The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-12
LETTER FRoM GoYERNoR DENvrR.
From theNew York Joamsl Of eommercs-l

From theNew York Joarnsl o. eommcrcel
The New York Tribune having published an article on
Kansas affairs September 10th, which contained several
gross mssatcments 10 the action OF Governor Denver
aud President Buchanan the governor addressed the fol-
lowing courteous letter to the editors Of the Tribune
correcting their errors but they had not the fairness
print it, Under these circumstances the gentleman 10
whom ii sent for transmission to the Tribune has
handed II to us, and we checrully lay II before
readers h 0h 0s " ~ #t
a Lrconros, x. T., Sept, 80, 1858.
10 As Editors Of dle Men York Tribune eas6
GESrEmns My attention has been called to an article
In reference 10 Kansas affairs published in ycur Daily Of
the 10th nst and Tr Weekly Of tho 2lst in which you
suggest that had probably been compelled by the ad
mnstraon 10 resign the post have held here for
months past and that supposton you proceed to make
serious charges against Mr. Buchanan and his adj
minstraon for all of which there not the slightest
foundation tits true that have resigned the Office OF gov
ernor of Kansas but it act Of my free will The
President desired to remain but the condition Of my
private affairs would permit me to doso longer In June
last up my resignation to take effect In August
but while in Washington in july Mt the urgent solci
ations of many persons interested in Kansas and also
at the request Of the President then withdrew it for
the time being. Those who are conversant with the
facts know that it has been with extreme reluctance
that have remained here from the FIRST and that
have always declared my intention to resign the Office
Of governor it could be done with safety to
the public interests. l have received the most ample
Territory by the President and all the members of his
cabinet and here must be permitted to say that in all
my conversations with the President about Kansas affairs
he has always manifested the deepest concern for the
peace and happiness Of the country and determination
that the people of the Territory should have fair oppor
tuny at the baotbox to settle the questions at issue be-
fore them in their own way, and without any exane
Influences Such has been tho character Of all his
communications to me, whether verbal written and
while endeavorng to carry them out in good aith Ihavo
met with opposition from the moderate Of tho
slavery men. 4@M
The frauds perpetated at the election In january last
committed by the violent and nnscrupuo,s Of
all parties, and the investigation of them partisan
and partial Such acts the forging OF the returns
Delaware Crossing paraded before the public with
great gusto while the destruction Of the balotbox and
ballots at Sugar Mound by Captain Montgomery
passed by in silence. The actors in all these transactions
ought have been severely punished, but there
laws that would reach them and the late Legislative
sembly which all freeState, made sufficient laws
meet such in the future but endcayorcd TO par
aze the powers of the circuit courts and invest tho pro-
bate courts with powers they could not exercise. You
admit that things have gone here quietly under my
administration This Is not exactly correct There have
been distubances in Donphan, Leavenworh, Linn
and Bourbon countless and in every the disturbances
have been produced by persons calling themselves free
State men, In Doniphan county an effort was mnde to
assassnate the gentlemen who electad to tho egs
lature the first Monday in January last and although
they escaped with their lives they plundered of
their property, and their houses burned. No steps
have been taken to punish the perpetrators and yet
all the county officers We're freesState men. The
troubles in Leavenworth City continued nearly all
winter and If the mayor and other city officers did
not encourage them, they certainly took
to have them suppressed. In Linn and Bourbon
ties all was quiet until Montgomery and his band
commenced plundering and driving off the people who
differed with them in political sentiments in the course
of which they committed some most outrageous acts
one of which to drive farmer away from his
hoe pain OF death, and then to take the ladies of
his family strip off all their clothing and in that
dition compel them to walk backwards and forwards
for their amusement l passed through the counties
where these outrages pcrpetrated and for 80
miles it presented such of desoation as never
expected to have secn and hope again to sec in
country inhabited by American citizens. Is it any
wonder that the people on whom such outragcs were
pcrpetratcd should become exasperated Some three
hundred families thus robbed OF their property,
driven away from their homes, and compelled to fly
from their Territory. About two-thirds Of them from
Linn county, where every local officer was and il
free State man. after providing places OF security for
their families, some Of the men, maddened and despe-
rate with the treatment they had received returned to
seek revenge, and pcrpetated the bloody and unjust
fable net of the Maras des Cygnes This followed,
on the part of Montgomery, by setting fire to the
town Of Fort Scott, in the middle Of the night, while
the people all asleep and then pouring in volleys
Of rifle balls to prevent the people from extngushng
the flames Although serious consequences resulted
from this act though several persons escaped very mar
rowly, yet in its inception, know Of nothing worse In
the whole history Of Kansas If such act had been
committed by band Of hostile Indians 1t would have
sent thrill Of horror throughout the whole country
Such have been of the troubles in this Territory,
and yet the perpetrators running Mt large without
effort to arrest them in counties where the free State
men have all the local officers, upheld by portion of
those calling themselves free State men, among the
active Of whom have been the hired reporters of
the eastern newspaper press any further disturbances
occur in this Territory these the people who will be
justly responsible for them. The proslavcry party
abandoned the contest. The free State men have
majority in every county in the Territory, and they
have the sheriff and all other local officers in all but two
three of the counties and there no county In which
the sheriff cannot preserve the peace he desires b do
You make another complaint against the President,
that he has twice postponed the sales Of the public lands
If mistake not last spring you complained because the
sales not ordered for July The first postponement
made at the urgent solicitation of the people In all parts
the Territory and anxious they to have tdone
that they sent committee of three 10 tho Pres
dent the subject and the result of their interview
published by you. The second postponement more
necessary than the first, for money had become
in the Territory the rates Of interest had gone up
to Ave and ten per cent per month and there good
deal of sickness throughout the whole country BY nd
herring to the second order for the sales to take place in
November the settler would be placed at the mercy OF
tho money lender when to postpone it the settler would
have another year within which to obtain the means to
homc without having to give away one half OF
his land for the money with which to enter the other half
No good government would knowingly impose such terms
on her citizens and hence the second postponcmcnt of
the land sales until July next was measure demand
ed by the condition of affairs here and Of which have
heard complain except such as were determined
10 lie dissatisfied with ANYTHING and everything the adj