Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-10-31

or any other probd6tc ground.
Very hastily, your friend,
S. L. LEAKE.
October 10Th, 1857.
70 tic Hon. Shelton Z. Leqte,
DEAR SIR Il received yesterday your
letter propoundiDg to me certain interrogato-
ries, to which, without further delay, pro-
coed to reply. They are in substance near
ly the same, with the questions upon which
the Enquirer for Some tine past, has been
demanding my answers. But to these last
[ have not replied, because they were eli
ther accompanied with threats, or what were
SO considered, which made an aswcr on my
part, Inconsistent with self-respect, or else
they were founded upon my assumed respon-
sibility for the editorials Of certain ncwspa-
pcrs within, and without the State of Vir-
ginia, which were not only not authorized to
speak for me, but which claimed no such au-
thority. | was to be held responsible for
the course of newspapers, unless | came be-
fore the public with criticism of their
course and disclaimer Of all sympathy with
them; responsibility which | shall never
acknowledge expressly, OF impliedly, b. eny
act of m;ao 70 adn:i. si.ct i lesponsibli-
ty,would place it in the power OF any third
person who chose to impute to me . sympa-
thy with the course Of any newspaper wish-
III, or without tic State, to call me out in q
public criticism Of It's course upon any ques-
tor Of raerals or politics which might be in
discussion, G. else fx uFon me the charge Of
coneefring IN the views Of that paper No
power could force upon me The Office Ct CEN
sor e the pablig press. / cortsialy shall
not assume it voluntarily. When any pa
per claims authority to speak for me, then it
may be tna to question nue. in regard to
it, but not before.
Bet 70 nrooecd with tae answers 10 yo,.r
irterr oss&tories, have to say, first, that the
of hostility, on my part, towards
the administration of Mr.. Buchanan is fopp
ded upon nothing that have either said or
done. voted for him as President, and
not only entertain no feeling of hostility to-
wards him, hut wish him success. He
has only to carry ont tie prin5ir!ss CT the
Democratic party as We understand them in
Virginia, to command my cordial support.
These, so far as are applicable, win afford
the test by which l shall judge his admin
istration and support or oppose its acts, as
they conform to, or depart from these prin-
ciplos. Nor shall | be disposed to apply
that test n any aaptious, or uAkind spirit,
but as Justly and fairly as | can Moro J
could not say for any administration or man
| never would mmit nj yself 10 support I'M
conditionally, the future acts of anymau,
but | will judge Item as thcy arise, srs-
tain them when ! believe thn5 ere sight, and
oppose them when | think they are wrong.
My opinion upon all the great political is
sues, may be known through my votes and
speeches, to those who feel enough of inter-
est in them, to look into my past course,
ard these will afford tie best evidence of the
tests which | shall lie likely 10 apply, in
,ndging of the conduct Of public affairs
Whilst | remain in the Senate of the United
States, | shall stand there as the representa-
tive of the principles and interests of my
State, 50 far as can understand them, and
in the pursuit Of these ehyeets | should not
scruple to differ, il necessary, with any adj
In saying this, it NAV be per-
maps fair to add, thai / hope and expect to
be able to support Mr.. Buehanan's admin
istration in the main Entire concurrence
In the views of any man it would be too
much to hope, or expect.
In answer to the other intcrrogatorv which
you propose as the eeaauet of Governor
Walker in Kansas, have little hesitation
in saying, that disapprove It, The Kan
sas Nebraska act was passed under the hose
that this, the last of the territorial questions,
involving tie subject of SLAYER, might be
settled upon some common ground where a
party could be sagicd from the Ncrth and
the South, the East and the West. strong
enough to defend the Constitution against
the assaults of its enemies and to administer
the government Justly upon other than pure
" sectional ideas. 70 rally party which
might be able to maintain the Union upon
constitutional principles, was an object of
high political Importance, and justified some
sacrifices Of feeling. and even of interest.
Accordingly, the bill vas net such as would
have been framed by the delegates Of either
section, if it had been submitted to them
alone. Many perhaps most of Sodthern
men, (of whom vas one) believed that
property in slaves was as much entitled TO
the protection of law in the Territories of
the United States, as property in any ding
else ). but whilst the Northern friends of the
Kansas act would net ooncede this, they a.
greed to unite in the repoaa Of the Missouri
restriction SO IS to remove the ban under
which the domestic institutions of the South
bad been placed N by Federal legislation.
Accordingly bill was raised upon the prin
cple of non-interventi6n in regard to siavo-
nv, 50 far as tie General Government was
concerned, and which left that whole subject
within the control OF the people Ct these ter
ritories, when they should apply for admis-
sion as States.
This, although not all that we thought
the South entitled to, was great advance
upon the old order Of things, so far as she
was concerned, because it removed an unjust
and odious discrimination against her domcs.