Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1858-02-11

Nr. SIA.NION,S ADD 4 ESS
TO TUE PEOPLE Or THE UNITED sT.TIs.

Having been recently removed from the office OF
Secretary Of kansas Territory, under circumstances
which imply ceusure the part of the Prcsi
dent, and hNing had no official inforsration Of my
removal, nor any opportunity for explanation or
defence have deemed it necessary to present TO
the People ofthc United Sites brief stltemcnt
OF fcs in vindicaticn of ms motives and in expla.
nation of the resul of the act for which have
been condemned.
The Office in question was not given atmy solii-
taticn. NV acceptance of il under I'll the circum
anccs, was proof of strong friendship for the
President, and Of unbounded c)nhdcnce'n the firm-
uess and faithfulncss with which he would adhere
to the ne vi policy deliberately agreed upon between
him, his whole Cabinet, and Gov. Walker.
On nav arrival in the Territory in April last, in
advance of Gov. Walker, confess that had an
imperfect knowledge Of the real condition OF aflirs
su=poscd the question of Slavery to be the only
c ,use of dsscnson and difficulty among the people;
and, in my brief Inaugural address ofthe 18th OF
April, treated this a. the chief sabjcct OF differ
ence upon which a submission 10 the people would
be likely TO be demanded. ! soon found, however
that this view was altogether too limited, and did
not reach the true ground Of controversy. The
great mass of the inhabitants Of the Territory were
Iii satisfied with the LOCI Government and earnest
IN denied the yali.tr of the existing laws. Assert
ing that the previous Legislatures had been forced
up II them by the fiaudan1 violence of a neighbsr-
ing people, they proclaimed their determination
never to submit to the cnactments OF LEGISLATIVE
bodies thusbecvcd to be ilicgiamatc' andnos Gnu
tied TO obedience. .ssssia.E =
This was the condition OF things when Gov. Wal
kcr me TO the Territory in the latter part Of May
Il was evident that the just policy OF permitting the
people to regulate their own a3flirs corid not be
su cess ycarrcd out, unless they could beinsprcd
with confidence in the agents OF Government
through whom this result was to be effected II a
mere minority OF :he people had been thas disstis
fed ami eontumacious, they might possibly have
been pronounced factions, and treated disturbers
of the DC ice but when the dissatisfaction gcncr
al, comprising almost the whole people. arnorc re.
s,ectu CO.'S dcration was Indispensable to peace.
iul adjustment. 1t was cvidept that the poicy of
reprcsson--a rigid attempt to enforce Submission,
without an effort at nc;liaaion-woud inevitably
result in the renewal Of the civil war. With com
mendable anxiety to avoid this contingency, Gov.
Walker resolved to 60 among the people, V listen
TO their complaints to give them assurance Of fair
and just administration of the Territorial Govern
ment. and to induce them, il possible, to abandon
their hostility and to enter upon the peaccfhl but
decisive struggle Of the ballotboxs i Was ofen
with the Governor when he addressed the people
and gave my best efforts in aid Of the great purpose
of conciIiation. z. i1t'c 2 AZ - q 81 2
TWAS too late 10 induce the people 10 90 into the
juno election for delegates o. the Contensjon.-
The registration required by law had been impaired
in all the counties. and had been uholly omitted ID
one half Of them: nor could che people Of these dis
ranchised counties vote in any adjacent county, a
had been falsely saggeeted. hsuoh Of them - sub
sequently took census or registry Of their own the
delegates chosen were mt admitted 70 sea1s in On
Convention. Nevertheless, Is i nor to be denicd
that che great central fact. which controlled the
whole case, was the ptter want If ton6donco By ths
people in the whole machinery a the Territorial
Government. They alleged thas de local ollcers,
in snins3nea. were an:crupulou' Psrsisans. Who