The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-09-19
The Presidents Last.

icai4 ohIA1SShAoA-%'A1Al
certainly entertained By the Cincinnati
Convention, else why was he deserted al
terdoing so much forNational Democracy!
The bombardment of Greytown, the de- |
struction of Pawnee, and the Kansas pol
icy generally, were the salient points, and !
the most prominent evidences of It's weak i!
ness.
President Buchanan is in fair way 70
outdo his predecessor in trucking to sec
tional interests. and if his administration
in respect to Kansas is not positively weak,
Il nrop,ises TO be worse. 1t now looks as
if it were to be strong on the side of op-
preston.
After so many acts of distinctive Dor
der rufianism as have been recorded OF
Mr. Buchanan, it will be difficult to prove
to even honest Democrats, who labored to
save the Union through his election, that
he is not worse than Pierce. The latter
had this advantage: He was elected by
an overwhelming majority of the States,
and was free to adopt wise and just pol
icy in respect to the troublesome affairs IN
Kansas: while Buchanan owes his cleo
ton to Southern support entirely. The
November election will long we remem-
bered as an event which elevated to the
Chief Magistracy of the Union sectional
President. But from the sentiments of
his inaugural we were led TO believe that
Justice and moderation were to be the
chief characteristics of his administration.
1t turns out, however, that these essential
and solid virtues are entirely excluded
| from the executive counsels.
The appointment of Whitfield, Clarke,
Murphy and Emory to lucrative positions
under the Government, have, perhaps,
been sufficiently condemned and execra-
ted. Extenuation of these shameless
things has been attempted by democrats
wishing at once to discountenance border
rufianism and support the administration
on the ground that the President was ig-
norant of the true character of the men
who made application for these several
offices. 1t is singular fact, and one
noted by many Free State Democrats,
that none but the most extreme pro-slave-
ry men, with perhaps the bare exception
of Walker, have received any Executive
favor in this Territory. The retention Of
Lecompte and Cato upon the Supreme
Bench in the Federal Courts-one an in
famous scoundrel, the other a notorious
drunkard, whose decisions are disgrace
, to civilized age, and whose courts are &
burlesque upon the judiciary-are addi.
, tional facts for the contemplation of Free
State Democrats.
The crowning act Of Mr.. Buchanan il
reference to Kansas matters, is in his re.
cent letter, published in reply to the me.
mortal of Prof. Silliman and others, asking
him not to enforce the bogus laws. There
is, 1t is true, something in this memorial
, which, perhaps, had better have been left
unsaid, although their truth cannot for &
moment be controverted. We refer tc
the charge that the President had violated
his OATH We think little different spi
rit should have pervaded the memorial
; However, we have now to do with the
l reply. The President exhibits remark
able coolness of temper, and proceeds tC
justify everything that has been done in
this Territory by the Law and Order alias
: the National Democratic party, and to ex-
ecrate all the acts of the Free State men.
All those who have not bowed down to
the golden calf of slavery receive from
him explicit condemnation as rebels.
Hesays, Congress by its action endorsed
the existing Territorial Government, and
the term of Mr. Whitfield, as the repre-
sentative of the party now in possession
of that government, only expired on the
day before his Inauguration, proving that
the people of Kansas were in favor of the
Territorial Government. He found things
} just as they were, and could not avoid
, taking the course that he had adopted.
It is well known that in the 0ctobe
election of 1856 the Free State men die
not take part, and the reason we conceiF'
entirely sufficient for not participating
: The payment of Territorial tax was al
l indispensable condition, and an oath t
sustain the Fugitive Slave Law was ais,
required. Whitfield was of course elect
ed, entirely by pro-slavery votes. 1t i
difficult to comprehend how Mr. Buchan
an could, under these circumstances, re
gard Whitfield as the legitimate represen
tative of the people of Kansas. Whel
the President says that Congress sustained
the Territorial Government, he states al
historical untruth. The Representative,
branch of that body, at its session of '5:
) SO, refused to admit Whitfield to
seat, in consequence of the frauds tha
had been perpetrated upon the franchise.
of the people. At the same time the in.
dependent movement of the Free State
people, which resulted in State Consti
tuition, was expressly endorsed by thi.
branch of the Federal Government; ant
Kansas was admitted by it, as State, int
the Union. The Senate refused concur
renee; and thus, BY its action alone, Kan
sas remained in its Territorial condition
The Territorial Government was emphat
ically repudiated by the popular branch o
our National Legislature, and this repudi
alton was based upon the report of tn
Investigating Committee, which devei
oped the disgraceful fact that in our Re