James Buchanan, Buchanan's administration on the eve of the rebellion

‘ [33] a good hope that He will enable me to do equal justice to all portions of the Union, and thus render me an humble instrument in restoring peace and harmony among the people of the several States.’

This answer, at the time, appeared to give general satisfaction.

Soon after the 4th of March, 1857, Mr. Robert J. Walker was appointed Governor, and Mr. Frederick P. Stanton Secretary of the Territory of Kansas. The great object in view was to prevail upon the Anti-Slavery party to unite with their opponents in framing a State Constitution for Kansas, leaving the question to be decided at the ballot-box whether it should enter the Union as a free or as a slave State. Accordingly the Governor was instructed to take care that the election for delegates to the convention should be held and conducted with perfect fairness to both parties, so that the genuine voice of the people might be truly heard and obeyed. This duty he performed with fidelity and ability, but unfortunately without success.

The laws which had been passed by the Territorial Legislature providing for this election are liable to no just exception. The President, speaking on this subject in his message of 2d of February, 1858, transmitting the Kansas Constitution to Congress, employs the following language:

It is impossible that any people could have proceeded with more regularity in the formation of a constitution than the people of Kansas have done. It was necessary, first, to ascertain whether it was the desire of the people to be relieved from their territorial dependence and establish a State government. For this purpose the Territorial Legislature, in 1855, passed a law “for taking the sense of the people of this Territory upon the expediency of calling a convention to form a State constitution” at the general election to be held in October, 1856. The “sense of the people” was accordingly taken, and they decided in favor of a convention. It is true that at this election the enemies of the territorial government did not vote, because they were then engaged at Topeka, without the slightest pretext of lawful authority, in framing a constitution of their own for the purpose of subverting the territorial government.