t 'ui 'ilu usltolNtll, uvlt OWL exclusive rght to
IL ii IN ~, ~ s"su,'ry ,luiI own oulto eohsutltoh.
I Hn'' % nv, enrt % ino the argument OF ths question:
iJ @ VI III 'nW tuls y tle pusiiloh nave ever oc-
ili lui an & ~ eAsps loi .nt' tang this opmon are
hi, y "a i m i"'tY -, l"'lh ~ prihwu pamphiet
pu3seu oNet my sishatute on 'c lath Of June, 1870,
IN , ' Hnl.si''iy 'ii,ulaf,, rom Wmch quote as
ivs', .u",. our confederate sYnem' sovereignty Is
,ut tnc Pvilla power "hen q. lis pleasure creates
@ nllu uvcsl'eA authority TO uem SoNer-
ssny s"hh.S oNcls gu, nor sovereign powers other.
M W IN ~ M s.t eN'hbusn ,seil oy making uie creature OF
10 l ule W sule5in, OF us CREATOR sovereignty
N"nsuu''ons' ana th'oush them estanlishes gov
IT, lt, 90. ,i - ,,.n.,
81, ~ uelssa,es s csIr @ poweIs,ist'ouung inc exercise
W. w. 's Ntu soI pu"u. anonT uln ~ lessiauve executive
an JuIisl uVPA,tnen,s me Nohsututon Is not SOW
, , , ~ - ~, ,e',s' - ~ ny soscr'lBn9, lne goveth-
| . - ~" y'eiolRl W. lp' ,ne sa'ns reason, nueh less
ii, - ", a, , @ s1 naAlls uehnen so'er-
o5,' ~ nus III H. ~ po"et WIN WIN !,s source
u ~, Us w iuNt ~ su.o'.iBnV y one tmhg' ana
MI III Ies.s or now !, y 70 DC exercised Is another-
~ M NV Nv. +! s'pu " .-itol'van =. uospoushls, sovereignty
wa nAeu 10 Iesiue III h,ng1 ana huIopeansi under the
sous 'uen oi uic u.the ilBnt ei hlnBS, ana tle
tpc.'lho va a uial oo'e,eighs IN ieslumaie
su.evsio, athongh stunned With crimes ana blaekened
WIN n"'hy; were 'intneu ny the bsiV win absolute
p"i ~ RUG th9it sul'sts, VINO neiu hothng put the
Ptihv, Pi H ',ru pl 1l. slpNh' oucn were 'he ABSURD
anu ihous uoghas 70 "hch the people OF Europe, with
M ,e MAv'luus' hn,e pyn oohponou 10 submit oy the
p9ne uPPu'vu py 'no ""io potent aulhotiy OF lgho-
rance ana sapsfsuton,
uuSl tis 1ne9ty uo people were ophers' ana crown,
.u ueaus euoues, VIC soe tepSsehla'es on eaith OF
me governing power oi me Almighty; Our doctrine is
Just ihe reverse making the people the only source OF
sovereign power bnt wnai people, with us sovereign
~ ~ eNias,,e5 ~ w Gi wy peapic o. eeeh S,an