The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-05-21


ipgton, one excusiDg to some extent the CON-
duct Of the Missourians in the late Kansas
troubles, end the other in defence Of Governor
Reeder. Thus the position Of the administers
ton is at length defined on this Kansas imbrog |
lilo. 1t is astride of the fence, with leg on |
either side, with such excuses and professions
te the South as must be made, but slyly pstting |
Governor Reeder on the back at the same time,
and sending him back to Kansas as having
faithfully entered upon the true Territorial
free soil policy of Pierce, Marcy, Gushing,
M'Clellsnd, Campbell aud Foraey.
The Cabinet organs manifesto upon this bu-
siness is very transparent piece OF shuf1Ing
and lodging After cogitating Tor several
weeks upon the demands made upon the admin
istration from all quarters for an exposition OF
its policy, views aud intentions in reference to
the affairs OF Kansas, we are favored at length
with the feeble and sickly article in question.
We have an admission that the original provo
cations to the late extraordinary disturbances
in Kansas came from the abolition and free
soil coDspirators-t these pr0vocations, con-
sideripg the peculiar situation of the Missouri
ans, were naturally calculated to excite them
to active and even desperate means Of
retaliation; but, says the mouthpiece of Mr..
Pierce, "we do not maintain Imark you, they
do not maintain] that the measures resorted to
by the Missourians were legal or justifiable-
we deprecate them deeply" Finally, we are
told that, the abolirionists having committed the
first offence, the conduct Of the Missourians,
who are charged with obstructing the right of
suffrage, should be judged with corresponding
leniency.
The pith and substance Of these official
views, as far as they CO. appear to us as haviog
been appropriated from the editorial columns OF
this journal. But the main point is studiously
avoided. The question is not SO much what the
administration thinks, but what it intends to
do The leaning of the first article we quote
from 9" the organ" to-day is the leg on the
South side of the fence, and is evidently in
tended as an electioneering trick Tor the benefit
of Mr.. Wise in Virginia; but the second article
is the leg on the North side of the fence, and is
just as evidently designed to tickle the fancy Of
the free soil democracy of Pennsy lvania and the
free soil squatters of Kansas But is is not the
policy of Reeder and his land SPECTATORS to be
sustained Is it the policy of Mr. Pierce to mAke
Kansas a free soil or slaveholding State? A
single confession. one way or the other, would
be worth all this beating about the bush of the
last twelve months Considering the straits of
Mr.. Wise, it would be cruel, perhaps, to insist
| upon a plain statement this side of the Vir-
ginia election; put as Luas vl1vsivn 90 ass OF
| on Thursday and as, from all appearances,
III r1ol cax
after that day, we have the right to expect that
on Friday or Saturday next the President will
issue to the people of Kansas proclamation, set
tng forth distinctly and positively his official
policy and purposes concerning the administra
ton Of the affairs of the Territory.
Why not? He has issued one or two procla
nations against the Cuban and Lower Califor-
MIA filibusters. Why not, then, favor US with
proclamation concerning Kansas, where the
doctrine of "squatter sovereignty" is in immi.
nent peril of degeBerating into o civil war
between Northern and Southern flihusters?
The President is sworn to support the sonsti-
tuition, and he is bound to execute the laws
Does be intend 10 shirk his duty in relation to
Kansas, erd leave it to the Missourians aud
regulate the affairs of the Territory as be.
tween two hostile armies? Or does he in.
tera to exercise the supervision with which
be is charged in conciliating and pacifying the
existing troubles among the Northern and
Southern squatters? The alternative Of peace,
or the hazards OF frontier civil war, depend
upon his answer and his action in reference to
this simple question.
We are seriously apprehensivc, however, that
Mr.. Pierce has neither the honesty nor the
moral courage to show his hand upon this
Kansas difficulty. We are fearful that he will
permit these border troubles to run on into
scenes Of violeDc and bloodshed, which will
pre- cpitate upon US the most malignant
and dangerous sectional agitation. His whole
course upon this Territorial issue has been 80
marked with treachery and deception that it
is to be feared he will persist in the game at
all hazards When the repeal If the Missouri
Compromise was first preached in Congress,
Mr.. Pierce was dead against it." The Wash
ipgton Union deprecated 1t seriously and
earnestly. But finding that the South would
support him in the measure, the repeal became
an administration hobby, and was carried
through as an administration movement. Then,
again, to make all right in the North, their
beautiful Kansas plot for the total exclusion OF
the South from these rev Territories was bit
upon and adopted Governor Reeder and
bis affiliated free soil land specuistors and
emigration societies were placed over Kan
sas, Southern Territory from it's soil,
Productions climate, and especially from
its coptipuity to Missouri and Arkansas. Al
the same time, to keep up deceptive sso~ Of
fair dealing to the South, Southern Governor
was placed over Nebraska, which, from its ex.