Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1860-04-26

CONGRESSIONAL INyESTIGATIGN
Testimony of Hon. Robert J. Walk er
before the Gov. de Committee iS Re
nsrtou To the Kansas rouDies.
Ivy. extract from the National Lst,Lhgenca
the following letter aud corrected statement
of the evidence of Hun RoBT. j. WALKER
before the .Coyode investigating Committee
in relation TO the Kansas troubles. The 18th
OF July letter from Mr.. BUCHANAN to Mr..
.WALxEg we have already published We.
therefore. omit it in this place, as also the
faletts< of Mr.. WALKER to which it was re-
,,.rIv the substance of which is given III his
TESTIMONY: On ,oeo
tn The Editors Of the National IrteHtgaao1:
..CSSrIExEx: A very inaccurate statement
-of-my testimony before the COEOde lnEesti-
eating Committee OF Congress has been pub
ilsncsi in the tsew York papers
Much and long as We may have dlnered on
r,oFfticaI questions, have 1aith that you " ill
he ysiIIing to do me justice by truthful
Eradication Of the facts Of The Case.
send you q correct sIatemtnt Of my evil
.5h,ca I,.IJrs. the committee; also u cUpy Of
nv letter of 18th June, 1857, to Mr.. Bueh-
anan, and to which his oi July l2th was a
reply. A..
COMMITTEES regards tbis letier' ~ produce
which reserved my right
I sg,t,.ait The Whole to impartial public
with this eminent Gully: That Tie eorrespou-
dencs uroyes that SIR buchanan aud myself
-e6ncurred in the spring oil 1891 IN The con-
stfuetion of the Kansas and Nebraska act,
that II n auired the submission oil TIE con-
stitation Co the vote Of toe people oi hahsaS-
To that construction OF that ac', WHICH MI
Bncbanan and myself were both sworn 10
Sn,nor, I adhered: and therefore considered
che refusal of the Convention to submit the
cnnstitntion TO the vote OF the people az
clear violation OF the Kansas and Nebraska
act and therefore, under its distinct prOvis-
ions null aud rosd. / was swOTn To support
that Jaw aud so was Mr.. Buchanan did
support il aud therefore opposed the with
holding Of the constitution from the vote OF
the; people 1t is quite clear, was the
opinion OF Mr.. Buchanan and myself, that the
Kansas and NebEsska act required the sub
mission Of the constitution TO the vote of the
people; and any action in Kansas repugnant
10 that act was, under It's provisions, null
and void So 1 regarded such action, and
therefore it was my duty to oppose il.
But there were other reasons The pro-
gramme finally adopted did not. as pretend
ed, submit even the slavery question to the
vote of the people; nay, IL deliberately, and
wilfulIy, and frauduently withheld that
question from their vote The only question
submitted was. For the constitution with
slavery" and For the constitution without
slavery" thus excluding by a deliberate
fraud from this vote all, constituting an over
whelming majority, who were opposed to the
constitution. and his was the very reason
given to me by Calhoun, tine President of the
VouveHtion. why this peculiar language was
selected Il was q wretched device oil fraud
and yinaBy.
! Sud you a copy, preserved in the hand
whiting OF my Secretary, of my letter of the
2Sth- June 1857. To which Mr.. Buchanan's
was E-FeIdy. That letter, disclosing my in
mist thoughts, aud never intended TO meet
the public eye, will show how false has been
the statement that my aetiOn.in Kansas WAS
stiIe 10 the South. 1t WIS all in their ia
vor, TO the extent Of the just aud honest ex-
ercise of my power in Kansas. | believed,
and % announced then NV anxious desire, to
t. ---S~-S.~a II islch my lif.s has been de-
voted, to Pres-rve the equilibrium OF the
Government L endorsed fully the bred
Scout decision. and especially that portion of
it raiWHys maintained by mel that the true
period when tie people can abolish slavery
in Territory is when they perform the tint
net Of sovereignty ia forming q State cOnsti-
saticu. L maintained this doctrine in an
elaborate argument published over my sig
nature in june ls56. from " hich have never
departed
| consider myself, gentl, man. as much
withdrawn from politics as II had ceased
tO exist, and now only ask the privilege OF
vIndicating myself aud the truth of history.
Yours, truly, r. j. WALKER
On Tuesday. the 18th instant, the Hon.
Boot. ]. Walker, ex ). eretaTy of the Treas
gsy and sx- Ex-Governor of Kansas, was exnm-
incl as a witness. He VA asked IL be had
r lxt h..
President when he was appointed Governor
OF KansAs2 He said he had but declined To
give Il up. asserting that he would sooner go
TO. jail than surrender il to the committee.
The witness Was discharged, and the matter
rested until the next day, when
-Ar. Ellis ID. Schnable, PeHnsy ivania pol
Stefan, Was cali, q "a a witness. He testified
that BE- had seen the letter OF instructions To
Gov. Walker. He Informed the committee
that he had recently had quarrel with a
izember. of the Cabinet (Mr. Black) in Mr..
Boxman's printing office about the letter in
question; that Black denied that any such
letter ever existed or now Existed, aud de-
fed either Schuable or Walker To produce IL.
Alter Mr. Schnable had concluded his ies-
timOBy-
NJ Walker who was in the Supreme
Court was again summoned before the cuIn-
mite, whcu the following tOs'k place:
Chairman--When GU were here yesterday
yOa declined TO produce the letter oi the lZth
OF July, 1851. written To YOU by Mr. Bueh
xnan. Ii is right 10 iHfOTur you Ihii since
that Ft-l@ the c, Himittee have awaited them
selves oi the n,xI best evidence they could
obtain, and have examined several WIIn' SEES
% prove the existence of the letter, aud also
its contents.
Aa-wes.-w viii the committee allow me to
hear the testimony to which ih, y ref,r:
The Chairinan.-C,ra iniy. al Be- commit
tee deem il your right to b. ar il Rad
Tie testimony OF Mr. Schuabiv. Mr.. Nc
so~rll. and Mr.. NcElhone was then read 10
the ,ssitAcs>. All three proved the existence
of the letter. Mr.. Sehaable and Ar. AeEi-
hone testified la regard 10 IT. contents, and
Mr.. Sehnable also testified concerning an ia
:ersjrw with Judge Black, The Attorney
General. within few days past. Ia which
Judge Black denied the existence OF any
such lrtIVr, accompanied With tarvals to-
wards Gov. Walker il IL Was Gnade public.
Tue Chairmaa.-lt aow remaiHs with You
10 determines whether. In the present posslio
OF tue matter, you will produce tssi lvttsr-
nrst. 10 save the committee from subpcs AGING
Witnesses TO prove its contents; and nexI, la
j.istiEeatioa vi your own coarsr. | will now
put the direct question 10 yoa. Viii you pos
produce that lefterl
Answer by Mr. Walker.--It Is dae to me.
gentlemen. 10 preface my ansSer by I'm
rvmtrks. Allei The reply made by Gea.
Cass. n Secretary of State, 10 my letter OF
resignation, 1 Thought very seriously OF pub
lshiag ihis letter then the letter OF the
l2ts Of July. 1851. isTwardsd 10 Kansas la
me. The rcascu which Induced me ~ ihink
30 seriously Of publishing the killer at that
time was this--that that communication OF
Grn Casss seemed To disscut IRON The lac,
slat.-d by me regarded the obstruction
which Nj. Buchanan bad given TO tn Kan
Eas- eLfaska bali an the rasjsct OF suhsnit-
ting The Consultation by Tie COnyentlon 10