The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-01-09


disastrous and sanguinary civil war, seems
to me most preposterous.
Not drop of blood has been shed by
the Federal troops in Kansas during my
Administration, but insurreetion and civil
war, extending, fear, throughout the
country, were alone prevented by the
course pursued by me on those occasions,
and the whole people, abandoning revo-
lutionary violence, were induced by me to
go, for the first time, into a general and
peaceful election. These important re-
suits constitute sufficient consolation for
all the unjust assaults made upon me on
this subject.
do not understand that these assaults
have ever received the slightest counte-
nance from the President. On the contrary,
his message clearly indicates an approvalof
my course up to the present most unfor-
tunate difference about the so-called Le-
compton Constitution. Inasmuch, how
ever as this difference is upon a vital
question, involving practical results and
new Instructions, it is certainly much more
respectful to the President, on my part,
to resign the Office of Governor, and give
him an opportunity of filling it, as is his
right under the Constitution, with one
who concurs with him in his present
opinions rather than 90 to Kansas and
force him to remove me by disobedience
to his instructions. This latter course, in
my Judgment, would be incompatible
with a proper respect for the Chief Mag
istrate of the Union, inconsistent with
the rules of moral rectitude or propriety,
and could be adopted with no other view
than. to force the President to remove me
from Office. Such a course. it is alleged,
would present me to the public as polit-
ical-martyr in the defense of the great
principle of self government but to go
to Kansas with any such purpose, or with
certain knowledge that such result
must follow, would be alike unjust and
improper. My only alternative, then, is
that of respectful resignation, in the hope
that Kansas and our beloved country NAV
be shielded from that civil war, with
which, fear, both are threatened, by any
attempt to force the so-called Lecompton
Constitution upon the people of Kansas
state it as fact, based on a long and in
innate association with the people of
Kansas, that an overwhelming majority
of that people are opposed to that instru-
ment, and my letters state that but one
out of twenty of the press of Kansas sus-
tain it. Some oppose it because so many
| counties were disfranchised and unrepre-
sented in the Convention. Some, who
are opposed to paper money, because it
authorizes bank of enormous capital for
| Kansas, nearly unlimited in its issues and
in the denomination of its notes from one
dollar, up and down. Some because of
what they consider a Know Nothing
clause, by requiring that the Governor
shall have been twenty years a citizen of
the United States-some because the
elective franchise is not free, as they can
not vote against the Constitution, but
only on the single issue whether any more
slaves may be imported, and then only
upon that issue by voting for the Consti-
tuition to which they are opposed /; and
they regard this as but mockery of the
elective franchise and perilous sporting
with the sacred rights of the people
some oppose it because the Constitution
distinctly recognizes and adopts the Ok
| ford fraud in apportioning legislative
members for johnson County upon the
| fraudulent and fictitious returns, so falsely
called, from that precinct, which recogni-
ton of that fraud in the Constitution is
abhorrent to the moral sense of the peo-
pie. Others oppose it because, although
in other cases the President of Conven-
fiopc houa ham 70 ,e,,,o ,,..;4.,
of election to the regular Territorial or
State officers, with the usual judges and
with the established precincts and on the
adjudication of the returns, in this case
unprecedented and vice-regal powers are
given to the President of the Convention
to make the precincts, the judges, and to
| decide finally upon the returns. From
the grant of these unusual and enormous
powers, and from other reasons connected
with the returns of Oxford and McGee,
an overwhelming majority of Kansas
have no faith in the validity of these re-
turns and therefore will not vote. In
| deed, disguise it rs we may to ourselves,
under the influence of the present ex-
| cltement, the facts will demonstrate that
any attempt by Congress to force this Con-
stltutlon upon the people of Kansas will
| be an effort to substitute the will of a
small minority for that of an oyerwhelm-
ing majority of the people of Kansas
that it will not settle the Kansas question,
or localize the issue that it will, / fear,
be attended by civil war, extending, per-
haps, throughout the Union, thus bring
| ing this question back again upon Con-
gress and before the people to its most
dangerous and alarming aspect.
The Presidenttakes different view of
the subject in his Message, and from the
events occurring in Kansas, as well as
! here, it is evident that the question is
passing from theories into practice, and
that as Governor of Kansas, should be
compelled TO carry out new instructions
| differing on vital question from those
received at the date of my appointment.
Such instructions | could not execute
consistently with my views of the Fede-
raj Constitution and of the Kansas and
Nebraska bill, or with my pledges to the
| people of Kansas. Under these circum-
stances, no alternative is left but to resign
the Office of Governor of the Territory OF
Kansas. No one can more deeply regret
than myself the necessity, but it arises
from no change of opinion On my part.
On the contrary, should most cheerfulIy
have returned to Kansas TO carry out nv
original instructions, and thus preserve the
peace of the Territory, and finally settle
the Kansas question by redeeming nv
pledges to the people Il is not my in
tention at this time 10 discuss the pecu-
! liar circumstances and unexpected events
which have modified the opinions of the
! President upon point so vital as the sub
/ mission Of the Constitution for ratification
or rejection by the vote of the people
much less do / desire any controversy
4 with the President ON this subjeet YET.
however widely nv views may differ
1 from those entertained by him on this
/ question-views which have held all
/ my life. and which as involving funda-
mental principles of public liberty and OF
the Constitution, are unchangable-yet.
as regards all those great measures which