shall we do, or what do you wish us to do, about provisioning our men? Is Fort Monroe supplied with provisions?

Will you authorize the enlistment here and mustering into the U. S. service here of Irish, Germans, and other tough men, to be drilled and prepared here for service? We have men enough of such description, eager to be employed, sufficient to make three regiments.

Finally, will you direct some general instructions and suggestions to be sent to me as to anything - no matter what or how much - which you may wish from Massachusetts, and procure General Scott also to do so, and we will try to meet, so far as may be, every wish of the Government up to the very limit of our resources and our power.

Will you put the 6,000 rifles now at the U. S. Arsenal at Watertown at our disposal for our men, and send immediately orders for that purpose? We have sent to Europe Honorable Francis B. Crowninshield as agent of this Commonwealth, accompanied by an experienced armorer, with a credit of 50,000 pounds, for the purchase of arms for this Commonwealth, and we shall therefore be able to replace these rifles at an early day, if it shall be necessary.

Your obedient servant,

JOHN A. ANDREW,

Governor.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

Topeka, Kans., April 25, 1861.

Honorable SIMON CAMERON,

Secretary of War:

SIR: As Governor of the State of Kansas, I would respectfully represent that our people, should the present secession movement continue until the State of Missouri is included, will be placed in a most peculiar position. With as loyal a people as any in the Union and influenced by as anxious a desire to maintain the integrity of the Government, we would, in that event, be entirely cut off from any communication whatever with other loyal States except by a circuitous land carriage through the State of Iowa, which would of necessity be not only very expensive, but so slow as to be almost entirely useless.

Standing in this isolated position, anxious to defend ourselves and to sustain the Government, we are entirely unarmed, and unfortunately, like most countries recently settled, too poor to buy such arms as are necessary for our defense. Even if we were able to purchase arms, their transportation through Missouri would from this time forward be an utter impossibility.

There are now at Fort Leavenworth about 5,000 stand of arms of suitable character of the various portions of service required, which are not only not needed by the United States, but are in hourly danger of being taken by the secessionists from Missouri. If you will direct that these arms shall be turned over to the State of Kansas, I will be responsible as her executive officer that they shall be carefully kept and returned, if required, and also that they shall only be used in defense of our homes and sustaining the national flag. Without them we are a naked prey to any body of traitors who may choose to plunder us.

This request seems to us so reasonable and the necessity for it so urgent that we cannot imagine you will refuse us, as we are unwilling for a moment to believe that the Administration would wantonly sacrifice a whole people, who have in the most trying emergencies exhibited so much fidelity tntry and to the blic liberty.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. ROBINSON.