Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-09-18
THE RICHMOND ENQUIRER,
FRIDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER rs.
BY RITCHIE 4. DUSNkyINT>

PROVE AND ESDoBSE THE POLICY PURSUED
BY GOV. WALKER IN KANSAS,
Notwithstanding the fact, that the late letter of Mr..
Buchanan, with reference to the political condition of
Kansss, is almost universally acknowledged to be
une1ceptonaby explicit language, and candid, un-
concealed and abovebosrd in sentiment it is never
theess seemingly subjected to contradictory con.
structionsi and that too upon point of great pract
cal importance to the Democracy Of the South. We
aude Of course to its endorsement disapprova Of
the policy pursued by Governor Walker in Kansas.
It has been enthusiastically applsudsd, without qua
lifcaton or exception, by those journals in the South
which, from fret to last, have been most unsparing
in their denunciations of Governor Walker. And il
has aso been approved with extraordinary emphasis
by those which have yindiosted and sustained him.
So it would seem that both classes claim it, each in
justification Of its own peculiar course. 1t is diff.
cult to reconcile such understanding Of this equ
vocal position in which, It might be inferred, the Pre-
sdsnt i'd thus apparently placed with the undenable
frankness and lucid language of bis letter. 1t is ne
vertheess true that the friends and enemies of Gov.
Walker, both point to the position Of Mr.. Buchanan
as illustrating and re- affirming their own individual
views
The country i5 familiar with the policy pursued by
Governor Walker in Kansas. Not only his acts, but
his words also have been canvassed with an earnest
ness, a zeal, and acerbity of feeling, fully commen-
surate even with the importance of his mOmentous
raission. He has been watched with an unwinking
gaze snce his entrance into the territory. His con-
duct has been closely scrutinised and his speeches
scanned with studied severity. His career in kansas
has been dwelt upon by the people aud the press OF
the country, as the movements Of few public men
have ever been dwelt upon before; and perhaps no
territorial Governor will ever attract such attention
again. His course has been productive OF dssension
in the ranks OF his party. On the one hand he has
been visited with uumeasured denunciation and
abuse on the other he has been vindicated with
warmth, and defended with all the zeal to be derived
from an ardent desire to euorce the great principles
of the Nebraska X ansas act, and TO sustain an Adj
mnisration inaccessible to suspicion OF ndelity to
the South and upon the success of which, perhaps,
hangs the destiny Of the Democratic party and
of the Union. His asssilants in the South
charged him with base betrayal of the trust with
which he had been invested They clamored for his
recall and threatened the President with their MALE
doion, in the event of his retention or an endorse.
msnt Of his policy.
Sucb ba. been the character of the Kansas con.rc.
ysrsy 1t has reached turning point at aa aud what
ia the reeult, The views Of the Administration have
been published. Walker has not boen recalled, and
there is not the remoest reason to believe that ne
will be. Is his policy approved by the President or
mott His assslants in the South say not They aver
that in the Silimsn letter Mr. Buchanan clearly and
forcibly repudates the course Of Walker in Kansas
Whereupon they make proclamation that the Admin.
,,rstion discsims his conduct, that they have de-.
poupced him, and therefore, that the Administration
,u,tans them, not him. We hear no more OF the
recall of Walker sine qua non, to avert the ar
rows already aimed at the Presidents head and
heart. Their eulogies of the letter are accompanied
With no enqsiry to the continuance in office OF the
| traitor whom il condemns.
Their Indignation at the conduct OF Governor
Walker knows no bounds. He has destroyed
the last hope Of the Southern cause in Kan
,u He has usurped authority, and prostitu
ted the powers with which he was Invested to trail
orous furherauce Of the designs Of the Abotoniss.
They say these things, and yet quietly consent to the
retention of this obnoxious individual in office, be.
--~
been disapproved by the President. These gentle
men have all the while professed confidence in the
Administration on this subject. They hsve hereto
fore denied that they meant to impugn the Pres-
dsnt and have declared their warfare 10 be against
Governor Walker alone. Why then are they so
greatly grstifed to learn that which they have 80
long and 80 confidently believed If their shafts were
hurled at the head of Governor Walker only, and
never at the Administration, why is it, We ask, that
tbsy no longer demand bis removal from the Cover.
shin of Ksusa,7 How do they reconcile the pres
dents disapprobation of hi1 policy with such man
Hesitation of his continued confidence, as his reten
ton in office? Have they been carpng at the shadow
rather than the substsnce Is it immaterisl to them
what mischief Governor Walker may have done or
NAV vet do 80 that the Administration reuses to en-.
dorse hnl If 80, it is strange indeed; and II not 80,
il is stranger still.
But has the President approved or condemned the
cou-se of Governor Walker That is the question.
Let US adduce the evidence, and decide it. 1t will be
remembered that it was Governor Walkers Topeka
sneech which has been 80 severely oensursd in the
Soutb. He was understood to declare then, that ali
the actual residents who shall be in Kansas at the
time of the submission Of the Constitution to the peo
ple, should be entitled to vote upon it. His
language was construed to mean that there
should be no length Of residence whatever pre-
,cr;bed as an evidence OF inhabtaaoy. 1t was then
that the tocsn was sounded and the war cry against
him raised with an almost deafenng din by num-
Der of Democratic journals in the South. Subse.
oueptly, in dispatch to the State Department, Gov.
Walker explained himself in the following emphatic
and unequvoca language:
"on one point have been grossly mlsrepresented.
II is as to who, in my judgment, should vote upon
The ratification of the Constitution. have been re-
nrssented as desiring that every man should vote
who happened to be 10 the Territory on the day OF
that election. This, indeed, would be desirable, II
there were conclusive evidence that all sach persons
and usus, proo. of such fact would be- some pre-.
vjous residence Ou this point which 10 one Of de-.
tail, have never proposed to make suggestions to
the Convention, although, when asked my opinion
by members Of that body, have Indicated pre-.
yous residence Of three or sI months and that the
same qualifications should be adopted in the Cons:i-
tuou in regard, not only to that but to all future
elections; and in my Judgment, one or other OF these
terms of residence will be adopted by the Conyeu.
i;on. from whom anticipate cordial cooperation.
"it is somewhat extraordinary, that whilst this &C.
cusation Of letting every man vote who may happen
TO be in the Territory on the day OF the election, has
been preferred n the South as indicating desire on
nv mart TO lot IN abolition vagrants and nteropers to
cor.rol The result the Republicans OF Kansas have
drawn an entirely different ooncusion-vz: that
daaioned in this manner to bring many thousand Mis-
sourisps into the Territory to decide the contest"
Surely, tits allowable to every man to explain his
own words and it is usual we believe TO accept such
e.n.nation as the true maaning and intention of the
author. And yet, even after this public disclaimer
on the part of Gov. Walker, of any desire or desig=
To counsel such course, as that which he had been
charged with advising, the warfare against him was
still continued by certain Southern journals with
abated violence. Those who persisted in condemn.
ing him. still denounced him for that which he had
disavowed, and 10 terms equally as strong ss those
in the Presidents letter which they now applaud.
Isit not strange indeed that they should refuse 10