Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1857-07-17
a1uIittcal.
MIR. BUCHANAN ON KANSAS.

The following article from the Washington
Union is understood to have the official
sanction of the President, and is therefore
important as showing his probable course
in reference to Gov. Walker:
GOV. WALKER AND THE SOUTH.
We have witnessed with unfoigned regret
the spirit in which nearly the whole Southern
press has received and treated tho inaugural
address of Gov. Walker of Kansas. From
the Know Nothing opposition press we had
little else to express but it is rather moro
serious TO see that the Democratic presses are
by no means unanimous in the view they take
of his conduct 1t is a still more important
fact that two State Democratic Conven-
tions-one in Georgia and one in Mississippi
have taken strong exceptions to certain ox-
pressions in Gov. Walkers inaugural address.
The Georgia Convention goes further, and
concludes its censure by expressing the be-
lief that he will be removed. 1t is natural
enough that this state Of things should afford
a good deal ofmalicious pleasure to Northern
Abolitionists as well as to Southern Know
Nothings. They hunt in couples, and have
a common political interest in pulling down
the only party which defends the Constitution
at all points.
an will take in dealing with this whole Kan
sas affair is a very plain one. His path is so
clearly marked out by principle that states
man with the thousandth part of his sagaci-
ty could not fail to see it. That he would
wilhlly turn aside from what he knows to be
his duty is a slander on his character which
we think his worst enemy is not base enough
to utter lie will not forfeit the high place
to which his past life entities him in the his
tory Of his country by an act Of treachery to
the principles which carried him into Office
The American people were never safer than
they are at this moment in relying on the wis
dom and integrity of their Chief Magistrate.
The Georgia resolutions assail Gov Walk
or on two points l. He advocated the sub
mission of the Constitution to a direct vote
of the people; and 2. He furnished argu-
ments in favor Of making Kansas a Free State.
/ On both these points we have some opinions
which we propose to record now and here.
We do not understand our Georgia friends
to find fault with the general doctrine that
the people of Kansas have the power to de-
| eide the question of Slavery for themselves
| by inserting in their Constitution whatever
/ provision on that subject they think proper.
/ This is a proposition which no man can deny
and call himself democrat or a friend of the
| Constitution and laws. 1t the Shibbo-
/ leth of the party in the canvass of 1856, as
/ it had been in many contest before that. 1t
was embodied in the compromise measures of
| 1850 it was made part of the Kansas Ne
! braska bill itself; it was incorporated in the
| Cincinnati platform the candidates of the
party were pledged to it, the speakers and
writers of the party pleaded for it, and it was
unanimously adopted by the masses of the
] 81 Ill al fho
preme Court have established it as the law of
the land by demonstrating that the power of
deciding upon the subject of Slavery does not
exist anywhere else.
Even if we had not these overwhelming
thorities to back us--if it were proper to re-
argue upon original principles question that
has been settled by Congress, assented to by
the people, and sanctioned by the solemn iudg
ment of the highest judicial tribunal in the
world-still we think it would require but
little dialectc skill to show the justice and
necessity of it plainly that no one could
deny it who has sense enough to know his
right hand from his left.
The contrary doctrine is the eexclusive prop
erty Of our Northern Ant-Slavery opponents.
If Kansas shall come to Congress and ask for
admission with a Constitution made in pur-
suance of legal authority not inconsistent
with the fundamental law of the Union, and
approved by her own people, all sound men
will say admit her The Abolitionists alone
would throw her Constitution back into her
face If its provisions on the subject OF Slave
ry did not please them They alone would
say to her people d" You have made Con-
sttutioD which suits your own wants and
wishes, but we have other views and we are
your masters. You must disregard your own
opinions and conform wholly to ours Those
who sincerely believe that Congress ought to
speak thus have no reason for 1t but the IN
sane hatred and prejudice against Southern
men with which they are saturated, from the
crown to the toe.
VIII Mr.. Buchanan, in any event, take the
Abolition side OF this question; VIII he be
found arraying his power and influence a
gainst his own sense of right and duty, and
against justice, reason, the law and Constitu-
tion Would he lend his brow to the shame
with which such an act must blacken it for ev-
er, Would he " sell the mighty space OF his
large honors' for anything that his weak and
impotent enemies have to otfer' No; the
] of tho whole pOuutrV North and