The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-10-30

better and such his have sent south
governor with the tide of southern migration into Kan
The Executive anxious 10 hold the scales be-
tween all sections and all interests, thought 1t wiser to
send northern governor and southern judges TO Kansas
whilst he sent southern governor and northern judges
to Nebraska In selecting Gov. Reeder for Kansas he
chose man Of admitted ability and frInness of charac-
ter and who had the reputation of having resisted abo
honsm in his section decidedly and consistently
as any one in that country They all knew now that he
had proved total failure but like Mr. Pierce they had
learned IL after the experiment had been tried Gov.
Shannon he believed had been throughout to the
constitution and rights of the South After he resigned,
Governor Geary appointed, with the best
ances, by his antecedents and by the reported fact that
he was, at the time of his appointment working
coal mines in Virginia. by hired slaves; that he
neither ignorant IN relation TO that kind OF property
prejudiced against it. residence in Kansas how
ever, made the developments in political tendencies
in the of Governor Reeder This closed the list
Of appointments under Mr. PerCe's administration, and
brought down TO the time of Mr.. Buchanan and the
present incumbent, Governor Walker. Towards that
highly talented and we-nformed statesman he had for
many years borne the kindest personal relations Miss
spp had honored him with her highest confidence and
trust and who among had not felt pride in his intel
lectual achievements when, Mississippian he
struggling for free trade and the extension of southern
territory The great which he had attributed
to MIR. Walker the wish he had indicated to
provide for exodus of the slaves from the South,
set forth in his Texas letter. That view had,
however been subsequently reviewed and abandon
cd by Mr.. Walker. Nothing, therefore, could have
been less anticipated than such policy and procyites
than suggested by his inaugural address and
Topeka speech The democratic convention of Mississippi
censured the positions of Walker inaugural address, and
il had often been asked why the President omitted
from that censuref The answer plain II was the
and not the iRdunudi against whom condemnation
directed it the governor address, for which he
known to be responsible the instructions of the
President did not contain the censurabe intervention and
dictation of the address it not known whether he
approved them would make himself responsible for
them. In that state of the case it was proper for
those who had confidence in the President and who
hoped for better things of him not to assume his
responsibility and adudgc him to be guilty, For
one, he Colonel d. did not hesitate to say that,
il the President should adopt the acts of his agent,
or avow his responsibility for them, he would hold him
to be censurable in manifold higher degree than his
agent he the person uIon whom the South in her
generous confidence, had bestowed the power and de-
vovcd the duty to protect her constitutional rights and
in him the offence would have new and darker shades
than if committed by officer of the federal gov
eminent Since the adjournment of the convention, he
Col d. happy to state to his hearers that he had
received assurances from unquestonabe authority that
the administration not responsible for the language
employed by Gov. Walker, for the urged by
him 1t may be asked Why, then, Is not the governor
removed 1t is true that the administration could thus
emphatcaly show its disapprobation but to decide
the propriety of pursuing that would require full
knowledge of the surrounding facts and these could only
be possessed by the administration itself Under these
circumstances it surely most becoming to wait for
further Developments and hopefully to look for
ward for satisfactory explanations though may fail to
perceive how they can possibly be made.
Col d. said he had nothing of the proceedings of
the convention in Kansas which had assembled to form
constitution and ask for admission State5 he sup
posed they would either directly authorize or by silence
recognise the right to hold slave property within the lin
its of the State Whether they would refer the consttu
on to the voters of the Territory for ratification send
it direct to the Congress with their application for admis
son he held il the province of the convention to de-
eide The law neither required the references forbade
it. II it referred for ratification he held that the
reference be to the qualified of the Territory
Who the qualified voters must be determined by the
existing law Congress- by its organic act had provided
for legislation the Territory and this convention had
power to make laws binding the inhabitants
in their territorial condition than had that famous in
famous convention which had assembled at Topeka
Among the laws enacted by the legislature for the
Territory prescribing the qualifications. of
voters and that law must remain in force until 1t is
modified repealed by competent authority The
sttution have effect unless and until Congress
shall admit the State 1t may prescribe the qualification
for voters In the State when it shall have come in
to existence but cannot thereby confer the right of suf
frage under the territorial government 1t to be
membered that this convention assembled by authority of
the territorial legislature the purpose being to form
constitution. IL any should claim that the Legislature
could confer upon the convention legislative power they
could scarcely go far to assert that the convention
might assume it. h. therefore, dissented from the posi-
ton taken by the President that all persons cnt
tied to vote the constitution who should possess the
qualifications prescribed by that instrument Though
both in the Presidents letter of instructions and in
his reply to the prayerul doctors of Connecticut he
speaks Of the reference of the constitution to the
people of Kansas event which he did not doubt
would occur he does not such language would lead
him Col d. to infer that he intended thereby to insist
upon reference necessary net and If long and
sometimes confidential acquaintance had enabled him
Justly to appreciate the character OF the President there
little to apprehend that if the constitution
not referred the President would, threatened by
Governor Walker, unite with those rebel aboonsts of
Kansas to effect the rejection Of the application of Kan
for admission State but if the President should
think proper to pursue that then ad the speak
err ~ will have done with him-havc done with him y
Should the President, his conduct many trying
casons gave reason to expect hold that Congress should
limit its inquiry into the constitution of the State
to the simple question: Is it republican and such
influence he could properly employ to
representatives and senators be thoroughly united
upon the question, he thought enough of northern
democrats anxious to terminate the improbable contro
versy and give peace to the country would unite their
votes with the southern members to add another slave
holding State to the Union. If there should be any
wayerng in the southern ranks any resort to side pre-
fences, northern be expected to take the
sponsiby of being, once charged upon Mr.. Blu
chanan "more southern than the South We might
expect the application to be rejected and the of
California to be cenaced and that second convention
would frame constitution to satisfy the wishes of
the North and secure admission to the Union. Col ID.
then referred to the geographical position Of Kansas its
relation to Missouri and Arkansas and the effects to be
apprehended il il should be lost TO the South But if
he sad Kansas should present prosaveTy constitution,
either not referred to the inhabitants for ratification
referred and ratified by the legally qualified voters of
the Territory and should be refused admission under cir