Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-12-31

people of Kansas, and none other than
the people of Kansas, should have the
full discrimination of the question now
before them for DECISION sItis import
ant also that in securing to them the
protection to which they nre entitled,
great care should be taken not to organ
ize any illegal authority. On this point
l again refer you to my instructions to
Governor Walker and Secretary Stan
ton, which you will regard as directed
to yourself. 1t is proper to add that
no action of the Territorial Legislature,
about to meet, can interfere with the
elections of the 21st of December and
the Goth of January in the mode and
manner prescribed by the Constitution
al Convention.
L am, sir, respectfully, your obedient
servant LEWIS CASS.
These documents also contain Gene
raj Cass' reply to Governor Walker, da-
ted
STATE DEPARTMENT, Doc. IS, 1857.
S1R,-On Wednesday last L received
your communication of the 10th inst.
rendering your resignation as Governor
of Kansas. This resignation is accom-
panied by a long argument on the af-
fairs of the Territory generally, to which,
YOU are we'll aware it would be impro-
per for the Department to reply. IF
every officer of the government who
feels himself constrained to refuse ODE
dience to the instructions of the Presi-
dent shall pursue this unusual course,
and thus place on the files of the appro-
pirate Department criticisms on the po-
icy of the Administration, no person
knows better than yourself to what
consequences this might lead. The De-
partment must either cause the charges
and arguments against the President to
be filed among the public archives of
the country without contradiction or re-
ply, or it must spend the time which
ought to be devoted to the public SER
vice in controversies with subordinate
officers who may disapprove the Presi-
dents policy. Whilst duty, therefore,
forbids me to enter into a controversial
discussion with you upon the various
topics embraced by your argument, it is
proper L should make a remark upon a
single point. You state the President
has changed his policy in regard to
Kansas. And why this allegation?-
Simply because the Convention of Kan
sas nave in the exercise of the rights
belonging to them, decided that they
would not submit the whole Constitu-
ton to the people, although they had
submitted the all-important and danger
Gus question of slavery, which threat
ened to convulse the Union, and was
alone prominent in the minds of the
people throughout every State, he had
n treated the submission of this mo-
mentous question as a mere nulity--
Under these circumstances it was his
Imperative duty, and this was in strict
conformity with the previous instruc-
tions, to take care that a fair election be
held on the vital question, and thus give
peace in the Union. Had he acted in
any other manner, merely because he
preferred the submission of the Consti-
tntion originally to the people, his re-
sponsibility would have been of the
gravest character. He never intimated
or expressed the opinion that the Con-
v~entiou we're bound to submit any por-
ton of the Constitution to the people,
except the question of slavery, much
leSS tndL lIdI poIIIou hOulO " Z luHdiiu
without such submission. Had he en-
tertained such IN opinion, this would
have been in opposition to the hume
rous precedents which have occurred
since the adoption of the Federal Con-
~stitution by the different States. The
question of slavery was the all absorb
ing question. and you were sent to Kan
sas with the full confidence of the Pres
ident to carry out the principles of the
Kansas Nebraska act. With the ques-
ton whether Kansas was to be a free or
slave State, you were not to interfere
You were to secure to the people of
Kansas a free and fair election to decide
the question for themselves. The Pres
ident was therefore happy to learn from
your dispatches to this Department, of
Julyr15th last, that in all your speech
es you had refrained from expressing
any opinion as to whether it should be
a slave or free State.
1 am instructed to inform you that
your resignation of the Office of Cover
nor of the Territory of Kansas has
been accepted.
1 am sir, your obedient servant,
LEWIS CASS.
R. J. WALKER, Esq, Washington.