Staunton vindicator. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1858, 1858-01-09
RESIGNATION Of Gov, Walker.

Resignation Of Gov. Walker.
We regret that our limited space prevents
our publishing the whole Of Gov. Walkers
letter Of resignation, but suppose the reader
will be satisfied with the following extract
Il resign the Office of Governor Of the Ter
ritory Of Kansas with which very short
and pertinent sentence we are immensely
pleased; but with the whole succeeding clab-
crate argument, we are equally displeased,
both On account of its likelihood to add fuel
to the Kansas fame, SO Unexpectedly re-
kindlcd by the opposition to the admission
Of that territory under its present constitu-
ton, and on account Of its evident hostility
to the laulable policy which the Admins
tration is pursuing, with the desire to give
quiet to the country. Concerning The charge
of inconsistency insinuated against NIr.
Buchanan, We have but little to say. The
Presidents object, as stated in his message,
was to pursue the policy best calculated to
ensure the spoediest settlement Of the diff
culties in Kansas. Under the circumstan-
ces existing before the decision Of the Lee
compton Convention, it was his opinion, as
it was the opinion Of majority Of the De
mocratic party, that tat end could be best
attained BY having the whole Constitution
submitted to the people; and, therefore, We
suppose, he gave those instructions to Wal
kcr, to use all his zcga7- power to have it sub
mittel but all the legal power of the cx-
ecutivo having failed to accomplish that end,
and the Constitution having been brought
before Congress, having a republican form,
which is all the law requires, he thinks, that
not only the best, but tie only way of set
ting the difficulty is to make Kansas an in
dependent State. when the vexcd question
will cease TO be national one. We confess
ourselves unable to see Inconsistency in a
change Of policy, under an entire change Of
circumstances The Governors argument
sustaining the notion that the Convention
was bound to submit its work to the people.
We think ingenious, hut unsound. lie says,
vaguely, that sovereignty is 'inalicnablc,
indivisibie, a unit Incapable of partition"
and that it cannot be delegated by the peo-
pie to any Legislative Or conventional body
whatever. Now, VIC do not intend to plunge
with tie Governor into the sea of metaphys-
les, into which he has launched. We will
only point him to an example, to which,
we think, neither he nor any one else will
object. We mean. to the manner in which
the Constitution of the United States was
formed and ratified That Constitution was
framed by convention of delegates from
all the States, and was submitted by them
to the Legislatures of the different States
by whom it was ratified. Now, this ''inal-
ienable" sovereignty Of the people must
have been vested in the one or the other Of
these bodies, or divided between them. We
advert to this example only to show the I'M
truth of Walkers assertion-for, if it be
true, it must follow as an inevitable consc
quencc, that our Federal constitution was
formed ia manner diamctricaly opposed
to the spirit of Republican institutions
The most wonderful feature in this most
wonderful argument is J that Gov Walker,
after laying down the general principle, that
sovereignty is the 'tinaienable right of the
people, Incapable Of delegation &C., hold
ly points US to and harps upon the example
which We have cited above, and which any
one can see, at a glance, emphatlcally con-
tradicts that principle rronouncing all the
time a high eulogium on our Federal con
stitution, which 50 numerically upsets his
own darling principle, which he has scver
uniformly maintained"
Again The Governor says that law is
not sovereign, but only an act Of sovereign
ty. We will grant this, although we doubt
it, But il law is an act Of sovereignty, the
person or persons passing that law must be
sovereign. Conversions framing constitu-
tons pass laws, therefore, conventions are
sovereign. We beg pardon Of our readers
for consuming their time in criticism On a
letter Of dead politician. when there arc 20
many letters, speeches, and acts Of living
politicians now before the country Our
excuse is, that many Of the ideas and cspe-
{ cial5y the ore Of the .inalienable" soye-
reignty Of the people, and the charge Of in
consistency against Mr. Buchanan are cur
rent among the people. and the main sup
port Of the opponents of the admission Of
Kansas inte The Union.