Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-03-04
READ! FREEMEN A
Gov. walker on the LecOmpton
SNindfe.

Democratic letter from the Hon. ROBERT J.
WALKER, to the AntiLecompton Democratic
Convention, held at indianapolis on the ed
ult. We are sorry thatw we cannot conveniently
lay the whole Of this forcible and s~cathiug let
ter before our readers, as he entirely uses mp
the President aud his Cabinet on the Lecomp-
ton fraud.
This letter will entirely set at rest the false
and ridiculous story set on foot by the New
York Herald, and the Oigarchy Press gene
rally, that Gov. Walker had abandoned the
position he had at first taken in reference to
Kansas matters, and that he would Soon come
out with q manifesto, taking the 0ligarchy
side of the question with Mr.. Buchanan and
his Cabinet, and begging their forgiveness for
his recent hasty opinion Gas the expressed it,
upon this important question.
Well, Gov. Walker has again come out, but
with a very different letter from what these.
Oligarchists told US it would be. We chal.
lenge the Oligarchy Press to publish it. But
we know they dare not. They are as much
under the censorship Of the President and his
Cabinet, as the Press OF France is under the
censorship Of Louis Napolean. AS the Demo
Graf has been compelled to abandonits leading
Democratic principles, for the sake Of Govern
ment Pap, of coursesit dare net publish this,
Gov. Walkers truly Democratic letter.
But to the extracts-and we urge every
Freeman to read and ponder well upon their
contents.
My own opinion, as heretofore often ex-
pressed, distinctly repeated in my letter of ac-
eeptance of the Goyenorship of Kansas, and
reiterated in my inaugural address, was that
the assent of the people to their Constitution
can only properly be ascerteined by a direct
popular vote for or against its adoption. In
deed, in what other way can it be known that
the people would have assented to the Consti-
tntion unless they are permitted to vote for or
against its adoption. The President, in his
message Of December last, admits this must
be done as regards the question of Slavery as
regulated by a State Constitution, although be
comedies that his Instructions to me as regards
the submission Of the Constitution we're " GEN
eral and unqualified" 1t is most unfortunate
that such an opinion had remained so long
dormant in the breast Of the President for
II the slightest suggestion to that effect had
been made to me-, it is quite evident, from my
lifelong opinions on this very point, so often
and distinctly expressed, repeated in my letter
OF acceptance Of the Governorsiip of Kansas,
reiterated in my inaugural address, that
on such conditions | never would have gone to
Kansas.
1t is true that the President, in his Message,
most frankly comedies, not only that his in
structions to me as regards the submission of
the Constitution were general and unquali-
lied" but also that he then supposed that the
Constitution itself would have been submitted
to the vote of the people, and that in his judg-
ment this ought to have been done. But new
ertheless, his Message of December last, to my
surprise and astonishment, first developed the
astounding fact that the President considered
that nothing but 1he SlaEefy questiAaUas y
CURED to be submitted to the vote OF the peot
pie. Edo not mean to charge the Chief Mag
istrate of our country with wiilful deception on
this question, but this / do say, IS indicated
by my lifelong opinions, published again and
again, repeated in my letter Of acceptance. re-
lterated in my inaugural address, and various
dispatches, that the President, and all his
Cabinet well knew my opinions on this subject,
and that l never would haze gone to Kansas
except upon the condition of advocating the
submission Of the Constitution for ratification
or rejection to q vote Of the people. This,
with me, was q vital question, embodying the
only fair, just, peaceful and constitutional
method of settling the difficulties in Kansas.
1t was with extreme reluctance, and &C.
aNY,no1ia1 Nv mrOaA GO o,;enoo anJ oPc, -
peated ~refnsals, that | did at length consent
to go to Kansas; but upon no other terms
would | have gone than upon those above in
dicafe,la and if the President had stated to me
that the Slavery question on was required to
be submitted to Tie vote Of 1ne people ne
very well knows, and all his Cabinet We'll
know, and all my friends who conferred VIII
me at that date know, that on such conditions
[ never would have gone to Kansas.
In my administration of the affairs of Kan
sas, always communicated from first to last to
the President, / faithfully carried out these
views as regards the submission of the Consti-
tuition to the voice of the people, and by these
means, as the President frankly admits in his
late Kansas Message, prevented a sanguinary
revolution there in June last. This revolution
hOulA q OOfSICh AAduSdo Will -HlOOu 1Ah
desolation; it would have been marked by all
those horrors which ever accompany civil war,
which must have extended to bordering States
and Territories, and involved, but too proba-
bly,, the ruin Of our beloved country. How
was this dreadful catastrophe ayerted ? By
my addresses and dispatches, quoted by the.
President, advocating the Submission of the
Constitution for ratification or rejection by the
vote of the people. Indeed, my only ~alterna-
tive was to suppress this revolution by the
bayonet, or by advocating the submission of
bne CONSTITUTION as ABOVE stasea, aHupfedgfng
my best eXertions to obtain a fair election for
the people of the Territorial Legislature in the
then ensuing October. These pledges, and
these alone, it is conceded, prevented ~revoIu-
ton and civil war.
And why should they not now be redeemed?
For myself, these pledges have been thus far
most faithfully maintained, and they will be
redeemed by me, if necessary, with the last
drop Of my life's blood, and to the latest hour
Of my existence. These were pledges well
known to the President and all his Cabinet
Ihey were pledges given by me in good faith,
and any abandonment Of them now on nv
part, after the people had accepted and acted
upon them, would be to cover myself with in
amy and dishonor. Whatever, then. nav be
the action Of tho ~ ovnr;nes t;m;d On oa,,~4