The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-07-29

request to publish it, This he has declined to do re-
pectuy ask It's insertion in your paper the hope that
some OF the views it contains may be acceptable your
readers and may place the subject upon which ii treats
in more favorable light than that given by some Of the
democratic presses which entertain opposite opinions
am, very respectfully, your friend,
BEVERLEY TUCKER
wAsHrSorox, July IA, 1857.
TO R. A. PRYoR, ESQ,
Editor gf q The SO,al,'' Richmond Va
DEAR SIR: have read with much attention your ar
tcies on Kansas Gov. Walker, the administration &c
In forming determination prepare this letter to YOU
have been moved solely by desire 10 do something in
my humble way, To smooth the atated of pub
lie opinion In the South and especially in Virginia. upon
this important subject. Nor have T. in appendng my
own name TO it, been influenced by any vain parade OF
myself but have done purely because there some
at least who viii read it, that will not doubt my loyalty
to the faith in which have been reared and to those
principles which it my privilege publicly to proclaim
and defend You have said and fairly said, that your
columns open TO respectful discussion of public af
fairs if the views presented not in coincidence
with your You viii find that will not violate the
courtesy extend 1t is, perhaps proper to say that
have not been prompted to this step by any member Of
the administration, either directly indirectly, have
advised any of them of my purpose
IN regard to the administration and Gov. Walker in
Kansas, have word to say view the course Of Gov
Walker in avery different light from you The South
w,
and should be triply armed with Just cause and so it
is in fact must not be understood by this that b.
cIase she is in minority she must therefore be tame
der an assault upon her rights. BY This very
fact would justify jealous and quick resentment but
she must preserve he right 10 her the surest of
protecting herself
You will remember that this Kansas controversy is no
affair Ii has been rpenng into issue for than
thirty years II has had its various stages of develop
nent and has evoked various remedies The Missouri
Compromise the first great in creating the
tional dispute between the North and the South That
was measure which contemplated the existence of
legal and political North and legal and political South.
II compromise under which the parties undertook
armed neutrality 1t settled nothing. The princi
pies of the federal constitution the principles of the
State rights menthe true, able, and patriotic State
rights of the South 1t is simply impossible that
those principles could have been evoked in adjusting the
Missouri Compromise because that measure cuts the mat
ter in controversy in two parts and assumed declare
that slavery should be legal south of given line of lat
tude, and illegal north of that line Hence TO the
tent that the legislation Of 1920 could effect IT, our union
Of political equality made coalition of inequalities
and fatal sectional antagonsn II is manifest from these
reflections that mere legislative remedies on the part
Of Congress could eectuay the difference be-
tween the North and the Sonh the subject OF slavery
in the Territories.
BY recent decision of the Supreme Court the United
States the Compromise of 1920 is declared unconstu-
tiona and void That of the court has thus settled
the question of the power Of Congress upon the subject
and of course, it has left all such matters to be deter
mined by the people of given Territory when they shall
form their State constitution preparatory to demanding
admission into the Union.
If Congress has no power to determine what shall be
the social institutions Of State it follows that the peo
Pile of Territory have for il is impossible to recognise
any Intermediate authority to give effect system
of government in any other mode of action
Now in the case of Kansas Congress- in its organic act
socmnly dsavowed its authority the people, aud de-
cled that they perfectly free to arrange for them
selves their social institutions BY that Congress
ceased to exercise control In Kansas and to all
the world that the people of Kansas by fair vote should
determine for themselves whether they would or would
not have slavery.
Under these circumstances the administration appont-
cd Robert j. Walker to be governor of that Territory
Mr. Buchanan had just issued his inaugural address in
which he had solemnly declared to the country that it
would be his purpose TO to the people of Kansas
in accordance with the organic act OF that Territory
full and fair vote in adopting their social institutions
The Supreme Court of the United States had lust an
nounced to the country its decision that it the fun
damentd right of the people thus 10 act that in them
existed, by virtue of their sovereign attributes full a
thory to establish their State constitution prepare
tory to admission rs State into the Union
In selecting Governor Walker to proceed to Kansas he
then bound by the organic law of that Territory
enacted by Congress- by the decision of the highest judi
eia tribunal by the opinion of the Executive declared
the country his accession to office by the unanimous
vote of the cabinet his letter of instructions by the
great principles Of the democratic party which the
cent canvass had been conducted and by the common
naxims of republican government to every honor
BILE in his power the people of that dis
urbed Territory the free exercise of their elective rights
And what principle of justice what instinct of free gov
ernnent what tradition Of order in society has been of
Tended by Gov. Walker in the course he has thought
proper pursue If Congress does not propose to act
what propriey is there in denying the people
the right to do sol And who is injured? Who can he
injured by such action 1t is said that it will result in
making Kansas free State If So it must be by fair
Uo and to make it slave State by other process
would not only disease the of the South but would
inevitably, in the end, fail of its purpose.
repeat, cannot afford to be in the wrong We can
not afford to establish slavery anywhere against the fair
lyascrained will Of the people If triumph let
be upon issue which shall mark cause as just and
shall yindcae against assault after work shall be
completed
We of the South have been assaied by fanaticism
attempting to farce slavery upon the country in opposi
ton to the will of local communities. You know and
know that have been grossly msepesented in this
spect and now that the occasion presents ITSELF t is
duty to evince rdevoton great fundamental principle
of civil liberty by agreeing that in there sha be
a full and fair vote upon the vital question of forming
and ratifyng their State constitution
In regard TO the of Governor Walker in Kansas
he has done nothing, far as | know which does not
look TO an honest decision by the people themselves upon
matters in dispute there.
He is acting with all the leading in the democrat
ic party precisely Virginia acted with the democracy
of New York in all federal affairs.
Ne Is cordially eored BY ue leading friends q he Saah
redog Koasas5y Judge Elnaoe formerly Of South Caro-
lima by Dr. SrRrsGrELnow, DIR. JoSEs, Gen. WHITFIELD
Col DoNIPuAS Col 1sAAcs -by all the speakers the
stump by their byeyerybody from all sections
Of the Union residing there save of course that
band of idiot fanatics who live the decayed form of
the Topeka constitution and believe in its coming resur
rection. OF the truth of these facts have the most