Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 5.djvu/352

 320 THE GRANITE MONTHLY.

see to their freedom, to canvass their votes, or to pass upon their legality in the Territories any more than in the States. If he had such power, the gov- ernment might be republican in form, but it would be a monarchy in fact ; and, if he had undertaken to exercise it in the case of Kansas, he would have been justly subject to the charge of usurpation, and of violation of the dearest rights of the people of the United States."

-.The suppression of the internecine war in Kansas was the last act of President Pierce's administration upon any subject connected with the slavery question. How faithfully and well he had performed his duties, and how fully he had redeemed the pledges made in his annual message of 1853, an impartial future will judge. The initiative in the legislation regarding Nebraska and Kansas was taken by Congress. The act for their organization, when passed, came to him for his approval. It came to him as an act strictly within the letter and the spirit of the Constitution, and based upon principles which, after the fullest discussion by a congress composed of the ablest statesmen of that or any other time, were adopted not only to be applied to the Territories embraced in the act which was passed, but for the purpose of inaugurating a policy to be of universal application which would bring a finality to slavery agitation. This was fully understood by all the parties at the time. The Democratic and Whig parties fully understood and adopted the policy in their presidential con- ventions. The Free-soil party as fully understood that it was intended by Con- gress to be of universal application, and as a finality, and in their resolves at their presidential convention they made it the distinct issue for the future by declaring that no human law is a finality. The people of the whole country understood it, and by an overwhelming majority at the polls, in both sections, approved and confirmed it. And if, in the face of these facts, the President had attempted to prevent the application of the policy thus so plainly and emphatically declared and indorsed, by interposing his official negative, he would not only have done violence to the plainest dictates of duty, but would have caused a shock to the country, the disastrous effect of which no one could have foretold.

Upon whom rests the responsibility for the disturbances in Kansas which followed, it is not necessary here to determine. It is sufficient that they were not incited or encouraged by the Executive, and that when they did happen, when misguided men set up a revolutionary government which threatened the Territory with a bloody warfare, — when all the passions of the people were aroused, and bands of armed men throughout the Territory were marshaling for the strife, and fierce partisans from the States were hastening, with arms in their hands, to take part in the desperate conflicts, which it seemed almost im- possible to avert ; then, reluctantly, in the performance of a most painful duty, the President interfered with a military force, which was managed and controlled with such wisdom, firmness, and strict impartiality, making no discrimination on partisan or sectional grounds, and no interference with the civil authorities, as to bring to a close the revolutionary government, turn back the tide of armed adventurers who were attempting to enter the Territory, and disperse all the organized bands within its limits which threatened the peace, not only of Kansas but of the Union, without the shedding, by the mihtary employed, of a drop of blood.

We have thus briefly stated the prominent facts regarding the action of President Pierce upon the sectional questions which agitated the country dur- ing the term of his administration. The limits of this article will not permit a review of the measures of his administration upon other and important public questions which involved our relations with foreign powers, the rights of our adopted citizens abroad, the internal improvements of the country, and the

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