Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-01-01
.-.......ee of f.axer,,or yyalkerss Reslgnat,on.

ace..taree or Governor walkers Resignation.
On Wednesday, the 23d inst, the President, in re-
spopse to resolution of the Senate Transmitted to that
BODY mass of public documents with reference to the
Territory Of Kansas.
The following letter. accepting the resignation OF Gov
Walker, is among the papers :
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, December Is, 1851.
SIR On Wednesday last received your communl-
cation of the 18th inst, rendering your resignation as
governor of Kansas This resignation is accompanied
Rv long argument on the affairs of the Territory, to
which YOU are well aware it would be improper for the
department to reply If any officer of the government
who feels himself constrained to refuse obedience 10 the
instructions of the President of the United States should
pursue this unusual course and thus place ON the MES OF
the appropriate department criticisms on the poncy OIL
the administration no person knows better than your
self to what consequences this might lead Inc Depart
ment must either charges and arguments against
the President to be filed among the public arenVes OF
the country without contradiction or reply or II mu
spend the time which ought to be devoted to the public
service in controversies with subordinate officers who
NAV dsapprove the Presidents policy. Whilst duty
therefore forbds to enter into controversial discus
sion with you the various topics embraced by your
argument, it is proper that should make remark
on single point.
You state that the President has changed his policy
in regard to Kansas And why this allegation Simply
because the convention of Kansas had In the exercise OF
the right belonging to them decided that they would not
submit the whole constitution to the people, and although
they had submitted the a[important and dangerous
question of slavery which threatened to convulse the
Unon and alone prominent in the minds of the peo-
pie throughout every State he had not treated the sub
mission of this momentous question as mere nudity
Under these circumstances, it was his imperative duty
and this in strict conformity with previous Instructions
to take care that fair election should be held this
vital question: and thus give peace to the Union Had
he acted any other merely because he preferred
the submission of the constitution originally to the PEG
ple his responsibility would have been OF the gravest
character He never intended expressed the opinion
that the convention bound to submit any portion
of the constitution to the people, except the question Of
slavery much less that that portion of the constitution
would be invalid without such submission.
Had he entertained such opinion this would have
been in opposition to the precedents which
have occurred since the adoption of the federal constu
ton by the different States. The question of slavery
was the all absorbing question: and you sent tc
Kansas with the full confidence Of the President to carry
out the principles of the KansasNebraska act. Will
the question whether Kansas to be free slave
State you not to interfere You to secure
the people of Kansas free and fair election to decide
this question for themselves The President was, there
FORE happy to learn from your dispatches to this depart
men of the 18th of July last that in all your speeches
you rerncd from expressing any opinion as to whether
Kansas should be slave free State
am instructed to inform you that your resignation
the Office of governor of Kansas has been accepted.
| | am, sir, your obedient servant, LEWIS CASS.
Hon. ROBERT j. WALKER, Washington.