Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-12-22

TUESDAY, DECEMBER %, 1857.
The President and Gov. walker.


1t appears that Hon. R. J. WALKER has
been constrained by the difference of opin-
ion which has recently arisen between him
self and the President, on Kansas affairs,
to resign the territorial Governorship to
which he succeeded, scarce nine months
ago, with so much pomp and parade. His
letter of resignation has been published at
Washington, and a telegraphic synopsis
furnished the Louisville papers Of Satur-
day last. From that synopsis we make
the following extract, setting forth the
circumstances under, and the conditions
upon, which he accepted the appointment:
At the earnest solicitation of the President,
after repeated refusala, the last being in wri-
ting, finally accepted this Office, upon his let
ter showing the dangers and difficulties of the
Kansas question and the necessity of my un-
dertaking the task of adjustment. Under
these circumstances, notwithstanding the
great sacrifices to me, personal, political and
pecuniary, [ felt that l could no more refuse
such call from my country through her
Chief Magistrate ihan a soldier in battle who
is ordered to command a forloru hope. &C
cePted, hOG0e0eT, on the express condition that
should allocate the submission Of the c0nsti-
tuition to cote Of the people for ratification
or rejection.
These 0ieacs acre clearly understood 6y the
President and all his Cabinet. They were
distinctly set forth in my letter Of acceptance
of this Office on the 3Oth of March last, and
reiterated in my inaugural address on the 27th
of May last, as follows: Indeed, l cannot
doubt that the convention, after having pass
ed State Constitution, will submit it for
ratification or rejection by a majority of the
bona fde resident settlers of Kansas" With
these UieIos aoeU bHOlon TO the President and
Cabinet, and APPROVED BY THEM, accepted
the appointment Of GOUGrnOr Of Kansas. My
instructions from the President, through the
Secretary of State, under date of the 18th Of
March last, were 10 sustain the regular LegIs-
lature of the territory in assembling con-
ventiOn to form q constitution, and they eX-
press the opinion of the President that when
such a constitution shall be submitted 10 the
people Of the territory they must be protected
in the exercise of their right of voting for or
against that instrument. The fair expression
of the popular will must not be interrupted
by fraud or violence.
Herein we have evidence of what we
have all along believed, and assumed, that
the policy inaugurated in Kansas by Gov
ernor Walker was in reality the policy Of
the Administration, concocted at Wash
ington, and approved by the President
and Cabinet. 1t was the confidence we
had in the correctness of this position that
prompted us to hold Mr.. Buchanan and
not Gov. Walker responsible. Kansas,
and the country at large, are now abOut to
reap the bitter fruits of this executive in
reference to shape the institutions of the
prospective State. Having led Gov.
Walker into difficulties, rushed him upon
the breakers, the President suddenly takes
a new tack, deserts his satrap, and be-
comes wonderfully exercised about what
constitute the domestic institutions" spO-
ken of in the Kamsas-N cbraska Act, giving
the law a new and most profoundly wise
construction! This is what might have
been expected of Mr.. Buchanan. 1t is
not in his nature to be true. Ever since
he gave currency to the calumny upon
Henry Clay-a calumny which pursued
him to his dying day-he has been improv-
ing his skill in intrigue and deception; and
may now be regarded as a master of the
art. The South should put no trust in
him. Even now, whilst he is openly try
ing to commend himself to the support Of
Southern members of Congress, it is init
mated that he has sent out to Kansas a
secret agent to procure the rejection of the
slavery clause of the constitution. One
who practices such assimilation ought to
be repudiated by all fair-minded and hon
est men.