Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-08-05
THE KANSAS QUESTION.


10 side with them against the law and order men, in
the forthcoming Constitution should not be sub
mitted to tho people of the territory for ratification,
had the appearance of staggering foolishness Such
has been the light in which his personal course has
been regarded by US from the outset Of his Kansas
career. But VIC have thought proper, with many
Others to forbear any expression Of censure towards
the Administration on that account because We did
not appreciate the fairness oshastily visiting upon
tho Government tho fnults ofsan agent who was ne
ccssarly entrusted with enlarged discretion as to the
mode and manner of his operations in the diihcuit
field to which he appointed. In the exercise OF
that discretion, Governor WALKER has made speeches
and announced declarations we'll calculated to nfame
the pride of the Southern people; and, even admit
ting that this has been mere hypoerltcal seeming
for the purpose of throwing .Black Repubicanism
more fully into the wrong before the country yet
were his said speeches and declarations uncaledfor
and presumptuous neither ereditabe to his head as
statesman nor to his heart as q Southernef. bu'
as we have intimated, the Administration was NOT
supposed to have advised ortapproved these spec'a
acts of its agent does ityet appear that such
the fact On the contrary ns it not been announced
from authoritative quarter that the Kansas oo'-
ernor's modus operandi exceeded in its character
whnt the President expected md desired. we
are no apologist for tho present Administration
Yet seeing that its rule has been inaugurated mainly
by Southern advocacy and Southern votes; and
knowing that it has planted itself upon apolitcal
code which has for its aim justice to the South as we'll
tl,a
wisdom of that advice which would have US abandon
it abruptly at this early period of its labors because
its agent has maneuvered otfensivey in the so-caed
kansas imbroglio.
But perhaps we do not give the full weight Of the
charge laid at President BucHANAs's door. That
charge s generally that he is not true to the South
upon the Kansas issues. And how does this appear
lst He sends IN agent to that territory who uses
rash and apparently ant-Southern, means to secure
the success of his mission. 2nd. he favors through
that agent, the submittal of the Kansas Constitution
to the people Of the territory, for ratification. 9rd'
He encourages thereby the formation of aFree State
out of Kansas.
We have spoken above to the first count in this in
dictment. In regard to the second we submit to our
readers md cotcmporaries tho following inquiries
by way of suggestion. Y
Is itnot the true principle of popular sovereignty,
that the voice of the whole bona de people Of ter
ritory be ascertained, upon all measures connected
with the important event Of its becoming sovereign
State In tho case of Kansas, has the Administration
sought anything more than this? And has not its
accredited organ distinctly said that the lro-'la'ery
Contention is the only pOOer to determine 0ho compose
the BONA FIDE peoples Of Ka"'a''
Again. does it not now appear evident, to the sur
prize of Southerners that the pro-savery party is
after nil in slender minority in Kansas? And since
this has become evident, are there not statements
freely circulating the effect that the climate of that
territory is unsucd to the negro race, &c In short
have not the pro-slavery men of Kansas themselves
given up all hopes of making it slave State? Un-
der these circumstances, even supposing that the
Convention could force through pro-sarery consti-
tuition, would it be advantageous to tho Southern
cause? Is it not evident that such q constitution
would speedily be abrogated to its slavery features
| by the people of the State Of Kansaas And would
not this be more demonstrative and more danger
|
likely to ocourn the primary adoption the Consti
tuition Do not the.prassiatsry party in Kansas feel
this to be true? Else how are we to account for
the fact that they are heartily with the Admnstra-
ton in its Kansas policy? They, upon the ground
and with their eyes open, unite with WALKER are
they not the best judges in their own case And
now because the Administration with the honest de-
sire of settling vczed question has recommended thai
the Constitution of Kansas be referred for ratification
to tho bona de citizens of the territory the
pro. slavery Convention to designate who these bono
fde citizens arewe ask is it right is it reasonable
is tmagnanmous to urge the South,-for this offence
no morc,-to turn upon our aged and patriotic Chic
Magistrate and take from him the true lever Of hi:
power for good, the united friendship of the South
Would it not a least be polite to delay such advice
until this whole Kansas question shall be unfoded il
all its bearings and results?
word or two upon the third division of the charge
against the President 1t contains tho real potica
sin complained of by portion of the southern press
and it is that the Administration by its course, is en-
couraeinc the formation Of Free State out of Kan
sas. To assume that this is the spirit and intent
Governor WALKERS mission, is to believe that MIR
BUCHANAN is capable of treachery towards that por
ton of the people of tho United States who repose'
confidence in his high character for patriotism ant
ability, and who, by their united support, elevated
him to the first Office in the Union. In the language
of Western exchange, Eve ore ut a loss to conJec
ture any adequate motive to prompt the President to
policy volative of the very issue upon which he va
elected" It will be said that howcvor strange ant
incomprchensible this may appear, the facts Oh In
case are nevertheless so. What then are tho facts
One of them is, that the pro-saTery party were upol
WALKERS arrival in the territory hopeless OF success
Another is that they readily united with WALKER IL
his scheme of making Kansas Democratic State f
third is, that they made no sort Of objection 10 SUB
mtting their Constitution to the test of popular rn
fcation Is it to be surmised, that these ncts wer
brought about by Washington influences The sup
position is too grossly insulting to the gallant pro
slavery men of Kansas. The moro natural and tht
more liberal Interpretation s that these men saw thei
weakness and we're eager to grasp the only alternative
to ultimate defeatle them, viz concerted action with
Walker in giving fixed Democratic complexion te
the future State of Kansas.
And to this point We ask the especial attention o
our readers. Kansas, not by the fault Of the Admin
straon but by the force of circumstances within hel
own borders, is to become Free State But BY the
management of the Administrators agent seconded
by tho pro-saYery influence in tho territory shc bids
fair also to become staunch Democratic State, having