The Washington union., 1857-08-22
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AND MISREPRESENTATION
IN Pee nm no KANSAS AFFAIRS


IN REGARD TO KANSAS AFFAIRS
Prejudice and error can have abiding place with
candid and an intelligent people. But few short
weeks ago there very large number of persons
in the South who conceived that Governor Walker
had shamefuly and shamelessly violated his instrue-
tions-had impudently intervened in affairs in which
or over which control could only be exercised by the
sacrifice of the great principle of popular sovereign
tyand had deliberately by word and deed, falsited
his professions and principles for the concealed OBJ
ect of giving ascendency in the Territory of Kansas
to party whose opposition he had been subjected
to for a lifetime, and whose vituperaton he is
still the liberal recipient. Under just appre-
citation of the true condition of affairs in Kan
sas, and of Gov Walkers connexion with those
affairs, the number of his opponents has become
greatly reduced and feel satisfied thnt, when all
the facts of the widely known and properly
understood, the opposition will be still further di-
mnished.
The Charleston Mercury see in these fast-accu-
mulating evidences Of returning and returning
justice only many proofs that the South is united
in its opposition to Gov. Walker for his alleged sins
of omission and commission The Mercury is salts
fed that the great mass of the southern people
pudiate and denounce him but it is also free to
confess that in this matter there is wide difference
of opinion between the people and their presses and
this difference it thus accounts for:
'The press Is a far uncertain index of the popu
opinion than elections because those who govern the
press often have interests and aims connected with the
federal government which the people do possess
Judged by this criterion, South Carolina is divided
and lower in her southern feelings than any other of the
cotton States. There presses in South Caro-
lina in proportion to the number in the State which
have supported Walker than in other cotton State
The southern democratic press needs no defence
at our hands and this attempt to mpugn its truth
fulness and integrity is not only discrcdtable to the
Mercury, but it shows what has often been shown
before that the discounted in argument not unfre-
quently resort to the of vulgar epithets or deal
literally in unworthy insnuations to hide weakness
or cover disappointment.
We have never undertaken to endorse all that
Gov. Walker has said written. Neither have we
joined issue with those who have freely criticised
his speeches or his writings. A very large number
of his opponents are his opponents, as we believe
through misrepresentation want of correct
knowledge of all the facts of the case but it would
be unjust and ungenorous to suppose for instant
that in their honest opposition to what they conceive
to have been violation of duty and principle they
would be guilty of the slightest injustice to Gov.
Walker the national administration. 1t is not
however with verbal criticisms that we have to
do, but with acts-the acts of governor Of Terri
tory which had been feariuly divided and distracted
by outside interference and inside misunderstood
ings; and to these acts we appeal for the vindca-
ton of Gov. Walkers official course.
In the leading article of yesterdays issue Of the
Union we took occasion to aude at considerable
length to two or three letters which had been writ
ten by General Atchison within the last eight nine
weeks We desire again to call the attention of
readers to these letters by careful examination
and comparison of their dates and contents much
| light will be thrown upon what conceive to be
the unfounded opposition to Gov. Walker. Below
is General Atchison' s first letter
PLAT1sBunG, June IL, 1857.
Sir: Your letter Of May 2oth together with the en-
closed draft for S291 has been received and will be for
warded to Mr. w. H. Russell. treasurer, ut Lcaycn-
worth city, and will be appropriated to can
not tell what will be the result in Kansas Our friends
in the southern States very apahctc and Of
friends who have heretofore strained every spent
their money and their time beginning to despair and
Others turning their attention to speculation and
money be raised in South Carolina The people Of that
State have been liberal above all other of the southern
States Yet that the North has and will raise and
expend in Kansas effect their unholy purposes, ten
dollars where we raise Yet do not despair.
Your obedicnt servant,
d. r. ATCHISON.
Hon j. ID. TRADEwEIL.
When the above letter written Gov Walker
had been resident Of Kansas only fourteen days,
and his influence for good or evil could scarcely
have been known, let alone felt. AT all events no
allusion is made to Gov. Walker by Gen. Atchison.
The General, it will be observed, writes in hopeless
vein 1t is evident that he believes that the free
State party the strongest numerically and he at
tributes the force of numbers not to Gov. Walker,
for his name is not mentioned, but to the apathy
of his southern friends.
! Well, time rolls oil---strong exceptions taken
to Gov. Walkers inaugural address and his Topeka
| speech--he is openly charged with attempting to
abotionize Kansas-the State conventions of Geor-
gia and Mississippi meet and pass ccnsuring resolu-
tons--and the news is brought to Kansas that the
whole South is in open opposition to Gov. Walker,
holding him. and him alone RESPONSIBLE for condi-