, 1860-04-24
Robert ;. 1yalker,a Confessions.

sury, and Ex-Governor Of Kansas, was called
before the Corode Committee, and examined as
witness. He began By giving history Of
Kansas affairs while be was Governor. lie |
would not consent to 60 to Kansas unless bis |
wife would consent. Buchanan had long in |
terview with her, and daally obtained her con-
sent, by persuading her that nothing else would
save the Union from destruction. In the course
Of his statement before the Committee he said:
lie WISHES TO MAKE KANSAS A SLAVE STATE.
deem it due to frankness to say that, from
nv long residence in the South, and my very
deep gratitude to tile State which had adopted
me and clothed me with the highest honors it
could bcstow, and repeated from time to time,
and nv general views on the subj ject Of slavery,
maintain the equilibrium of the Government,
and to perpetuate the Union, which consid-
cred the great and paramount Object should
have preferred that q majority OF the people Of
Kansas would have made it q slave State; -.
avowed these views very fully in my public
communications in kansas. Ineyer disguised
my opinions upon this subject, and especially
reiterated the opinion that I was thus in faTor
OF maintaining the equilibrium Of the Govern
ment By giving the South majority in the Sep
ate, while the North would always necessarily
have minority in the House Of Representa-
tives, which opinion / have entertained since
the Missouri Compromise, avowiug it at that
| time and on q great many public occasions ever
since. This opinion still entertain, not from
any sectional views, but because do believe it
would best tend to accomplish the great and
paramount object Of preserving the Govern
ment. .....
THE FORGED RETURNS.
1t first was fully developed by the terrible for
| ceries in the pretended returns. They were not
legal returns That were sent to me as Governor
OF the Territory, and which rejected. although
that rejection gave majority OF the Territorial
| pub!icaus-at which, am free to say, was
dccp1y grieyed. I did my best 10 secure DEM
ocra.ic majority in that Legislature, and exert
ed myself most anxiousIy, making stump speech
es. The first lorgery; presented to me was the
case at Oxford, which was j forgery upon its
face, and tbat it was so has since BEEN ackuowl-
edged BIZ one Of the Judges whose names were
signed to it. In public document, he declares
that he never did affi1 his signature to it. In
Oxford, some sixteen hundred yotes we're at
tempted to be given in village OF SIX houses,
| where there were not fifty voters, md it is now
ascertained TINT not thirty votes were really
given. The rest were NIL forgeEies.
ug Is DENOUNCED FOR REFUSING TO BE nR1BEp.
Wv rejection of that return, i1asmuct US it
embraced the two large counties Of johnson
and Douglas, gave majority cf the Territorial
Legislature TO lie Republicans. was then
very bitterly denounced, ut which | felt pro
foundly indifferent, because thought that any
man who would approve or endorse such for
geries was base and dishonest man. and
preferred lis censure to his approval. Fariou;
personal threats were made, which also disre
garded. The next return presented was thu
| from AlcGec County, where there certainly vert
not twenty voters, but which was returned O.
: | over twelve hundred voters, given at three diff
ferent precin!s, aud where it is now ascertalnet
: that there was no election holden at all-not
vo:e given. These returns we're also rejected
, ! by me. And at length it was fully developet
that, contrary to pledges given, especially
by Calhoun himself, the President Of the Con
ventiou, that they would submit the constitution
: to the vote of the people, another course wa
, resolved upon.
: | MI. CALHOUN OFFERS HIN HIGH POSITION II
l. GIVE IN.
, Finally, a few days before the vote WAS take,
upon the subject Nr. Calhoun, the President o
the Convention, called upon me, aud submitted
r Substantially the programme IS TO slnyery whicl
| was subsequently adopted by the Convention
and asked my concurrence. lie presented III
rious prospects Of very high place from th
5 people Of this Union, if would CONCUR, an
5 assured me thut TINT was the programme Of til
r Administration. I said that was Impossible
> | uud shvwr Mr. Calhoun this letter Of Mr.. Bu
e chauan to me Of tue lath of July, 1851. lie sui
: tllat the i ADMINISTRATION had changed its policy
told him did not bclrEe 1t, but let who woul
= change their views on that question, with III
: the question Of submitting the Constitution i
the vote Of the people was fundamental, and
!, never would change or modify my riews on tug
= question in the slightest respect-that I woul
iight it out to the ead, be the consequences t
: me personally or politically. what they NIGH
b | Mr. Calhoun continued to irsist that ought t
4 | 20 with tue President upon the subject.