White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1858-01-07
Resignation Of Gov. Walker.
WASHINGTON CRY, Dec. 1!


Hon. LEWIS CAss. Secretary Of State:
resign the Office of Governor of Kansas. |
have been most reluctantly forced to this conclu-
sion after anxions and careful consideration Of
my duty to the country. to the people ofKansas,
to the President eff the Quilted States, ana to
myself The grounds assumed BY the President
in his late Message to Congress. and in his re-
cent instructions in connection with the events
transpiring here and in Kansas, admonish that,
as Governor of that Territory, it will no longer
be in my power to preserve peace or promote the
public welfare. At the earnest solicitation of
the President, after repeated refusals, the last
being In writing, / finally accepted this Office
upon his letter showing the dangersand difficult
ties of the Kansas question and the necessity Of
nv undertaking the task Of its adjustment.
Under these circumstances, notwithstanding
the great sacrifices to me, personal, political and
pecuniarv, I felt that could no more refuse
such call from nv country, through her Chief
Magistrate, than soldier in battle, who is or
derei 10 command forlorn hnre. I accepted,
however, on the EXPRESS condition that should
advocate the submission nf the Constitution to
vote of the peorle for ratification or rejection
These views we're clearly understood by the
President and all his Cabinet. They were dis
tinctly set forth in my letter Of acceptance OF
this office on the 26th of March last, and rciter
ated in nv inaugural address on the 9th of
Nav last. as follows: "Indeed, can't doubt
that the Convention, after having passed State
Constitution, will submit it for ratification or re-
lection by majority of the. bona .tide resident
settlers OF Kansas"
With these views well known to the President
and Cabinet and approved by them. accepted
the apointment Ex-Governor ofKansas. Myin-
structions from the President through the Sec
retary of State, under date Of the 18th March
last. sustain the regular Legislature of the Ter
ritorv in assembling a Convention to form
Constitution. and they express the opinion of
the President that when such Constitution
shall be submitted to the people ofthe Terrific
~, they must be protected in the exercise of
their right of voting for or against that instru-
meut. The fair EXPRESSION Of the popular will
must not he interrupted nv fraud or violence
repeated. then, ne nv clear conviction, that
unless she. Convention should submit the Con-
st;tui;on ~ The votes Of the actual resident set
ticrs of K lnsas. anil the election he fairly and
iustly conducted. the Constitution will be and
ought TO be rejected by Congress.
The Inaugural most distinctly asserted thatit
was not the question Of slavery, merely, which
believed to be Of little practical importance,
then, in its application n Kansas. but the entire
constitution, which should be submitted to the
people for ratification or election.
After quoting from the Presidents inaugural,
Gov. Walker refers as follows to his course as
Governor Of Kansas. and it, good effects:
1.-THE power and responsibility being devolvsd
exclusively upon me nv the PresideRh of using
the Federal army in Kansas to SOS inSur-
rection, the alternative was distinctly presented
to me. by questions proponded at Topeka, efar-
resting revolution by the slaughter of the people,
or Of preventing it, together with that Of civil
war, which must have extended throughout the
Union. NV solemn assurance was then given
that the right of the people to frame their own
government, so far as my power extended,
should be maintained; and but for this assurance,
it is a conceded fact that the Topeka State Gov
eminent, then assembled in legislative sessions,
would have been put into immediate and actual
operation, and that sanguinary collision with
the Federal army, and civil war, must have en-
sued, extending, it is feared, throughout the
Union. Indeed, the whole idea Of an inaugural
address originated in the alarming intelligence
which had reached Washington City of perilous
and ineipient rebellion in Kansas. This insur-
rection was rendered more formidable on my
reaching the Territory by the near approach Of
the assembling the revolutionary State Legs
lature, and the, very numerous mass couven-
tons by which it was sustained. In truth,
had to choose between arresting that insurrec-
ton BY whatever cost of American blood by the
Federal army, or to prevent the terrible catas-
trophe, as Ibid. by my pledges to the people Of
the exertioE Of all nv power to obtain q fair
election by the vote ofthe peOplefOr MITIGATION
orrejectiou. Ny InaaguAl and other addresses
we're. therefore. really in the nature Of proeia-