Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-09-09

Gov. Walker, have employed an army, lone "SS
pose Of which is to the people Of Kansas tn our
laos not their oaon, nor Of the United States be,
laws which it is notorious and established unon ous
idence, they never made and rulers they never s,e
tee." And, as corolary from the foregoing ra
to the great derogaton of national cfaractsu
violating in its most essential particular the so,s
oath which the President has taken to sv,aa. nh
constitution Of this Union" "s
These are heavy charges proceeding from oor,
men Of your high character, and, il we'll foHnd0s
ought to consign my name to infamy. But in n.y.
portion to their gravity common justice to saw %
ing Of Christian charity, required that before ua
king them you should have clearly ascertainoa ma.
they were well founded. If not, they will reho n'as
with whitening condemnation upon their an, Iuna
Have you performed this preliminary duty tou"'s
the man who, however unworthy, is the Chisr W..
istrate of your country? If so, eithersvon or
labor'ng under strange delusion Should a., ise
prove to be your case, it will present memor.n, s
example of the truth that political prejudice Is h
even to the existence of the painest and V'ha
pablo historical facts To these facts let rs rs a
When entered upgn the duties of the nrss;a.-
tlal office, on the 4th of March last, what w.s l'
condition of Kansasf This Territory had baa, "le
gained under the act of Congress of Both Nav 1ss,
and the government in all its branches wa: IN s';
operation governor, secretary of the Terr;o w."
chief justice, two associate Justices marshal my
district attorney had been appointed by my nreda
cessor. by and with the advice and consent n %.
Senate, and were all engaged in discharr;nc , uie
respective duties. code of laws had been u,e,
by the territorial legislature and the Judiciary o.
employed in expounding and carrying these lsns;n
to effect 1t is quite true that controvors,, h",
previously arisen respecting the validity of tho .o0
ton of members of the territorial Legislature sn% e.
the laws passed oy them; but at the time entered
upon my official duties Congress had RECOGNISED NV,
Legislature in different forms and by different enact
ments. The delegate elected to the House of Dr.
resentatives, under territorial law had inst ao,p p
pleted his term of service on the day prevons 70 n
Inauguration. In fact, found the government ce
Kansas as well established as that of anv Other r
rltory. Under these circumstances. what vac NV
duty? Was it not to sustain this governments :;
protect it from the violence of lawless men wbo
were determined either to rule or rum? to nrevant
it from being overturned by force PIN the LANGUAGE
of the constitution, to stake care that the lave 5o
faithfully executed?" 1t was for this purpose and
this alone that ordered military force to Kansas
to act as posse comitatus in aiding the civil maps'
trate to carry the laws into execution
The condition of the Territory at the time. which
need not portray, rendered this precaution abso.
lute!y necessary. In this state of affairs, would
not have been justly condemned had left the mar
shall and other officers of like character impotent
to execute the process and judgments of courts of
justice established by Congress, or by the territorial
legislature under its express authority and thus have
suffered the government itself to become an object
of contempt in the eyes of the people? And yet
this is what you designate as forcing the people Of
Kansas to obey laws not their own nor of the United
States" and and for doing which you have denoun.
ced me as having violated my solemn oath. ask,
what else could have done, ought to have done
Would you have desired that should abandon the
! tnrp - /
Congress, to illegal violence, and thus renew the
| scenes of civil war and bloodshed which every pa.
trot in the country had deplored? This would, in.
deed, have been to violate my oath of Office and to
fix damning blot on the character of my admins
! tration.
most cheerfuly admit that the necessity for send
ing military force to Kansas aid in the execution
of the civil law reflects credit upon the character
| of our country. But let 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 the ballot box-the certain American rene
dy for the redress of all grievances-undertook to
create an Independent government for themselves
Had this attempt proved successful, it would of
course have s,bverted the existing government, pre-
scrbed and recognised by Congress, and substituted
revolutionary government in its stead This was
usurpation of the same character it would be for
portion of the people of Connecticut to undertake
to establish separate government within its char.
tered limits for the purpose of redressng any grev
ance, real or imaginary, of which they mg ht have
| complained against the legitimate State government
Such principle, if carried into execution, would
destroy all lawful authority and produce universal
| anarchy.
l ought to specify more particularly a condition
of affairs which | have embraced only in general
terms, requiring the presence Of military force in
Kansas. The Congress of the United States had
most wisely declared it to be the true intent and
meaning of this act the act ganized the Territory
not to egisate slavery into any Territory or State
TO exclude it therefrom, but to leave the people
thereof perfectly free to form and regulate their do
mestic institutions in their own way, subject only
| to the constitution of the United States" As
natural consequence, Congress has also prescribed
by the same act that when the Territory OF kanSa;
shall be admitted as State it shall be received
| into the Uaon, with or without slavery, as thef
constitution may prescribe at the time OF the'
admission"
Slavery existed at that PERIOD and still exists II
Kansas, under the constitution of the United o'aes
This point has at last oeen finally decided by 'n
highest tribunal known to our laws How It ceu,
ever have been seriously doubted is mystery.
a confederation of sovereign States acquire nev
Territory at the expense of their common blood an
treasure surey one set of the partners can nave !"
right to exclude the other from its enjoyment 0!
prohibiting them from taking into it whatsoever
recognised to be property by the common consul.
ton. But when the peope-the bona tde reS'ue..
of su oh Photographed to frame State consul.
ton, then it is their right to decide the imporan
Question for themselves whether they will continue
modify, or abolish slavery. To them. and to the.
alone, does this question belong, free from all ores'
interference.
In the opinion Of the territorial legislature OF haI
sas the time had arrived for entering the Un'on an
they accordingly passed law to elect delegates s
the purpose Of framing State constitution LII
law was fair and just in its provisions. 1t conerre
the right of suffrage 'every bona tide nhao''s'
of the Territory :" and, for the purpose Of proven
ing fraud, and the intrusion of citizens OF near
distant States, most properly confined this r'sn'
those who had resided therein three months pre-.
ous to the election. Here fair opportunity '. y,
presented for all the qualified resident citizens o,