The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-02-13
Kansas ana the DemOcracy-Address
From Secretary Stanton.
To the PeODLe of the Uaiked .Cfofos.

Kansas and the Democracy-Address
From Secretary stanton.
To the People Of the United States:
Having been recently removed from the Of
flee of Secretary Of Kansas Territory. under
circumstances which imply severe censure on
the part of the President, and having had
no official information of my removal. nor
any opportunity for explanation or defense. T
have deemed it necessary to present to the
People of the United States a brief state.
ment of facts in vindication of my motives
and in explanation of the results of the act
for which l have been condemned.
The Office in question was not given at
my solicitation. My acceptance of it, under
all the circumstances, was q proof of strong
friendship for the President, and of unbound
ed confidence in the firmness and faithfulness
with which he would adhere to the line of
policy deliberately agreed upon between him,
his whole Cabinet, and Gov. Walker.
On my arrival in the Territory in April
last, in advance of Gov. Walker, I confessed
that l had an imperfect knowledge of the real
condition of affairs. supposed the question
OF slavery to be the only cause of discussion
and difficulty among the people and, in my
6rlef inaugural address on the 18th of Aprii
treat ed this as the chief subject of differ
ence upon which submission to the people
would be likely to be demanded. soon
found, however, that this view was altopetb-
er too limited, and did not reach the frua
ground the Territory were dissatisfied with T.
local government, and earnestly denied 10
validity OF the existing laws. Ass LIS: .ne
that the previous Legislature had b, er.sns
ced upon them by the fraud and -,;olence of
neIghborlng people, they proc ..;,neJ tho;. y,
determination never to submit to the enact.
ments OF legislative bodies T. m. h.,;an.S sn'
iligltlmate and not entiu' ed to ohed;enco 70
This was the condit: ION Of tb;na. en &C..
Gov. walker came tc, the Territory in the
latter part OF May. 1t was evident that the
just policy OF permitting the people to ROOM.
late their own affairs could not be successfnilv
carried outInless they could be inspired with
confidence In the agents of Government tho,
whom this result was to be effected. ia
mere minority of the people had been thus
dissatisfied and contumacious thew m;oht
possibly have been pronounced factions and
treated as dlsturbers of the peace; but when
almost the whole people, a more respectful
CONSIDERATION was indispensable to the peace
aoie adjustment. 1t was evident that the
pohcy OF represslon-a rigid attempt to en-.
iorce SUBMISSION without an effort at concilia-
tion-would inevitably result in a renewal of
CIV! war. With commendable anxiety to
AVOID this contingency, Gov. Walker resolv-
Gu " 90 among the people, to listen to COM
piaints TO give them assurance of q fair and
just administration of the Territorial Gov
eminent, and to induce them, if possible. to
abandon their hostility, and to enter upon
the peaceful but decisive struggle of the bal
lot-box. was often with the Governor
when he addressed the people, and gave nv
oest enorts In aid of the great purpose Of
1t was too late to induce the people to 90
into the June election for delegates to the
Convention. The registration REQUIRED bv
law had been imperfect in all the counties. and
had been wholly omitted in one-haH of them.
nor could the people of these DISTINGUISHED
counties vote in any adjacent county, as has
been falsely suggested. In such of them as
subsequently took census or registry of
their own, the delegates chosen were not adj
mltted to seats in the Convention. Never
theless, 1t is not to be denied that the great
central fact, which controlled the whole case.
was the utter want of confidence bv the peo-
pie in the whole machinery of the Territorial
Government. They alleged that the local of.
ficers in all instances, were INSCRIPTIONS par
tislans, who had previously defrauded them
in the elections, and who were ready to re-
peat the same outrages again that. even if
mtruders from abroad should not be permit
ted to overpower them, they would be cheat
ed by false returns, which it would not be
possible tor the Governor and Secretary to
defeat. Although at that time these appre-
tensions seemed to me to be preposterous
and unfounded, it was impossible to deny the
earnestness and sincerity with which thew
were urged, or doubt that they were the res
ult OF deep convictions, having their origin
in some previous experience Of that nature.
The worst portion of the small minority IN
Kansas, who had possession of the Territorial
organization, loudly and bitterly complained
of Gov. Walkers policy of repression. And
when under the solemn assurances given
that the elections should be fairly conducted.
and no frauds which we could reach be coun-
tenanced or tolerated, it had become appar-
ent that the mass of the people were pre-
pared and determined to participate in the
October elections, the minority endeavored.to
defeat the result by reviving the tax uualifi-
cation for electors, which had been repealed
by the previous Legislature. Opinions were
obtained from high legal sources the effect
of which, had they prevailed, would have
been to exclude the mass of the peonle from
voting, to retain the control in the hands If
the minority, and as a consequence. to keen
up agitation and to render civil war inev;ts,
BILE. But the intrepid resolution of Gov
Walker, in spite of fierce opposition and de-
nunciatlon far and near, carried him through
this dangerous crisis, and he had the nroHd
satisfaction of having achieved peaceful tri-
umph, by inducing the people to submit to
the arbitrament of the ballot box.
But the minority were determined net tr
submit to defeat The populous count, of
Douglas had been attached to the horaor
county OF johnson, with large ard controIl-
ing representation in the Legislature. The
celebrated Oxford fraud was perpetrated with
a view to obtain majCrties in both Honsac
OF Assembly. When these returns vvere 70.
celved at my Office, in Gov. Walkers absence
l had FULLY determined not to give certificates
based upon them. If they had been so for
mai and correct as to have made it nv dntv
to certify them, would have resigned nv
office IN order to testify nv sense of tho
enormlty CT tie wrong. Gov. Walker at
Leavenworth, had formed the same resoln.
ton, as he stated to me and to several others
and we were both gratiied that we found
the papers so imperfect as to make it orr dr.
ty to reject them. Great excitement followed
in the Territory. The minority, thus r;obt.
eously defeated in the effort to prolonp their
power, became fierce in opposition, and re-.
sorted to every means of intimidation Rnt
am led to believe that they found their most
effectual mode of operation by UNDERMINING
US with the Administration at Washington