The Placer herald., 1857-05-30
Mr., Walker on Kansas.

In view of the appointment of the Hon.
Robert J. Walker as Governor of Kansas,
the following extracts from letter which he
wrote while the Presidential election was
impending, is interesting and important
The letter was dated September 30th, 1856,
and was addressed to the Democratic Com
mittee in Pittsburg, Penn. 1t was an elabo-
rate view OF the principal topics of the can
vass and contained the following sentences
relative to Kansas:
''lf this question, as provided by the Kan
sas and Nebraska Bill should be left to the
people Of the Territory in forming their State
constitution, it will be determined by soil,
climate, production, and the laws which
govern the movement Of population. Here,
the North, aided by its greatly superior num-
bers, by European non-slaveholdng emf
grants, by the greater facility of movement
unincumbered by the transport of slaves, or
the apprehension of their ultimate condition
where taken, have great advantages over the
South in the settlement Of new Territories
and should be perfectly satisfied with the
principle which leaves the determination OF
this question, when they become State, to
a majority Of the people Of the Territory
This is the Kansas Nebraska Bill. This is
non interventon-a absolute non-interference
by the federal government This is the doc
trine Of the Constitution. This is that rule
OF absolute equality of rights of all the States,
which lays at the foundation Of the con
federacy. This is that Constitutional right
recognized in the admission of new States,
that they come into the Union upon an equal
footing with the other States, in all respects
whatsoever. But the equality does not exist,
if other States accede or come into the Union,
with or without slavery, at their pleasure
and Kansas cannot do SO.
There is another reason, not heretofore adj
verted to, which seems to re der it imprsc-
tcable long to maintain slavery in Kansas
In all the slave States there is large ma
ioritv of voters who are non-slaveholders,
but they are devoted to the institutions of
the South-they would defend them with
their lives-and on this question the South
are q united people. This class, composed
OF many small farmers or merchants, profes-
sional men, mechanics, overseers, and other
industrial classes, constitute mainly the pa
troll Of the South, and cheerfuly unite in
carrying ont those laws essential to preserve
the institution. Against powerful minority
aud constant agitation, slavery could not
long exist in amy State. 1t is a well known
fact that this result would have followed soon,
in several Of the slave States, bat ior tAo
unauimiiy speedily produced there by the
abolition abirators and Intermediates Of
the North Now Kansas is much divided on
the question of slavery there; there is
powerful luin0litv there If not naortv
A party not neutral, bat bitterly hostile to
the institution; and for this, in addition to
the reasons before given do not believe
Kansas will become a slave State"
The Boston journal (Republican,) says:
If Mr. Walkers official acts are governed
by the views herein presented, and the prin-
ciple Of popular sovereignty is administered
with thorough impartality, the friends of
free Kansas can reasonably expect nothing
further OF the new Governor in the advance
ment of their own ideas of the true des tiny
of the Territory.