Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-10-23
LETTER FROM HON. X. NJ. T. HUNTER.
From the Charlottesville Jefersonion, Oct. FL
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Oct. 20;h, 1887.

10 the Editor of the J:6ersonian:
DEAR SIR:-l received last night the enclosed let
ter from Hon. K, NJ. L. Hunter, which | ask you 10
publish. kept no copy of my letter to Mr.. Hunter
TO which his is u reply. Tbs interrogatories pro
/ pounded will be readily gathered from the answers.
| have only to say, that | never doubted myself
Mr.. Hunters attachment TO the principles OF the Dt-
mocratic party Of Virginia, or his friendship for AR.
Buchanau's Administration; and it was no dlstrusl
on my part that led me to address him, with q vie"
to elicit his views for publication.
never doubted that Mr.. Hunter condemned the
course of Governor Walker in Kansas, and | have
been land am now equally confident that ine.ienths
of the Virginia Democracy concurred in that con.
demnstiou. 1t the same time | have never believed
that either he or they had the slightest idea OF ma
king war upon Mr.. Buchanan, on that or any other
probable ground.
Very hastily, your friend, S. f. LEAKE.
LoYD's, EssEx County, VA"}
October lG, 1857.
To the Hon. Shelton f. Leoke
Dear Sir-1 received on yesterday your letter pro-
pounding to me certain interrogatories, to which,
without further delay, l proceed to reply. They are
in substance nearly the same, with the questions upon
which the Enquirer" for somet time past, has been de-
manding my answers. But to these last l have mol
replied, because they were either accompanied with
threats, or what were 30 considered, which made an
answer on my part, inconsistent with self-respeCt, or
else they were founded upon my presumed RESPONSE
bihty for the editorials OF certain newspapers within
III W lhOul tbO "a Va NhRuld NIlSu ~ W.
only not authorized TO speak for me, but which claim
ed no such authority. | was to be held responsible
for the course of newspapers, unless j came before
the public with a criticism of their course and q dis.
clailner of all sympathy with them; o responsibility
which | shall never acknowledge expressly or impli-
edly, by any act of mine. To admit such a respon.
sibility, would place it in the power Of any third per.
son who chose TO impute TO ma a sympathy with the
course Of any newspaper within or without the State,
to call me out in a public criticism OF its course upon
any question OF morals or politics which might bs in
discussion, or eee fx upon me the charge OF con.
curing in the views of that paper. No power could
force upon me the office of censor of the public press.
| certainly shall not assume it voluntarily. When
any paper claims authority to speak for me, then il
may DO the time to question me in regard to 1t, but
not before.
: Bat to proceed with the answers to your iuterro-
gato:ies. / have to say, frat, that the imputation Of
hostility, on my part, towards the administration oil
Mr.. Buchanan, is founded upon nothing that I have
either said or DINE. | voted for him as President,
: and MT only entertain no feeling OF hostility towards
him, but | wish him success. He has only to carry
out the principles of the Democratic party, as We un.
derstant them in Virginia, 10 command my cordial
support. These, so ia. gs applicable, will afford the
: test by which l shall Judge his Administration and
:. support VI oppose its acts, as they conform To, or de-
part from these principles. Nor she!i ne disposed
to apply tat test in any c%aptious, or unkind spirit,
but as jualy and fairly al l can. More | could moi
say for any Administration or man. | never would
n commit m1self to support Internationally the
y y future acti Of any man, but l will Judge them
as they arRe, TO sustain them when / believe they
are right, and to oppose them when l think they are
wrong. NJ opinions upon all the great political lie.
, sues, may h known through my votes and speeches,
= TO those wto feel enough OF interest in them, to look
into my plst course; and these will afford the best
. evidence Of the tests which | shall be likely to apply,
. in Judging Of the conduct of public affairs. WhiLst ]
remain in the Senate of The United States, | shall
stand there ss the representative OF the principles
3 and interests Of my State, so far as l can understand
> them, ana in the pursuit Of these objects, | should
II, not scruple to differ, il necessary, with any admins
u tration. In saying this, it may be perhaps talr to add
! that / hope and expect to be able to support Mr.
= Buchansn's administration in the main. Entire con-
currence in The views Of any man it wonld be toe
much TO nope, or expect.
= In answer TO the other lnterroEatory which you
j propose as 10 the conduct Of Governor Walker In
Kansas, | have little hesitation in saying, that | dis
u approve it. The Kansas.Nebrasks act was passed
= under thu hope that this, the last Of the territorial
. questions, involving the subject of slavery, nigh
, be settlel upon some common ground where a party
n could b, rallied from the North and the South. The
East ant the West, strong enough to defend the Con
~ electromagnetic The assaults of it's enemies and to adj
U minister the government justly upon other thar
= purely sectional ideas. TO rally a party which might
Y be able q maintain the Union upon constitutions
y principle, was an object of high political Importance
. and justified some sacrifices of feeling, and even of in
: %terest. accordingly, the bill was not such as woulc
% have been framed by the delegates of either section
if it ha6 been submitted 10 them alone. Many
perhaps uost Of the Southern men, tof whom
was one) believed that property in slaves wa
l. as much entitled to the protection of law in the Ter
. ritories of the United States, as property in anything
q else; but whilst the Northern friends Of the Kansas
u act would not concede this, they agreed to unite II
repeating tbs Missouri restric tion so as to remove
the ban under which the dune. tic institutions oil th'
y South had been placed by Federal Legislation. Ac
g c~ordingly, a bill was passed upon the principle OF non
o intervention, in regard to slavery, SO far rs the Gen
. eral Government was concerned, and which lett tha
i whole subject within the control of the people o
i, these territories, when they should apply for sdmls
u ijOp as States. This, although not all that We though
e Old .rda,h entitled 10, was a great advance upon th
GegSh,is :. thlp2s-sa' "Tusrrduons, from the sta
tute book. a moral triumph which wac Of vas
J, imp o,tance to the South and to the institution o
: slavery itself. Nor could the North object to a BIZ
!. which merely carried out a principle by which it haC
q recently gained so largely in the series of acts, de
nominated as the Compromise Measure. To all
! ought TO have been q subject of congrstulation tina
, a common ground had been found where a part,
! might be rallied from all sections Of the country t.
. administer the government Justly, and without sac
: rihcing the constitutional rights Of any portion of thu
; Union. The sole hope Of accomplishing 30 happy
: result depended upon submitting this question O
slavery to the people Of these territories, when they
came to form their constitutions as STATES, without
interference Of any sort on the part Of the Genera
Government. With the decision of the people them
selves, 30 far as the character of the new States was
concerned, the democratic party Of all sections de-
SioiSu thoy WOuiu oo lCu ~ lQIult III
r conditions Of this agreement, it was all important
that there should be no Interference on the port oil
the General Government, either through its Lcgis.
latve or Executive influence. Any euch intsrfer.
ence was calculated to dissatisfy the one section
or the other. Under such circumstances, it was in
my opinion improper for the highest Executive OF.
hcer IN the Territory, the Governor of Kansas, TO At.
tempt to influence the decision Of the people of that
Territory, upon this question of slavery. Such an in.
reference on the part Of any branch Of the Federal
government, was Inconsistent with the principle OF
the Kansas Nebraska act. Neither do | recognize bis
authority TO declare that "f they 1.-THE convention) do
not appoint a fair and impartial mode, by which a
majority Of the actual, bona tide resident settlers OF
Kansas, shall vote through the instrumentality of i'm
partial judges, / will join you in all lawful opposition
to their doiDgs, and the President and Congress will
reject their Constitution" II the convention itself
Waa legally constituted and elected, the question of
submitting their work to the people for ratification,
was one Of which that body had Jurisdiction alone,
unless, indeed, the act which called them into being,
had required a final ratification by the people. The
practice Of States applying for admission, az | under.
stand, has been in both ways. Nor has the power of
the convention TO determine this question for itself
ever been controverted heretofore, NO far as | am in.
formed The convention of Kansas, if legally constitu.
ted has al the powers of any other convention 10 form n
State constitution, and if Congress can limit this pow
or IN one respect, it may in all. II Congress can re.
Ject a State constitution for the manner in which the
convention has exercised iis undoubted powers, why
not Tor the matter also Of that constitution, even
NH N"J iopuoIlCdu III is ipTm Vi govern
ment ! Or, If the Governor of q Territory may at.
Tempt TO overawe a convention Of its people in the
exercise OF its powers in one respect, why not in an.
Other ! With regard to the abstract propriety If the
particular recommendation of Governor Walker, |
do not feel called upon to speak. That q a matter
tor the decision of the convention itself, with which |
ought not to interfere. The abstract propriety of
these recommendation depends upon circumstances,
Of which the people Of Kansas, acting through their
conventions, are the best judges. To them | leave it
rs their own affair. As to which course would con.
duce most to their peace and a fair settlement of the
question, should require a greater Knowledge OF the
actual state of affairs in that territory 10 enable ms
to decide.