New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-04-27

WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE
sr<slss i The New orleans Crescent


M. Ed1or-Thc exposure before the Covode
Committee and puhlicationin the newspapers Of Mr..
Buchanan's famous secret letter to MIR. Robert j.
Walker, when Governor of Kansas, is calculated
to be in time to affect in some degree the action Of
the Charleston Convention. This, repeat, IS the
calculation. There is no doubt but that the letter
Of Mr. Douglas, as establishing the fact, to the po-
pular satisfaction, that he originally stood with Mr.
Buchanans Administration on the question Of po-
pnlar sovereignty, and has done no more than to
maintain his consistency. while the Administration
not satisfied with reversing its own position, has
sought to stigmatize, to disgrace and to punish the
eenstancy Of others.
Indeed with respect to Mr.. Douglas action on
| the Kansas question, the evidence connected with
the letter. as understand, goes further than this
1t shows that it was at the urgent instance of Mr.
1 Douglas himself, who was called in by the Pres
ient to second his efforts that Mr.. Walker was pre-
vailed upon to accept the post Of Governor Of KAN
sas /; that the President and Mr.. Douglas acted in
conjunction in pressing upon Mr.. Walker the mis-
sion to Kansas, which he finally undertook; and
that Mr.. Douglas had enforced the consent of Mr..
| Walker by representing that the success of the
Kansas and Nebraska bill in the former Territory
| was to great extent dependent upon his agreeing
4 to go.
1 While indicating the opinion here as tothe legiti
mate reflection of the letter, and of the evidence
connected with ii, to Mr. Douglas credit, it is but
fair to say, that the circumstances of the exposure
Of the letter are subjects Of and indigna-
nation directed towards those who have seen fit to
violate confidence, even to expose the inconsistent
cy Of public officers. Mr.. Walkers agency in the
exposure is likely to be subject Of sharp recrinli
nation, and to involve personal consequences to
himself. It is insisted by the friends of the Ad-
ministration that the letter was essentially pri-
vate one land that Mr.. Walker regarded it as i'm
posing upon himself peculiar obligations of
silence sufficiently evident from the fact of his
long snppressing it, his own testimony being to the
effect that he did not publish it for fear of
quences to the country. Unfortunately, however.
for Mr.. Walkers strict observance of prepriety
with regard to the letter. although he did not pub
lish it, it appears that he freely exhibited it, and
that in this manner the evidence of its contents
unhappily, and with the most intense reluctance
on the part Of Mr.. Walker, constrained him to ex
pose the original especially, as he urged, to con-
front the suggestion that he had been exhibiting
| letter which was not genuine.
to the exhibition of the letter to other parties
| famong them, believe, a Feporter1 the evidence
of these witnesses seem to involve Mr.. Walker in
an unpleasant dilemma. Mr.. schnable's testimony
before the Committee is interesting, showing the
degree of publicity which had been given to the
letter before its intensely reluctant production be-
fore the Committee. The following are extracts
from Mr.. Schnable's testimony:
Question-Was it tthe letter. shown TO you CON
fdentialy. or arc you at liberty, without violating
any promise Of secresy, to speak of its contents?
Answer am under no obligations of secresy
whatever; have discussed the merits Of that letter
with great many different persons within the last
eighteen months; presume twenty different peo-
pie in Washington to-day have been long aware
Of my knowledge of the letter
The witness went on to state the contents Of the
letter infinitely, and concluded with vulgar and
insulting aluson to the Presidents religion which
it was shame for the committee to tolerate, the
witness renlarking that he remembered the advice
contained in the letter particularly, from the cir
eumstance that it was & clinched with seemingly
deyont prayer
Although the letter over which so much fuss is
now made is interesting and opportune, it scarcely
needed this additional evidence to convince those
at all acquainted with the history of the Kansas
complication of the one fact of Mr.. Buchananfs
reversal Of the position of his Administration on
the essential issue Of the Kansas and Nebraska bill
Indeed, it was only few days ago that gentle
man who attended the Kansas conferences of the
President and Mr.. Douglas confirmed nearly all
that the letter referred TO establishes. The per-
suasions addressed to Mr.. Douglas to turn with the
Administration and to stand by Lecompton, are
described to have been of the most urguent and
impressive character. The last interview eonclu-
de- with words of solemn warning, Mr.. Buchanan
taking his leave with the remarkable words Mr..
Douglas, remember the fate of William G. Rives,
rho deserted his partyn x.