ALS as president signed “Frank. Pierce,” one page, 8 x 10, October 22, 1855. Handwritten letter to his private White House secretary Sidney Webster, in full: "Your letter of the 19th inst. was received yesterday morning. I have attended to the matter to which you particularly refer. Do not hurry. We are all well. Take such time as you may want in New York & Philadelphia." In fine condition.
On October 23rd, a day after this letter was written, the Topeka Constitutional Convention commenced in Topeka, Kansas Territory, and lasted until November 11th, with the resulting draft effectively banning slavery in Kansas, but, conversely, preventing any free Blacks from living in Kansas. The Topeka Constitution marked the first effort to form a Kansas governmental structure and define its basis in law. President Pierce, anxious to placate Southerners and keep them in the Union, condemned the document, proclaimed the Topeka government to be illegitimate, and ordered the arrest of its leaders, a request that was left unfulfilled.
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