Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1858-01-02
Acceptance of Gov. Walkers
Resignation.

The President, on last Friday, in re-
sponso 10 q resolution of the Senate, trans
mtied 10 that body q mass Of public
documents with reference to the Territory
of Kansas.
The following letter is among the papers,
accepting the resignation of Gov. Walker;
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, Dec. Is, 1857.
SIR; On Wednesday last / received
your communication of tho 18th inst, ten
dering your resignation as Governor of
Kansas This resignation is accompanied
by 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 to the instructions of the Presi-
dent of the United States should pursue
this unusual course, aud thus place On the
files of the appropriate department criticisms
on the policy of the administration, no
person knows better than yourself to what
consequences this might lead. The de-
partment must either cause charges aud
arguments against the President to be filed
among the public archives Of the country
without contradiction or reply, or it must
spend the time which ought to be devoted
to the public service in controversies with
subordinate officers who may disapprove
the Presidents policy. Whilst duty, there
fore, lorbids me to enter into controversial
discussion with you on the various topics
embraced by your argument, it is proper
that | should make a remark upon a single
point -
You state that the President has changed
his policy in regard to Kansas. And why
this allegation Simply because the con-
yention 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 sub
mitted the all.important and dangerous
question of slavery, which threatened to
convulse the Union, and was alone promi-
nent il the minds of the people throughout
every State, he had not treated the sub
mission of this momentous question as
mere nullity.
Under these circumstances, it was his
imperative duty, and this in strict confor-
nifty with previous instructions, to take
care that fair election should be held on
this vital question, and thus give peace to
the Union. lad he acted in any other
manner merely because be preferred the
submission of the constitution originally to
the people, his responsibility would have
been of the gravest character. He never
intended or expressed the opinion that the
convention were bound 10 submit any por-
ton of the constitution to tho people,
except the question of slavery, much less
that that portion of the constitution would
be invalid without such submission.
Had he entertained such an opinion this
would have been in opposition to the
numerous precedents which have occurred
since the adoption of the federal CO stitution
by the different States. The question Of
slavery was the all. absorbing question, aud
you were sent to Kansae with the full
confidence of the President to carry out
the principles of the Kansas Nebraska act.
With the question whether Kansas was to
he free or slave State yu were not to
Interfere, You were to secure to the
people of Kansas free and fair election
to decide this question for themselves. The
President was, therefore, happy to learn
from your dispatches to this department
of the 18th Of July last, that in all your
speeches you rcfrained from expressing
any opinion as to whether Kansas should
| be slave or n free State,
l am instructed to inform you that youl
resignation ol the Office of Governor o.
Kansas has been accepted.
| am, sir, your obedient servant,
LEWIS CASS.
Hon, RobT. j. WALKER, Washington.