The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1858-02-16
Manifesto Of Exc Governor Etnnton.l
A TRUTHFUL EXPOSE OF KANSAS
AFFAIHHs

4
ToTHE PEOPLE OF THE UNifED STATES
| Having been recently removed from the
office Of Secretary of Karsas Territory, un-
der circumstances which imply severe CEN
sure Oh the part Of the President, and
having had no official information Of my
removal, nor any opportunity for cxpla-
nation or defence, have deemed il neces.
sary to present to the People # the Uni
ted States a brief stat ment Of tho facts
in yindieation Of the act for which have
been condemned.
| The office in question was not given al
my solicitation. NV acceptance Of it, un.
der all tho circumstances, was a proof of
strong friendship for the President, and of
unbounded confidence in the firmness and
fathfulness with which he would adhere
to the line of policy deliberately agreed
upon between him, his whole Cabinet,
and Gov Walker. .r -'.a '
On my arrival in the Territory in April
last, in advance of Gov. Walker, | con
frss thacd had an imperfect knowledge of
the real condition of affairs. / supposed
the question of slavery to be the only cause
of dlssension and difficulty among the pco-
! pic; and IN my brief inaugural address Of
the l7th April, | treated this as the chief
subject of difference upon which subms-
son to the people would he likely to be
demanded. soon found, however, that
this view was altogether too limited, and
did not reach the true ground of controver-
| sy. The great mass of inhabitants of
the Territory were dissatisfied with the To-
cal government, and earnestly denied the
validity of tho existing laws. Asserting
that the previous Legislature had been
forced upon them by the fraud and vio.,
lence OF a ncighborng people, they pro-
claimed their determination never to submit
to the enactmcnts of legislative bodies thus
believed t. be Legitimate and not entitled
to obedience,
This was the condition Of things when
Gov. Walker came to tho Territory, in the
latter part Of May. 1t was evident that
the just policy of permitting the people TO
regulate their own affairs could not be suc
cessfuIly carried out, unless they could be
inspircp with confidence in the agents of
Government through whom this result
was to be effected. Ifa mere minority Of
the i,cople had been thus dissatis6od and
contumacious, they might possibly have
been pronounced factious and treated MS
distmbcrs of the peace; but whcs the dis
satisfaction was general, comprising almost
the whole people, more respectful con-
sldern,ion was indispensable TO pcac, able
adjustment. 1t was evident that the pol
icy Of reprcssion--a rigid attempt to en-
force submission without any effort at con
clliation-wuuld inevitably result in re
newal of the civil war. With cor n,rnda.
bi"anSlcty TO avoid this contingency, Gov.
TO listen TO thclr complaints, TO give them
assurance Of a fair aud just administration
of the Territorial government, and to in.
duce thcm if possible, to abandon their
hostility, aHd TO enter upon the peaceful
but decisive Struggle Of the ballot box. /
was often with the GovcInor when he adj
dressed the people, and gave my best ef.
forts in aid of the great rurrose of corcil.
iation.
1t WAS too late to induce the people to
90 into the June election for delegates TO
the Convention. The registration require
by law had been imperfect in ali the
counties, and had been wholly omitted in
onH-liaIt OF them; nor could the people of
these disffalchioed counties vote in any ad.
JHccnt county, as has len falsely sug-
gestcd In such Of them ms subSeoucn-
lly took census Of registry Of their own,
the delegates chosen were moi admitted TO
seats in the Convention. rthclcss il Is
not to be denied that the great ceunai fact,
which controlled the whole case, was thc
utter want of confidence by the people in
the-whole machinery of the Territorial
Government. They alledgcd that The lo
cal officers, in al nslaccs, were urscru
puous pariiSans, who had previously &c.
iraudcd them III the elections, and who
were ready TO repeat the same outrapcs
again; that, even if nt,udc,s from abroad
should not be permitted to over-power
them, they would be cheated by false re.
turns, which / would not be possible for
the Governor or Secretary TO defeat. AL |
though at that time these apprchcusions
seemed to me to be prcposperous and un.
founde, it was impossible to deny the
oarnestncss and sincerity with which they
were urged, CT to doubt that they were
the result of deep convictions, having
their origin in some previous experience of
nature.
The worst portion of the small minority
IN Kansas, who had possession of the Terri.
torial organization, loudly and bitterly
complained of Gov. Well er's policy Of
and demanded the opposite
policy of repression. Aud when, under
The solemn assurances given that the cleo
tions should be fairly conducted, and no
frauds which we could reach, be counten-
nnccd or tolerated, it had become a. pa
rent that the mass Of the people were pre-.
pared and determined to participate in the
October elections, the minority endeav.
'rcd TO defeat the result by rcviving the
AK qualification for electors, which had
been repealed ,,y the previous Legislature.
Opinions were obtained from high legal
ourccs, the effect of which, had they pre.
Vailed, would have been 10 exclude the
'eopic from voting, to retain the control