Letter from Gov. Boeder to 3ec : y Marcy.
RHAWXKK ME -ON. K. T.. Jcge "-U, l*j". - |
To the Hon. ll'm. L. Mat -j, Secretary of Mute, j
ii.glon :
bin : As.l promised in my brief note of the j
13th ir.st,. from Nov York, 1 avail myself of i
the first opportunity to reply to your letter of i
tin- 12th. That letter mentions as cause of i
complaint against me in opinion of the Presi-1
dent, "purchases of Kansashaif-breodreserva- j
lions, made bv me in the Territory of Kansas," l
and also " other speculations in lands of the i
Territory of Kansas, apparently in violations
of Acts of Congress and of regulations of the
Departments and at the same time invite
any explanation which I may desire to give iu
regard to the character and extent of the tran
sactions above referred to. and particularly the
matters referred to in the letter of G. W. Clark,
Indian Agent, dated May 8, 1855.
I am thus put upon my defence to two sepa
rate charges: first, the purchase of half-breed
Kansas lands ; and secoudly, other speculations
in laud? of the Territory, apparently in viola
tions of acts of Congress and regulations of the
Departments. The very general manner in
which the charges are stated, the entire ab
sence of any specification on which to make a
point or raise an issue, and the omission to
state in what particular the President sees any
wrong to have oeen committed, and what act
of Congress or regulation of the Department
have been violated, are matters of regret and
embarrassment to me, because they preclude
confidence in the pertiuence of my reply.
I need not inform so eminent a jurist as your
self how impossible it is on matters of crimina
tion and defence to attain justice and truth
without a distinct and equivocal specilii ation
of the charge on the one side and a direct,
full and pointed answer to it on the other. In
the absence of these, parties may wander in side
issues, departures, evasions and uncertainties,
without ever reaching a conclusion ; and 1
therefore, with the highest respect, take the
Kberty of railing your attention to this feature
of your letter, as a full apology for myself in
case I shall engage in the discussion of matters
which the President may not consider in issue,
or shall not be sulficiently full and certain in
speaking of the point in which ho sees the
wrong.
In relation to the first charge, of purchase of
half-breed Kansas lauds, I have to say that I
have purchased no such lands at all. With
others, I have agreed to purchase them incase
the contemplated purchase shall receive the
sanction and approbation of the President ;
and this, in my opinion, is a material and sub
stantial difference. Until the President, by
his approbation, and the venders by the execu
tion of their deeds, consummate the contract,
it precludes us from any interest in the land,
and even the privilege of entering upon or pos
sessing it. Venders and vendees until then j
preserve all their rights unchanged and unaf- j
fected ; and if the President shall not assent
to the contracts, it will bo the same as though ,
they had never been made. If there is any- j
thing wrong in the matter, it is not a wrong •
committed, but at most only a wrong attemp-!
ted, and in the face of all probability a wrong :
which we expected to be sanctioned by the j
President.
The papers wore submitted by us to the Pre-1
sident on the day of January last for hisap- i
proval, and as the Government lias been for ,
years in the habit of approving similar con- |
tracts, we did not apprehend any difficulty j
whatever. Tiicy were referred to the Indian
Bureau and the Commissioner reported ad
versely to tho confirmation, alleging that the
venders had no right to sell, that there was no
evidence of their competence to manage their i
own affairs, that there was no evidence pro
duced by u of the value of the land, that the j
transaction had not been brought to the no- j
tice of the Indian Agent, that no certificate !
was presented to the President to prove the I
official character of an officer whom the Pre- j
sident had appointed, and that the purchase
money (which was to be paid in cash when the ,
deed was made) had not been sufficiently so- j
cured, and that in the opinion of the Commis- i
siouer the contract was demoralizing and dis- j
graceful.
Whether this In-t reason was based upon
the assumption of actual fraud in the contract,
or on the Commissioner's idea that public offi
cers had no right to purchase, I confess I have j
never been able, after careful examination of
the report, to discover. On receiving this re
port the President, on the day of January,
without rejection or approval, ordered the pa
pers to be returned, doubtless with a view to
enable us to supply the formal delieienccs de
mauded by the business regulations of the De
partments, of which we had been ignorant.—
We inferred, of course, that the last reason
above was not concurred in by the Presi
dent, or he would at once have disapproved
the contracts and terminated the whole pro
ceedings.
We proceeded to supply the formal deficien
cies, and iu the beginning of May last, again
laid the papers before the President with an
argument and brief from myself, to prove by
the opinions of Attorneys-General and the de
cisions of the Supreme Court, that the venders
had a right to sell depositions proving their
identity—their competency to manage their
own affairs, and the value of the land—proof
that the matter had been brought to the no
tice of the Indian Agent, and that lie had
made no objections, to which T add now my
own assertion, that I distinctly stated to him
that we had agreed to purchase one tract, and
would endeavor to contract for others ; andal
tho' Mr. Clark denies, in a general way, that
the matter was brought before him, he is con
tradicted by my allegation and the deposition
of a disinterested witness.
These papers were not acted on by the Pre
sident up to the 25th of May, and I have no
knowledge that they have been acted on up to
this time. To the matters contained in their
and my letters of April 1, 1855, to Commis
sioner Manypcnny, which the President inform
ed me had read, I have but little to add, unless
mv attention shall be called to some particular
point. We know that the vendors were en
tirely competent to manage their own affairs,
and would have the aid of the President in
doing so. We know that the transaction was
honorable and fair throughout, free from all
fraud and deceit ; we believed they had the
right to sell, and we believe so still; and al
though it is possible we may be mistaken in
this particular, yet we would not be guilty of
so much disrespect to the President as to be
lieve that he would consider such an error
cause of removal. We also believed that we
had the same right to boy as any other indi
vidual, provided the transaction was a fair one,
and marked by uo imposition, deceit, or fraud.
We have already shown that the transaction
was marked by fair and honerable dealing
throughout, and that the vendors had ample
opportunity for consultation and deliberation
for this I refer to the depositions now be^
fore the President, if the President is not]
satisfied on this point, I earnestly request that
I may be informed on what particular lie dif
fer- fi >m me, and ii] K>u which facis his opinion
is based, and it will he my pleasure to disprove |
any and every statement tending to raise a j
doubt in that direction. If, a.- the Commission
er alleges, there is a rule of the department |
that the deed in such cases shall be executed I
it; presence of the agent, 1 have only to say, |
that as yet the deed remains to be made ; and 1
the vendors and the President have control of
the whole matter, and can direct how the
agreement shall beeonsumatcd, that the matter j
was (even in our ignorance of its necessity)
brought to the notice of the agent, who furnish-1
ed in his interpreter to assist in making the
agreement, and considered the price a high one. !
I cannot conceive it to be on this point that
the President is embarrassed, for, even if the
agreement is to be treated as a deed, and if
Mr. Clark's assertion is to outweigh my own
and the deposition of a disinterested witness,
there can be no complaint against us, except
for the violation of an artificial rule of which
we were ignorant.
If these explanations have not touched the
point which has raised the President's embar
rassment, I would, iu view of the fact that the
President has all the memorials, contracts, de
positions, &e., now before him, in which all the
points are raised, most respectfully request that
the point of difficulty may be succinctly stated,
and that the papers or copies of them be for
warded to me, and I will meet it with all the
directness and certainty of which I am capa
ble. In regard to the second charge, I would
respectfully request some specification of what
is alluded to, to enable me to reply satisfac
torily to you as well as myself. It is to be im
plied from the charge that some complaint has
been made to the President by some one, of
specific acts done by me in violation of law or
regulations, and I cannot suppose it would be
received and acted on without being in writiug.
I At ! a>t it must have had form and shape, and
! even though I may not know my accuser, it is
] not too much to ask that I may be informed of
the particular act which I am charged with
having committed, and the particular law I am
charged with having viclited.
On turning to the letter of G.W.Clark, In
i dian Agent, to which you refer me, I find that
;in endeavoring to exculpate himself from
charges of official delinquencies, he indulges in
I much general vituperation, which I cannot for
! a moment suppose you wish to notice, and the
only matter to which 1 can judge that your
] general allusions can apply, is an allegation
that in October, 1854, I with others procured
claims to be marked upon the Kansas Ilalf-
Brecd Reservations. In reply, I have only to
say, that as stated it is uutrue. In October,
1854, several genthmen, including myself,
happened to be at the house of Mr. Ellison,in
a portion of the Territory with which we were
entirely unacquainted and had never seen he
fore. Being informed that desirable claims
were to be had in the vicinity upon lands opeu
to pre-emption, we requested that he would
mark them out for us, and knowing that the
Kansas Half-Breed lands were in the vicinity,
but utterly ignorant of their lines, we request
ed him carefully to avoid entering upon them,
as we had no desire to trespass upon these re
servations, and knew perfectly well that the
marking of a claim upon an existing reserva
tion would be utterly fruitless and nugatory,
resulting in the loss of our labor without the
least chance of benefit.
Mr. Eiiison professed toknow the lines, and
assured us he would avoid the reserves ; we
left before the claims were marked, and I
have never seeu them since, nor do I know
where they were made. Ido not believe that
Messrs. Ellison and Kranmer made them upon
these reservations, or if they did, I am satis
lied they did it in a mistake of the lines. —
Finding that we could not personally occupy
them, and that without occupancy we could not
acquire title to them, we abandoned all idea of
them, and have never looked after them from
the day they were made.
That I endeavored to retain this claim, and
advised an intruder to leave it, is untrue.
It is true, iu conversation with one of the
gentlemen whom Mr. Clark encouraged to go
on these lands, I ascertained that he was upon
a section for which we had contracted, and 1
informed him that lie could not possibly secure
any title there—that if the contracts were con
firmed by the President, we could not allow
settlers to remain there ; he then inquired if
he could not also contract for a tract, aud I
stated to him that there was one of the re
serves who had for some time been offering to
sell his section at $-1 per acre, and if the Pre
sident approved our contracts, he could Without
doubt, purchase that section.
This conversation was, I think, in the month
of February last, and so far from attempting
to induce the gentleman to leave lay claim or
take another for himself, 1 distinctly informed
him that it was impossible for any man to ac
quire, by settlement or pre-emption, any inter
est or title to any of these reservations.
Most of the statements I have made in this
communication are clearly proven by the depo
sitions and papers now before the Peesident.—
Those which are not, and particularly my state
ment in regard to the matters charged in the
letter of G. \V. Clark, I can establish beyond
all cavil by the testimony of most unexception
able witnesses, if necessary.
I cannot conclude this letter without again
urgiug upon yourself and the President, as a
matter of the simplest justice, demanded by the
humblest man iu the community, that I should
be informed of tlie particular act to which
exception is taken, and the particular aspect
in which it is considered culpable, and if any
law or regulation is violated, what that law or
regulation is. I cannot suppose that the
President has any desire to avoid a rule so ne
cessary to a correct and conscientious discharge
of his own duty, and so indispensable to the
exculpation even of the most innocent man,
aud the absence of which, above all things, is
calculated to bring the innocent and the guilty
into the same category ; and I therefore ask it
iu the fullest confidence that it will not be de
nied.
I am very respectfully your ob't serv't,
A. 11. IvEEDER,
Governor of the Territory of Kansas.
OOG" HORACE GREEMCV is still subjected to
annoyance iu France, on account of the Crystal
Palace exhibition. Horace says the French
Post-office suppress the papers which contain
his own statement of the matter, probably be
cause the Tribune has "matters in it offensive
to the government, but that it allows all state
ments opposed to him to circulate freely.—
Xotwithstaodidg the annoyance, he appears to
be free to go from or stay iu France, and he
says he will take his leisure to depart.
One day lost week, fifty bbls. peaches
were shipped from Norfolk to New-York.
IlraMori) ilqmrter.
E. O. GOODRICH, EDITOR.
towa^ t :DA! :
ScUiuiuiti fUormnn, August 11, 1855.
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for its safe delivery.
DEMOCRATIC COUNTY CONVENTION.
It will be seen that the Democratic Stand
ing Committee have called the usual Septem
ber Convention, for the purpose of nominating
candidates. The Whig Committee has also
gone through the same ceremony. The result
in this County last fall, has pretty clearly de
monstrated that the voters are disposed to fuse
at the polls and carry out their common prin
ciples and wishes without regard to party or
ganization. We must confess that we see no
thing alarming in the people breaking away
from party trammels and disarranging the
schemes of politicians, and we should be glad
to see some arrangement made by which those
who think alike and have a common purpose,
should overcome prejudices—let " bve-goues
lie hye-gones," and act in concert so long as
| there is no cause for difference of opinion.—
Such especially should lie the case, concerning
those offices which have an influence upon the
great and absorbing question of the day. The
time has coine, when if there is a North, some
demonstration should be made, before such
J traitors as PIERCE and KANE have betrayed
I her dearest rights and placed upon the necks
of Freemen the collar of slavery. It is no time
f>r us to cavil about names, or allow the dry
bones of old parties to frighten us into anta
gonism, when no cause for differences exist.
Perhaps ' fusion" as it is called, is not yet
practicable—party ties and party associations
are not easily eradicated. But eventually there
must be Union of the North for the sake of
the Union—and it will take but few more acts
of tyranny and oppression, like the removal of
REEOEP. and the decision of Judge KANE, to
satisfy the Freemen of the North that the
time has come when they can lay supine no
longer.
In the meantime we desire to advertise pub
licly and unreservedly, that the indications are
that the contest this fall in this County will
be a " free-light," and that we desire to be
" counted in."
GOVERNOR REEDER'S REMOVAL.
In another column, will be found Governor
REEPER'S letter to Secretary MARCY, in answer
to the charges made against him for official
misconduct. It will elevate Gov. R. in the es
timation of every candid man who reads it.—
There is throughout the entire letter, a spirit
of candor, independence and manliness which
is creditable to the writer, and in striking con
trast to the pusillanimity and cowardice of the
President. Gov. REEDER meets and refutes
the slanders of his accusers, as far as he is
aware of their charges, and proudly defiant of
the calumnies of the pro-slavery ruffians, and
conscious of his own innocence, demands at the
hands of the President, the right due to the
humblest citizen of having the charges against
him specified, and an opportunity given him to
disprove them. Such an act of simple justice
was not accorded liiin, because ATCHISON aud
his crew became so clamorous as to frighten the
timid dough-face PIERCE from his propriety.
Wc have not room this week to speak as we
desire in regard to this outrage. Our space is
occupied by important articles having a bear
ing on the case. But it will not be too late
hereafter, for we believe the Freemen of the
country, will not speedily lose sight of the mat
ter and the important lesson it teaches.
The Eastern Argus, it will be seen by the
extract we make, proves that President PIERCE
has not been true to his professions anil previ
ous expressions iu regard to the conduct of
Gov. REEDER, and the correspondent of the
Tribune discloses the means employed to en
deavor to persuade him to resign.
ELECTIONS.— SeveraI states held their elections
on Monday last. We give all the information
we have received.
Kentucky. —The returns received indicate
the success of the Know-Nothings throughout
the State—particulars not given.
North Carolina. —ln this State the K. N's.
do not appear to have made innch impression.
The delegation in Congress will probably stand
Dem. 8, K. N. 2.
Tennessee. —The K. N's claim fifteen thous
and majority in the state for their caudidate
for Governor, GENTRY, over Johnson, Dem.
J6©"- The room of ROBERT HALSEY, Esq. of
Ithaca, at Congress Hull, Saratoga, was entered
on Sunday last, nine Williamsport and Elmira
11. R. Bonds, of SIOOO each, SSOOO worth of
diamonds jewelry, besides SSOO cash and other
property taken. Three burglars were arrested,
but none of the property has been recovered.
|&DR. GLEASON is now at the Ward House,
in this place, and will remain for a few days,
where he can be consulted, professionally, by
those desiring bis services.
GOV. REEDER'S REMOVAL—COMMENTS OF J
THE PRESS OF PENNSYLVANIA.
The Easton Argufy published by a strong j
political and personal friend of Gov. KEEPER,
says that " his removal lias called forth in our
midst, as elsewhere, the strongest expressions
of indignation." It then goes on to review the
circumstances under which he accepted the aj>-
poiutment, aud discloses in Presideut FIERCE a
degree of vacillation and weakness which is
characteristic. The Argus says :
In our own great State of Pennsylvania he
was found among the first to advocate the
Kansas-Nebraska bill, looked upon by many
hr.iest Democrats as an unnecessary and uu
called-for measure ; —irreproachable as a man,
eminent as a lawyer, national in his views, the
President with good reason felicitated himself
upon having " found the right man for the
right, place." The compensation of the office
was inconsiderable, while the semi-barbarous
life on the Western frontier presented nothing
but aversion to one who only mingled in socie
ty to adorn it—with no taste and no desire for
public office—we repeat it, only at the solici
tation of tlie President, was Gov. KEEPER in
duced to accept the appointment. lie went
proudly, independently, untrammelled, simplv
to do his duty. How well and too faithfully
he performed it the whole enlightened world
can testify. Because that invasion and out
rage were relinked—because that he proclaim
ed his intention to protect the citizens of Kan
sas in their right of franchise, and declared
that while he was Governor, " law and order
should reign"—the insensate fanatics of Mis
souri and their ultra Southern sympathizers de
nounced him as an abolitionist and a tyrant,
and pursued him with a ferocity as disgraceful
as it was unjust. Immediately after the first
election held in Kansas, one after another of
the Missouri invaders called upon the Presi
dent and filed t heir complaints against the Go
vernor, charging him with neglect of his offi
cial duties, illegal speculations in lands, &c.—
We state upon authority that cannot be dispu
ted, that President PIERCE at that time told a
friend, "I am satisfied that Governor Reeder
possesses firmness, honesty and capacity, and a
man who has these three qualities, don't often ere I
wrong.-' We happen to know, too, that our
Chief Magistrate gave Gov. REEPER repeated
personal assurances, that " he approved of his
course and would hate acted precisely as he did
in the same position." If the President was
sincere in his assurances of approval, why did
he not manfully sustain him ? Why did he not
" take the responsibility," and boldly stand by
him in his efforts to preserve the purity of the
ballot-box and to maintain the principles of
RIGHT? It is, to say the least, a discreditable
position for the Chief Magistrate of this great
nation to occupy. But tiie enemy were on his
1 path and bent on his destruction, renewed the
I silly charges of illegal land speculations, which
, on investigation were proved to be as ground
less as the others, and it was with reason to be
i expected that having been found without blem
ish, the President would have been only too
; glad to iiave sustained and supported him.
We are willing to believe that, uninfluenced
by others this would have been the course ta
ken by the President, but wanting in that no
ble independence which has forever crowned
with lustre the great JACKSON-, who under not
unlike circumstances, announced to his refrae-
L torv Cabinet, "I AM PRESIDENT, AND
WILL TAKE TIIE RESPONSIBILITY," Mr. PLERCE
yields—and honor, good faith and true nobili
ty are sacrificed to ruffianism aud auarcliv.—
Our Chief Magistrate has thrown away as fa
vorable an opportunity as ever was presented
to any of his predecessors to render his Admin
| istration illustrious. Had he taken both Mas
, sacluisctts and Missouri in hand, engaged as
; they both have been in setting at defiance the
j laws of the national government, and called
them both to account, our whole people vould
have sustained him and the entire country would
have applauded the act.
M e trust the successor of Gov. REEPER will
receive better treatment. If he can consent to
sacrifice all manly independence, obey the be
hests of a Missouri mob, and allow himself, in
his every act, to be governed by their dictates,
his position will be pleasant enough, and lie can
speculate in lands to his heart's content. But
if he dares to remember that he is A MAX —with
a head, mind, conscience and a reputation at
stake, the President will soon again be called
upon to supply Kansas with a new and more
pliant Governor, and we may have a repetition
of the outrageous scene just enacted—a second
attempt to ruin a most deserving man, and an
other step toward rendering the present Admin
istration as odious and unpopular as it is weak
and imbecile.
The Democratic Union, at Harrisburg, speaks
iu independent and indignant tones of this out
rage. It is refreshing iu the great Sahara of
Pennsylvania doughfaceism, to meet with such
an oasis. Wc really begin to have hope that
the democratic press of Pennsylvania may
| emerge from the slough of servility into which
it has sunk, and dare to stand up nobly in de
fence of the Right. The Union " talks out in
meeting" as follows :
REMOVAL OF GOV. REEPER. —A blow which
will recoil with terrible effect lias been struck
by the National Administration. Whether it is
the impulse of a galvanized imbecility, ill-judg
ing counsellors, malice or disappointment, we
little care. A gross and flagrant wrong has
however been perpetrated, a wrong which ere
long will bring shame and reproach upon those
who were its instigators aud its doers. The
hour has passed when a specious tale will
deceive the people. No puerile charge of land
speculations can buffet an instant against the
storm of wrath which will be aroused. A
high-minded, honorable, fearless and determined
man has been wantonly and basely stricken
down, because he asserted anil would vindicate
the rights of freemen against a horde of law
less and law-breaking ruffians. Because Gov.
KEEPER sought to throw around the ballot-box
the shield and the guards which our republican
laws create and ordain, because lie lias had the
courage to be a just and manly executive re
gardless of menaces and even personal violence,
he has been removed from his position and
another has been sought out to fill the place he
has made so honorable. Ostracism has not
been an Athenian custom aloue, nor has Aris
tides been its only victim.
The consequence of the act of Presidents
PIERCE can to some extent be foreseen. The
same Pennsylvania which so cheerfully cast for
him her electoral vote, having faith in the New
Hampshire man, will shrink from him with
aversion. To him she looked for a hearty
approval and endorsement of the means taken
by one of her sons to secure to the settler the
rights -attaching to him as an American citizen.
Grievously has she bceo disappointed, and she
will mourn to think how her trust has been j
ruthlessly shattered. Pennsylvania will not 1
sttind alouein the rebuke to be uttered ; around '
her will cluster many of her sister States until
that administration which was borne into
power upon the topmost wave of the popular j
will, w ill sink so low that there will be none
so poor to do it reverence. As its death will
be that of the suicide, there will neither be
the mockery of mourners nor the burlesque of
a funeral. It does seem passing strange, that
so far forgetful of the place of his birth, his
youth and his manhood, forgetful of the great
free North, it was a forgone conclusion in the
mind of the President that in all defiance of
whatever might be the voice of her people,
Kansas was to be doomed to slavery. And to
what other conclusion must we come ? The
deplorable scenes witnessed at every election
district when members of the territorial legis
lature were chosen, are sadly familiar where*
ever the expression of an unshackled press has
been heard. The peaceable citizens were over
awed in the exercises of the most sacred prerog
ative of a freeman, by the presence and most
unlawful interference of armed ruffians, the
spawn of an adjoining State. Where civiliza
tion is, that element of political justice, as
enunciated by Godwin is recognized to be a
truism that "to endeavor to impose our
sentiments by force is the most detestable
species of persecution." And what other than
tiiis were the high-handed proceedings of the
Missouri mob ? They w ere not content that
those who had alone the right should determine
for themselves under the law their own institu
tions, but by violence were sentiments other
than their own to be forced upou Kansas
settlers. Earnestly did the press of onr land
inveigh against an outrage so monstrous, and a
burniug spirit of indignation was kindled in the
breast of every man whosesenseof justice was
unclouded. And withal, our President has
cast his official influence—and we are gratified
that it has grown so small—with the law
Uefiors.
Although another of Pennsylvania's gifted
sons is called to be the successor of Gov. REEDER,
it affords no consolation. It brings not a ray
of light through the thick darkness of her
regrets. Her sorrow is too deep in the removal
of one animated by a high feeling of truth and
justice to find any joy in the very doubtful
honor paid to auotlier. But the voice of the
Keystone State will make itself clearly heard.
Blind giant as she is, her cry will come up
throughout her extended borders for vengeauce.
Let him upon whose head it falls beware ! And
well too does she know- how to reward her
faithful. Her son, so foully treated when in
the noble discharge of duty as the Executive
in a newly fledged territory, may yet act
as the honored Executive of the State
second in wealth, power and population, or
represent her interests iu the Senate of the
nation. The once rejected minister plenipo
tentiary became the President of the United
States. The lesson has not lost its meaning.
A homily of like import may yet be read to an
administration upon whose frontlet its own
fatuity has written " DOOMED."
The President and Gov. Reeder.
Corresponacnce of The N. Y. Tribune.
WASHINGTON, Saturday, Aug. 4, 1855.
The readers of The Tribune will lie interest
ed in any new facts, however inconsiderable in
their importance, which will throw any light
upon the President's disgraceful conduct toward
Governor Reeder ; and though the following is
uo solution of the great query, Why was the
Governor discharged ? so earnestly repeated
here and echoed everywhere, it shows that
the Governor is not wanting in that ready wit
quite as essential to politicians as logic and
learning:
The story goes that after some two or three
weeks consultation between Gov. Reeder and
the President upon the affairs of Kansas, the
nature of which is guessed at whispered here
among the knowing ones, but the result of
which certainly was that the President refnsed
to issue any proclamation, or do any act for
the protection of Kansas, the Governor left for
home. Meanwhile, the troubles in tlve Cabinet
increased, and the President, anxious to please
Gen. Davis on the one hand, and afraid of the
North on the other, determined to make another
appeal to Gov. R.'s magnanimity, and sent a
confidential agent, usually employed by him on
such occasions, to call on a special aud intimate
friend of the Governor, then in the city, who
represented in most lugubrious tones that the
President was exceedingly embarrassed and
perplexed in regard to Kansas, that it gave
him infinite difficulty and trouble, and that he
really thought Gov. R. ought to relieve him
from his trouble bv resigning the office.
The friend who perfectly understood whence
this came and what was expected of him, at
once communicated it to the Governor at
Easton, who as promptly replied " that if Mr.
" Pierce believed in resignation as a cure for
" the difficulties and perplexities of an Ad
" ministration, he might practice it himself; but
" as for him, (Gov. R.,) ho was no disciple of
" the doctrine, and therefore could not be
" expected to act upon it." The reply was
rather cool, but not more so than the emperti
nence of the message deserved, especially when
it may be inferred that the Governor was not in
a very good humor after discovering by his
two weeks' interview that the President was
determined to abandon his people to the tender
mercies of the Missourians.
In a few days after this message was deliv
ered the call upon Gov. Reeder for explanation
of the half-breed land purchase made its ap
pearance, and the unprecedented conre was
adopted of publishing to the world the accusa
tion without first hearing the reply.
WASHINGTON, August 5, 1855.
Many important facts have transpired with
reference to the dismissal of Gov. REF.DER, but
there arc one or two more of whose authen
ticity I can give you the most positive assur
ance which yet require to be brought to the
uotiee of an admiring world.
No sooner had the Governor communicated
with Mr. Pierce, after he had arrived in the
Eastern States from Kansas, than the Presi
dent besought him to resign, in order to relieve
the Chief Magistrate of the Union from the
embarrassment in which he found himself. By
way of inducement the President pro[>osed to
confer on Gov. REEDER the appointment of
Commissioner to China, then vacant by the
return of Mr. McLane. This the Governor
promptly declined.
This proffer having thus proved insufficient,
the President made a higher bid. He now
said that on condition of REEDER'S vacating
the Governorship in Kansas, he would give the
place of Embassador to England, from which
Mr. Buchanan was soon to return. The
splendor of this proposition was a matter to
consider, and after two days the Governor gave
his ultimatum. He offered to resign if the
President would write him a letter asking hi
to do so, and and publishing it it in Th> f V
together with his reply, it Ijeing
that the appointment to England should ho
gazetted immediately after. The President re
rased. to publish such a correspondence and
the Governor Accordingly left him under the
necessity of turning out aTerritorial Execntivo
for the sole reason that he would not lend 1, n
self to the establishment of Slavery by fon i "
invasion and conquest, against the will of tf>
vast majority of the people of the Territory
JUDGE KANE'S DECISION.— We have not room
this week,for Judge KANE'S outrageous decision
iu the Williamson case. We will p r i„t j t
next week, that our readers may see to what
depths a judge can descend who is hoping
for a vacancy to occur in the Supreme Bench
and anxious to occupy it. Does any one
suppose, that a judge elected by the people
would render such a disgraceful and
decision ?
ftuT The resolutions adopted the School
Directors Convention, as also a communication
in regard to the increase of the salary of the
Superintendent, are necessarily delayed until
| next week.
J A terrible riot occurred in Louisville,
Ky., on Tuesday during the election. The *
story is that three Americans were killed by the
Irish, who fired upon them from the windows,
iOn the other side, one Irishman had been
j hung, several otherwise killed, and others taken
i prisoners.
[For the Bradford Reporter.]
COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT.
MR. EDITOR : I wish to say a few words
through the columns of your paper upon the
subject of the late School Directors Convention.
It seems a convention of the school directors
of the County was called for Saturday, the 2Sth
of July, to consider the propriety of increasing
i the salary of our couuty superintendent. The
peculiar season of the year at which it was
j called, and the very peculiar weather of the
j seasou, prevented at least three-fourths of the
directors of the county from attending. Whe
; ther there was any design on the part of those
particularly interested in this increase of sala
ry, in getting it fixed at this very hurrying time
we do not pretend to judge—certain it is.how
| ever, it has resulted iu taking one thousand, dol
lars out of the school fund of this county and
placing it in the pocket of our county superin
tendent. No one can for a momeut suppose
j that such would have been the result, had there
been anything like a full attendance of the di
rectors. The State superintendent, iu his no
tice, stated that a majority of the directors of
the county, had signified their desire to increase
the county superintendent's salary. The dtsim
of this majority must have been made known
to the State superintendent in a very private,
; yet with much concert of action, for irww of
the boards of directors of the county never
' heard of any such thing until they received no
tice of the time and place of the meeting of tin
convention. Iu fact, I doubt very much that
any who were opposed to the movement knew
| anything of the matter. Is it not fair then to
! infer that the whole thing was gotten up thro'
the influence of Mr. GUYEK for his especial
benefit ? At all events, he was very active in
the convention—urged his suit with all his in
i genuity, and advocated his cause in a mo?t
; egotistical and bombastic speech. Enough of
; lus personal friends had been pressed into the
convention, notwithstanding the extreme press
. of harvest business, to constitute a majority and
place a cool thousand in his pocket,
j In his speech (/) before the convention, he
i did not ask the two thousand dollars because
i his services merited it, but because there was
money lying idle in the State Treasury which
i the state had once appropriated for the pur
, pose of paying county superintendents, and he
might as well have it as to let it fall back into
the general fund to be squandered by those
hawks about Iliirrisburg. He said there were
hawks there, watching opportunities for plun
der aud peculation. Are there not hawks this
side of Harrisburg watching for similar chances?
He urged his demand on the ground that it
would cost the people of Bradford County noth
ing—that it would not increase their tares ou
cent, nor take anything from the school fund of
the several districts of the county —but that, on
the contrary, it would bring money into the
county to her great benefit! He said, if he
thought it would burthen the people of brad
ford one cent, he would not accept one ilrllar
it. What patriotism ! and what a detestable
priuciple to act upon ! Is it possible Mr. GIT
ER would ask the directors to vote him fifteen
hundred dollars out of the State Treasury
merely because it would cost them nothing?
and is it possible thirty school directors can be
found who would vote him that amount tneodt
because it would not come out of theui ?
Mr. GIVER'S services be worth that sua),
should be given him for that reason, an-1 Brad
ford Couuty should bear the burthen, or
least her proportion of it, for all the benefit of
his services as superintendent, is confined to this
, couuty. Nothing but gross selfishness would
: accept of those services, and then attempt to
I shirk the responsibility of paying for them -
But so it is. Now, how stand the facts? ? a "
stead of this increase of salary costing the peo
ple of Bradford County nothing, aud leaving
their school fund undisturbed, the law declare 5
that the superintendent's salary as fixed by tb p
sehool directors, shall be paiil out of the
appropriated to the several school districts oj M
county. It was with great astonishment that
many heard Mr. GUYER and his backers argue
the contrary of this. When they allege that
the money comes from the State and not out
of the County, the reply is immediately
gested, that the people of Bradford ( OOD 1 J