The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-04-02
PROSPECTS OF KANSAS UNDER GOVERNOR
WALKER.

oppressor of the Free State settlers, should be
removed, and provided his own impartial policy
should be fully sustained by the Cabinet. Mean.
while, the Pro Slavery party had sent on their
agent to demand substitute for Geary. After
nearly o weeks consultation with his advisers,
Mr.. Buchanan has rejected Geary, and yielded
to the request of his enemies.
A new Governor has been appointed, South
ern man, and with him Southern Secretary of
State, in place of Woodson, the present incum.
bent. Neither Robert j. Walker, however, nor
Frederick P. Stanton, the gentlemen appointed,
is classed among the headlong ultraists of
their party, and We are not disposed to PREJUDICE
their official conduct. Yet it is safe to say that
Gov. Walkers administration will necessarily
operate unjustly against the Free State cause.
However honorable may be his purposes, his
hands are tied, and be will be compelled, as
Geary himself would be, to sanction the pro-
ceedings of the Border Ruffian Legislature, and,
so far as he can, to carry out an act which will
impose on an unwilling people Constitution
abhorrent to their opinions, and which they can
have no hand in framing.
In refusing to re-appoint Geary, therefore,
the Administration has clearly shown its hand |;
it has, in advance, lent its influence in favor of
the contamination of great public I'M ustice,
of fraud upon the rights of the people of Kan
sas and of the entire North. And when next
winter the Pro slavery State Constitution, which
its usurping inventors, with the cowardice which
naturally accompanies illgot, insecure power,
have refused to submit to the ratification of the
people, shall be laid before Congress, may we
not anticipate the strenuous aid of Mr.. Buchan-
an in procuring its acceptance and the admis-
sion of Kansas as a slave State?
II, however, Northern Democrats prove re.
fractory at so gross a violation of popular SOW
ereignty," is it preposterous 10 suppose that a
new artifce may be tried, that Mr.. Buchanan's
former love of compromises, which burned with
such constant ardor till short period before
the Cincinnati Convention, may blaze again
that counses of harmony-"t the equilibrium Of
States" call it what you will-may yet come
into vogue-may, in short, suggest another com.
promise?
"Be content" we think we hear the bland
accents ofthe old compromiser-"be content, my
Northern friends, with Minnesota and Oregon
let Kansas go; are you afraid to leave the ques-
ton of Slavery to the free people of this young
State? Let them amend their Constitution "
And then the South will have its tantrums
They will protest-they will appeal to our sym.
pathy-they will exclaim, in the language of the
Patriarch, Me ye have bereaved of my chill
|, dren ; Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye
will take Benjamin away" And then, after
such howl about agitation, injustice to the
South, and such miscellaneous chorus o.
stormy music IS will arise from the slavehold
ing secession;sts, is it to be expected that the
venerable paci6cator, who loves his ease and
quiet only less than his Presidential Chair, car
decline to lend his good Offices, that he will re
fuse once more to save the Union? If so, he
is made of sterner stuff than is generally sup
: posed.
r THE OFFICE BEGGARs IN wAsHINGT0N-MR
rne k0eels Or washington, with the excep
= ton of the Inflated National" are swarm
: ing with that "innumerable caravan" of hun
CRY politicians who every four years make theil
pilgrimage to the White House. Every grade
and stripe of social condition are here repre-
scented, from the plethoric office holder of many
years standing, seeking to arrest the operation
OF that terrible rule of rotation, which now
threatens to cut him off from the refreshing
sluices of an overlooking treasury, to the swag
gering leader of the DULLES and short. boys o.
the great cities, claiming inordinate recompense
for the rough work he has done at the polls
On the whole, however, if we may Judge from
the appearance of our visiters, it is pretty safe
: to conclude that Office seeking is not the mos
Il reputable calling at present pursued by Ameri
n can citizens, nor that oficeseekers represen,
the average moral and intellectual culture o.
the American people. If the principle were
adopted that the Office should seek the man, and
= not the man the office, not many of these gentle
II men temporarily residing in our city would
II realize their aspirations.
Bat it is not the personal, so much as the
i political character of the applicants, which
most deserves attention. The appointments al
ready made are few, but they are enough 10
. warrant a significant conclusion as to the sub
serviency of the new Administration to slave
= holding dictation. Mr.. Buchanan came to Wash
ington with the announcement of one "irrever
sible and universal" rule, viz: Rotation in Office
o This the South was not accustomed to- and they
= refused to allow its operation. every well, -
;, said Mr.. Buchanan, "just as you please gen
:. tlemen; let the Southern incumbents remain; Ie,
the rule be confined to Northern appointments
we will have one rule for the North. and another
:. for the South" Accordingly, Gen. Cass's friend
:. the Postmaster of Detroit, is removed, while
the friends Of the Tennessee member of the
Cabinet are reappointed.
!. The South, however, is not eonteuted with
this. One further concession is demanded
Eminent services to Slavery by Northern men
must be rewarded, rather the services of those
{ whose course heretofore is guaranty for obse
}. quiouaneas in future, and who therefore have a
# claim not only on gratitude for past favors but
, on that type of gratitude-so peculiar to South
f ern politicians-which consists of lively sense
!. of benefits to come. Again the new Presiden,
:. yields, and Watson Freeman, the Boston official
b who was most efficient in consigning Anthony
l. Burns to the Slavery from which be had fed
. is again loaded with the honors of United States
:. Mafelal.
}. Such Is the prelude to the new Administra.
ton - hardly variation Of the Pierce dy
e nasty OF weakness vacillation, and uneendirS.
s al acquieseence IN the demands of the Oligar.
!. chy.
| t. -,