The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-11-12
From the New York Times
KANSAS AFFAIRS GOvERNOR WALKER AND
THE ADMINISTRATION.

Governor Walker and Secretary Stanton, it
seems, are not to be removed from Office, for
having rejected the simulated and fictitious
returns" of votes that were never cast. from
Oxford precinct, in Johnson county. The tele-
gram which announced simultaneously in all
the great cities of the Union, on Saturday
morning, that their conduct was repudiated, and
that they would be elected from Office by the
President therefor, proves to have been entire
lv without authority or foundation in fact. Our
Washington correspondent states that it prob
ably originated in the emphatic denunciatious
OF the action of these officials by member Of
the Cabinet, and in his confident declarations
that they would be removed If this conjecture
IS true, the apparent authority for the state
ment was certainly respectable; but we are
more gratifed than disappointed to find that it
was entirely without foundation AS we re-
marked on Saturday morning, it seemed quite
incredible that any such action should have
been resolved upon
A renowned politician has said that, in poll
tics, blunder is worse than a crime. There
are acts, however, which combine all the evils
OF both, and are at once criminal bunders and
laundering crimes, The removal of Governor
Walker and Secretary Stanton, for their con.
duct In this case, would have been one of them.
1t would have shocked the moral sense of the
whole country, destroyed confidence in the good
faith and justice of the Administration, dis
tracted aud broken the Democratic party, and
plunged Kansas into fresh commotion. which
would scarcely have been quelIed without
bloodshed, and would very possibly have in.
volved the Federal Government and extended
to other sections of the Union.
| We are greatly surprised by the intimation
that the Secretary of the Treasury should have
| denounced the rejection of these returns. and
demanded the removal of Governor Walker
and Secretary Stanton. Mr.. Cobb is a Soutb
ern man, and devoted perhaps preeminently
to Southern interests. Rut he is also a man Of
sagaclous Judgment, moderated passions. and
general falrness-and he has not ranked hither
10 among the unreasonable ultraists who took
no pans to deny, or even to conceal, their pur
pose OF forcing Slavery upon Kansas, without
regard to law or the will of the people. He
must know that the rejection of those returns
was absolutely necessary to Justice and fair
dealing, and that the intelligence and common
sense of the whole country in all sections and
all parties, would sustain it. Governor Walker
mas the cordial and emphatic appreciation of
the people OF the whole Unicn, for his lust and
manly action In this emergency. Overzealous
parUsans may depreciste its merit, and i'm peach
its motives; but even they cannot question its
justice or Its Importance at the present moment
Aud If the Administration had taken ground
against 1t, the sympathy and support of the
whole country would have been with Governor
Walker.
The only point upon which any censure. or
even doubt, of his action can be based. IA a
purely technical one 1t is alleged. in the reso.
lutions of the ProSlavery meeting at Lecomp-
ton, which we published on Saturday, that he
had no business to go behind the returns; that
1t was his duty to give the certificates of cleo.
ton to the members entitled to them bu those
returns, leaving the Legislature itself to enter.
tain and decide all objections to them. There
Is plausibility, at least, in this plea. The Ian
guage of the law, in regard to members of the
Legislature, is, that the Secretary shall "exam.
Inc the returns in the presence of the Govern.
or, and to give the persons having the high
est number OF votes In their respective districts
certificates of their election to the Legislative
Assembly" 1t is, therefore, by the returns,
that the number OF votes is to be determined
and the certificates to be awarded. But this,
OF course, supposes the returns themselves TO
be genuine and duly authenticated, and in all
respects comfortable to law. In this case the
Governor and Secretary unite in declaring that
the returns were simulated and 6ctitiousn
| that they we're not made out in conformity IN
| law, and that upon this account thew must he
| rejected. Their allusion to the palpable and
outrageous fraud which they were intended to
sanction was made, not as the ground for re.
jecting them, but merely for the purpose of
showing that their rejection could not involve
any injustice or hardship, but, on the contrary.
would prevent most fragrant and high handed
fraud, and secure the people in the endowment
OF their rights. An act, which was necessary
upon the ground of informally, was also com
mended by the requirements of Justice. 1t can
not be said that the Governor and Secretary
had no right to inquire into the genuineness
and validity of the returns themselves-for sncb
position would involve infinite absurdties-
1T would compel them to act upon forged re.
turns, and would deny the right to INQUIRE
which, of two sets that might be sent in. was
genuine, and which was forged.
The people of the whole country will annrove
and applaud the action of Governor Walker and
Secretary Stanton in this case. We do not be-
lieve that even the ultra Pro Slavery men of tho
South can excite against it any Considerable
degree of public feeling, even in their own sec.
ton. Jefferson Davis and Senator Hunter will
scarcely venture to hazard their reputation as