Show THE presidents REPLY washington CITY august 1 I 1 GENTLEMEN on my recent return to this city after a fortnights fort nights absence your memorial without date was placed in my hands bands through the agency of mr horatio king of the post office offic e department to whom it had been entrusted from the distinguished source whence it proceeds as well as s its peculiar character I 1 have deemed it proper to depart from my general rule in such cases and to give it an answer you first assert that the fundamental principle of the constitution of the fhe united states tates and of our political institutions is that the people shall make their own laws and elect their own rulers yoi you then express your sour grief and astonishment thata that I 1 should have v violated this principle and through I 1 1 gove governor nor walker have employed an army lone one purpose of which is to force the people of kansas to obey laws not their own wn nor of the united states but laws which it is notorious A and established upon evidence they never made and rulers they never elected I 1 andas andaas arld arid as a corollary from the foregoing you r represent I 1 ei that I 1 am tc openly held field up and proclaimed I 1 to the geat gleat derogation 11 of our national ii I 1 i character as violating in its ita most essential parti particular I 1 qular t the he solemn oath which the president i has bas taken to support the constitution of this union i I 1 thes The delare elare havy beav ir charges charkes proceeding from gentlemen of conr high t chat char charatz charat tr and if well vell found founded e dought V fought to consign my name toia tola to infamy famy but proportion mic Uit to their gravity common jus justice 61 ice iee 4 to 1 it W say ky nothing of christian charity chanty required that before making them you should have ave clearly ascertained that they were well founded if not they will reba re aund with withering erin erid condemnation upon their authors iia lia have nave ila ve you performed this preliminary duty towards the man who however unworthy is the chief hie f magistrate of your country it so either cither you or I 1 are laboring under a strange delusion should this prove prave jo to be your case it will pre sent a memo memorably memorable rahl rahi e example of the tae truth that political prejudice is blind even to the existence of the plainest plain pst and i most mosi no st palpable bistor I 1 lical ical facts ta these fact bacs s let us its refer when centered upon the duties of the presidential office oil on the ath of march last what was wa s the conditi condition orl of kansas this territory 1 had been 0 organized r gan zed wed under the act of cony Conr congress ress of soth at may a y I 1 1854 and the g government 1 in all its branches was as ill in full operation A governor G overn 1 secretary of or the territory chief justice JH Al stice two associate justices a marshal marshai and district attorney had been appointed by my predecessor de cessor by a and nd with lith the advice and consent f the senate and were w ire are all engaged in discharging their respective duties A code of laws had been enacted by tb the tho territorial legisla ture and the judiciary were wera employed in expounding and carrying these laws lawo into effect it t is quite true that a controversy harl hab previously arisen respecting the villi validity lity ot of the election of members of the territorial legislature and I 1 of the laws I 1 passed by bv them bat at the time I 1 entered upon my official duties congos had i recognized 1 this his I legislature Legi lature in Terent different dlf dif forms ard avd ai d by different differ mt enactments the delegate elected to the house of cepres enta ilves tives under a territorial law 1 iw had just completed hr his term of service on the day previous ions ious to my inaugural tim tun in fact I 1 found the government of kansas as well established as that of any other i territory under these circumstances what was my dut duly P was it noto sustain the k government ern ment to protect it from the vio violence lenge of rude ruie lawless la less men mho who ho were determined deter mingil either IQ rule ruie or ruing to prevent tit it from being turned by foice force in in the language of the gon oon institution to take care that the laws be faith fil fui il ay executed PI it was for this purpose and this ihla alone that I 1 ordered a military force to kansas to act as a posse comitatus comita tua in n aiding the civil magh magl magistrate to carry t the tha 1 hal haj laws I 1 in into t 0 execution ec ee elution ution tile the condition of the tho tiff tili arb ars twy toy tj at the time which I 1 need not par portray tray iray re rendered this precaution absolutely necessary lathis state i of allaire affairs would I 1 not have been juilly con defied demi ed had I 1 left the marshal marshai and other ars rs of a like character impotent ti to execute the process and judgments of courts of justice established by congress 1 or by the territorial legislature tinder under aist its express authority and thus have suffered differed the government govern men t its itself elf to become an object of bontem contempt t in the eyes of the people and yet this is u tat you designate as forcing the people of kannasto Kan sasto oboy obey laws not their own nor of the united stated states 3 and for bloing which you have hava danou denounced iced me as having violated my solemn oath I 1 ask what else could I 1 have done or oi ought ht I 1 to have done I 1 woul woud you have desired cre sired atiat I 1 should abandon ab andon the territorial functioned as it had been by Con cod congress geik geis to illegal violence and thus renew the scenes of civil war and bloodshed which every patriot in the country had deplored d d this would indeed have ave are been to V violate my oath of sice office if and to ax a damning mot hot t lot on the character of my administration g I 1 most cheerfully admit adroit that tint the necessity for sending a military force to kansas to aid in iki the of the tho civil law reflects no credit upon the character of our country but let the blame fall upon the beads of the guilty whence did this necessity arise A portion of the people of kansas unwilling ipg to trust to the ballot box bom the certain american remedy for fon the redress of all gril grievances evancek undertook to create an independent government for thein them selves had this attempt proved successful ic it would of course have subverted the exi existing stin government prescribed and recognized by congress and substituted a revolutionary dovirn government in 16 its stead this ilai was a usurp usurpation atlon of the same character as it would be for a portion of the people of connecticut to undertake to establish a separate government within its chartered lini ilni limits its for the purpose of re redressing dressin any grievance real or imaginary of which they might have complained against the legitimate state government suc sue such a principle if carried into execution would destroy all lawful authority and produce universal anarchy I 1 ought to specify more particularly a condition of affairs which I 1 have embraced only in general terms requiting the presence of a military force in kansas the congress of the tiie IT united 11 1 ted states had most wisely declared it to be the he true intent and arid meaning of this ibis act the act organizing the territory not riot to legislate slavery into any territory or state nor to exclude it but to leave the people thereof perfectly free to form and regulate their domestic institutions in their own way subject only to the constitution of the united states As a natural consequence cone quence congress lias has also prescribed by the same act that when the territory of kansas shall ba be admitted as a state it shall be received into the union with or without slavery as their constitution ution may prescribe at the time of their admission 1 I 1 slavery existed at that period and still exists in karsas katsas kar kai sas under lle lie the constitution of the united states this point has at last been finally settled I 1 by y the highest tribunal known to our laws how it it could coti coil id ever have b bren eli ell seriously doubted is isa a afia if a confederation of so vertin eim elm states acq aca acquire aire anew a new naw territory tory at the expense of their common blood arld and treasure surely one set of the partners can have no right to exclude the tile other from is enjoyment by prohibiting prohibit 1119 thein finay final taking i into info it 11 whatever js 3 recognized to be property by the tile common constitution llon lion but when wilen lle ile lie the people the bona fide residents of such territory proceed jo to frame a state slate constitution then it is their right light to decide the important question for themselves whether they will continue modify or abolish slavery to tern them and bothem to them alone alone does this question belong free from froni all foreign interference fe relice in the opinion of tile the territorial legislature of lansa kansas theotime the time had arrived for entering the e U union mon won and arid they decor accordingly passed a law jaw to elect ael del gates for the pu i pose ae framing a state constitution this law was fair and just juit in its provisions it conferred the right of suffrage on every bona fide inhabitant of the teri terl 1 I 1 territory and for foi the purpose of preventing fraud frand and ana t the ie intrusion of citizens of near or distant states most properly confined this right to those who had resden therein three months previous to the election deetion dec tion here a full opportunity was presented for all ali tile the qualified resident citizens of the territory Terr itoi itol y to whatever organization baniz atlon they might have previously belon belou belong belonged gd pd to participate in the tile el election ebion and to express melr their opinions at the ballot bailot box on tile the qi question estion of slavery but numbers of lawless men still continue i t to rel res resist clet lle ile lie file regular territorial go erato nt they refus refused ed either elther r to be regist registered red ot 01 to vole vote and am tl tile members of tile the convention wre wore eleeta eie elt h gully e and properly pro perl peri without their anfe demion the convention will sona soja soon assemble to perform the solemn elemn duty 0 E framing a for ille file then selves and their posterity and in the tho til st ite of incipient which still exit in K anses it is my imperative duty to employ lle ile lie tile ti oops of lim ike tilo lie united luniw slate slates should this bec becan jn ii cussary i le ef fending ending tile the convention ag against dit mit i ioe loe oppe ce whilst framing tile tiie constitution a abid iid in pi electing the llie bona fide inhabitants quai fiad to voe vote under the provisions provision of lh ase of the right of suffrage when wen it s ja ni be submitted to thain App approbato robat on oi 01 ri ejection jec dec action tion I 1 have entire entine in go pm wall wail walker that tile the troops lii will ill not be he employed except excel t t resist actual it gre cre or in the tiie ex cotlon of till the lairs laws and this not until the tiie powe of or tile the cv I 1 magistrate hall shall prove unavailing F fill 11 winf ving vine the wise example of ajr jr madison lowar lowarl ithe hir nir llord convention illegal aid ald dal dar roua tilds such h as that of lle the lie topeka cw cia cin tion tiou will disturbed unless they shail shall atter kemt te opt mt to per pur form boma soma act which will wll brin bring thein them i 0 o actus collision with ill ili the constitution in all ali and lle ile tie lews 11 in that even event they be resist ani an put dow down 11 by the whole power of the he g ovel urgent I 1 in n perform ing this thia dutye duty I 1 shall bave have the app n of my my own conscience and as us I 1 humbly chumbl trust trus of m my y god I 1 thank you for the assurance that von you will not t refrain from t the lie lle prayer that god evl make my administration an ex edine ed arnle lne of just justice ice lee and beneficence you youcan toucan can greatly gi adist me in arriving at this ble bie bleed ed consummation by exerting your influence iffla nce nee in allaying the exist it sectional I 1 excitement on the subject ct of slav advy y which lis ils been productive of much evil and uia no good antl anil I 1 which if il it could succeed in attaining its object j would ruin the slave as well wll as his master ms m aster ter TJ 1 I would be a work of f genuine philanthropy i j every day of may ray v life I 1 feel f ee I 1 how inadi quata I 1 am to perform the duties of my mv high stion wit i I 1 out ile lle lie the continued support of dili lit el providence yet placing my trust rust in him and in him alone I 1 entertain a good hope that lie will eirl a bie ble me to do equal justice to all portions of the union and thus render reader me a humble instrument in restoring restoria peace and harmony har ninny among the people beope of til the e several youn your very respectfully v J JAMES AMES BUCHANAN |