The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-04-23

THE PRESIDENT AND GOV. WALKER-MR.
WALKERS EXPLANATION-HI LETTER
TO THE PRESIDENT-HINT OF TROUBLE
IN THE CABINET.
The following letter was published in the Ma
tionat Mtebigencer of Saturday
WASHINGTON, April 30, lSG0
10 the Editors Of tie National InteHiqencer:
GENTLEMEN-A very inaccurate statement of nv
testimony before the COvOde Investiratino Com
mittee of Congress has been published in the New
York papers. Much and long as we NAV have
differed on political questions, have faith that YOU
Will be willing to do me justice by truthful publ
cation of the facts of the case. | send YOU n cor
rect statement of my evidence before the commit
tee; also, copy of my letter of 2sth June, 1857,
to Mr. buchanan, and to which his of July 18th
was reply. Accompanying this is my statement
to the committee regards this letter, to produce
which reserved nv right.
! submit the whole to impartial public with
this comment only That the correspondence
proves that Mr.. Buchanan and myself concurred
in the spring of 1857 in the construction of the
Kansas and Nebraska act, that it required the sub
mission of the constitution to the vote of the peo-
pie OF Kansas. To that construction of that act
which Mr.. Buchanan and myself were both sworn
TO support, adhered; and therefore, considered
the refusal of the Convention to submit the cOnsti-
tuition to the vote of the people a clear violation
OF the Kansas and Nebraska act and therefore
under its distinct provisions, null and roid. was
sworn to support that law, and so was Mr.. Buchan-
an. did support it, and therefore opposed the
Withholding of the constitution from the vote of
the people. 1t is quite clear, as was the opinion
OF Mr.. buchanan and myself, that the Kansas and
Nebraska act required the submission of the con-
sttution to the vote of the people; and any action
IN Kansas repugnant to that act was under its
provisions, null and void. SO | regarded such ac-
tion, and therefore it was my duty to oppose it.
But there were other reasons. The programme
nnaily adopted did not az pretended, submit even
the slavery question to the vote of the people; nav
1t deliberately, and willfully, and fraudulently
withheld that question from their vote. The only
question submitted was, 'For the Constitution with
slavery" and "FOr the Constitution without slave
ry;" thus excluding by deliberate fraud from this
vote dH, constituting an overwhelming majority,
who were opposed to the Constitution. And this
was the very reason given to me by Calhoun, the
President of the Convention, why this peculiar Ian
guage selected. 1t was wretched device of
fraud and viainy. | send you a copy preserved in
the handwriting OF my Secretary, of my letter of
the 2Sth June, 1857, to which Mr. Buchanan's was
areply. That letter, disclosing my inmost thoughts
and never intended to meet the public cye will show
how false has been the statement that my action in
Kansas was hostile to the South. 1t was all in their
favor, to the extent of the lust and honest
exercise of my power in Kansas. | believed and
so announced then my anxious desire, to the exc
cuti0n of which my life has been devoted to pre-
serve the equilibrium of the Government | en-
dOrsed fully the Dred Scott decision and especal-
ly that portion of it (always maintained by mel
that the true period when the people can abolish
slavery in a Territory is when they perform the
first act of sovereignty in forming State Consti-
tuition. | maintained this doctrine in an elaborate
argument published over my signature in June,
1856, from which have never departed
i consider myself, gentlemen, as much with
drawn from politics as | had ceased to exist, and
now only ask the privilege of vindicatng myself
and the truth of history. Yours, truly,
The private letter mentioned above and to which
MIR. Buchanan'S was reply, is very long, and is
taE nm llrV with Of A.
features of that Territory, its temperature,
and the like. Mr.. Walker begins with some
remarks on the different political organizations in
Kansas, classifying them into: () Free-State
Democrats, who number 5000; (2) Republicans,
5000; (3) pro-slavery democrats, $500; (4) pro
slavery know-nothings, 5,O00-makng an aggre-
gate population of q, 900. All of the first party
and most of the third, he says, are with him; the
others are mostly in opposition. Had he not taken
ground, in his inaugural, in favor of submitting
the constitution to the people, the Legislature, he
says
-"would certainly have passed n complete code of
laws, ana could have put them in practical Opera-
ton by the popular will in large majority of the
counties of the territory, and they will Go the same
thing next fall if the constitution is not submitted
to the people. This is of course, all wrong but it
would have been done, and would have united ne ar
ly all the Free State Democrats with the Repub-
cans, and rendered bloody collision and a tedious
and sanguinarv civil war inevitable recurring the
active services of troops in large majority of our
counties certain. When YOU recullect how many
hundreds have fallen on both sides in the late civil
war; how many houses We're burnt; how much
property was plundered, and how many were the
insults and INJURIES you may find the cause in part
But the principal cause is fear that prO-s layery
constitution will be forced by a minority upon the
majority. The number of slaves in Kansas is prob
ably about two hundred, it being estimated that
two hundred have been taken away since the last
severe winter"
The Governor then proceeds to elaborate his
theory and state its effects on the extremists of the
South, whose attacks would, on the whole, benefit
himself and the general administration. After de-
claring second time that, but for his inaugural,
civil war would have been raging throughout an
sas, overwhelming the Democratic party and over
throwing the government ITSELF he condemns the
appointment of Judge Williams as a great injury
to Kausas-done "unintentionay" From this
point he turns to the vote cast for delegates to the
forthcoming Convention at Lecompton The ag-
gregate, he says, is 100 out Of 9,25l registered
voters. He does not believe the former to be the
whole pro-savery strength in that territory
Though "the Black Republicans would not vote, and
the Free-state Democrats were kept from voting by
the fear that the Constitution would not be sub
mitted,' he believes that if good conservative
Constitution is made and submitted to the people,
"they will vote next fall, and we will succeed
with great deal of hard work"
HINTS TROUBLE IN THE CAuINET-We find
the following in the Washington Constitution of
Friday in relation to the developments of the
Covode investigation:
For the present, we pass without comment the
testimony of Hon. r. j. Walker, which has been
so conspicuously heralded to the world. Instead
Of answers to any interTOgatnry, it seems to be
carefully prepared in history of his stewardship as
Governor Of Kansas. lie says the President IA
vOred the submission of the constitution of Kansas
to the people, and so he did. That is fully admit
ted. This has has never been denied. But he saws
further that during the progress of the Lecompton
convention he was advised by Mr.. Calhoun, the
President, that the plan finally adopted which Mr.
Walker considers great departure from the doc.
trlne of submission, suggested and approved
by the President. This statement of Mr. Calhoun
he did not believe. He acquits the President of all
knowledge OF the programme adOpted; and then
he uses this exact language ''lt is also due to
frankness to further say that | am fully IMPRESSED
with the conviction that the President himself
did not get up this programme, though do believe
II 1ds gotten up by some Of the administration or
others high in authority"
At this time the propriety impropriety of the
plan is not question with which we care to deal.
Who got it up, whether it was in accordance
with Mr.. Walkers or the Presidents plan, is not
put in issue. But when Mr.. Walker says ait
gotten up by some of the Administration, he must
mean, all the world will understand him to mean,
by some member of the cabinet Here arises grave
question. If anv member of the cabinet has sought,
has taken steps, to change the line of action of
the President in important matter of State
policy, without the advice knowledge consent
of the President, he has been guilty of an act of
intdeity and bad faith which should invoke his
severest censure. Indeed, such conduct would be
dishonorable and Justly incur n forfeiture of his
confidence. In this view, we think we have the
right to demand Of Mr.. Walker the naming of the
individul implicated. In the absence of reply,
we shall maintain he is wholly mistaken, or is
wholly unable to substantiate the grounds of his
belief.
PosT OFFICE PROCEEDs.-We arrange a table OF
the Post Offices in this country, the net proceeds
of which amount to Sl4, 900 and upwards, in the
order according to the official returns. Some re-
markable results are here shown:
New York.. ..s549O O60 Pittsburg s22 s39
Philadelphia ..1Ss,Os5 Milwaukee l67
Boston ,993 .20S34
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