Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-04-28
THE WALKER INSTR UCTIONS-B CCRIN
1N,S kANSlS LETTER.

Covode investigating Committee on the lith,
and INTERCEPTED respecting letter of instruc
tons as governor Of Kansas, alleged to have
been written to him by President Buchanan in
July, 1857 Mr.. Walker declined to give the
letter up, saying he would sooner so to Jail, and
was discharged by the Committee. Subsequent
" the Committee examined Mr. Ellis b. Selma
BILE, a Pennsylvania politician, who testified that
he had seen The letter in question, that he had
recently had a quarrel with Attorney General
Black in the office of Mr.. Bowman in the
Washington Union office respecting the letter
that Mr.. Black denied the existence Of such
letter, challenged, in tire name of the President
its production, and intimated that If Mr. Walk
err or any body else stated that such aletter was
in existence they told All untruth Under these
circumstances Mr.. Walker, who was in the Su-
preme Court, was again summoned, and the
testimony of Mr.. Schnable and others was read
to him. The Chairman Of the Committee then
asked Mr.. Walker if he would produce the let
ter in his own justification and save the Com
mittce the trouble Of proving its contents by
subppnaing other Witnesses.
In reply, before producing the letter, Mr..
Walker addressed the committee at length up
on the circumstances connected with his APP
pointment to the Governorship Of Kansas and
the letter of instructions written by Mr.. Btu
chanan. He at first declined the appointment,
two or three times verbally and once in writing.
His family we're quite aversc to his going to
Kansas, and it was long time belorehe would
agree to go. Mr.. Buchanan renewed the re-
quest again and again. He considered it the
most important position in the country, and
urged some very hattering reasons why Mr..
Walker should accept. The last person the
President sent to urge Mr.. Walkers acceptance
Of the post was Senator Douglas, who earnestly
desired him to CO. Finally he was prevailed
upon to accept with the distinctly stipulated
understanding that there should be perfect
concurrence between the President and himself
upon the policy that was proper to be adopted
in Kansas. In relation TO what that policy
should be Mr.. Walker in his testimony says:
81 stated that in my judgment it was the true
construction of the Kansas Nebraska bill that
the Constitution itself should be submitted by
| tne NOnNCHtlOn 10 lUe NOlc Oh tne people.
stated that the phrasenlogv Of the bill was very
! peculiar, and that, in my apprehension of the
case and my Interpretation of that law, that was
the great principle embodied in that law.
stated that was farther confirmed in that view
of the subject by the passage eff the Minnesota
act for that Territory was embraced in the X an
| SASH ebraska bill in the same manner as Kan
sas tself-it appeared to all the Northumberland
that in that act of Congress it peremptorily re-
CURED the convention to submit the constitu
ton to the vote of the people. / considered
the Minnesota bill as giving definite construc
ton, by Congress, of the Kansas-Nebraska act
and that so far as | knew that portion of tn
Minnesota bill in which the constitution was t.
be submitted to the people, was passed withou
ID SG 9e II ehsE sse IT fSafhe rs;
passed without dissenting vote, but tina, tina
portion OF it, so far as | knew, had passed with
out dissenting vote. There was a universe
concurrence in those views with all those gen
tlemen representing the President who convers
ed with me upon the subject, and by the Pres
dent himself, very distinctly and unequivocall
expressed"
Furthermore, Governor Walker pre- pared hi
inaugural address before leaving Washington
so far as it related to the submission of the cor
E stitution to the people, and submitted it to VI
Buchanan. The President suggested the moo
iication of single sentence only, and the az
dress was published May 9th, at Lecomptor
This address had, in the opinion of Mr.. Wall
er, the effect to suspend the Topeka state go
! eminent and to avert the difficulties then in
pending, and which would probably have r
suited in civil war. No dissent was expresst
. in the frequent communications that passed b
tween Governor Walker and the governmel
upon the doctrines in his inaugural.
Under these crt umstances the election WI
held in the fall of 1857. Several of the r
turns were rejected by Governor Walker
gross forgeries, and he was denounced for
doing. Finally, few days before the vote w
>. taken Mr.. Calhoun called upon Governor Wal
!. err and announced that the programme hi
y been changed by the administration. The go
ernor refused to assent to i: and showed b
=. letter of instructions from the President. B
the programme as changed was carried out, al
y. Mr.. Walker left Kansas. In regard to the le
- ter he says:
~ feel very serious embarrassment about tn
J. question Of producing the letter; | had refus,
IS yesterday to produce it, and l really and 81
/, cerely think, with all proper respect for II
,f committee, that you have no right to demand
. of me; and l certainly should not have pr
C duced the letter but for the testimony you ha
IS taken to-day, and especially the defiance that
rs thrown out, and the suggestion that have be-
N exhibiting letter that does not exist, and t
intimation that even if it does exist dare n
'e produce it. Gentlemen that is false, for / ha
10 always reserved the right to produce this lett
al and publish it when and where and as please
ct anil have never made the slightest suggest
y 1.-The contrary to any human being, nor hay,
'' given any promise or pledge in relation to
a whatever"
&c The witness here produced the letter, viii
he handed to the committee, who examined
Mr.. Olin-ls this letter in the handwriting
the PresidentP
er Answer-It is all in the handwriting of t
r, President, the body of the latter as well as t
n signature. | do not wish to part with this |,
III ter, but will read it that your clerk can ia
" it down.
" The witness then read the letter as follows
y WASHINGTON, Jan. ~, 1857.
y My dear Sir-I duly received your letter
he DSth ult IN FRIDAY oct an6 road IL IN 4