Record Data
Source citation
“Prospect Ahead,” New York Times, 4 November 1857, p. 4.
Newspaper: Publication
New York Times
Newspaper: Headline
Prospect Ahead
Newspaper: Page(s)
4
Type
Newspaper
Date Certainty
Exact
Transcriber
Wes McCoy
Transcription date
Transcription
The following text is presented here in complete form, as true to the original written document as possible. Spelling and other typographical errors have been preserved as in the original.
Prospect Ahead
The Washington correspondent of the Courier and Enquirer, speculating about Kansas affairs, writes as follows:
The Washington correspondent of the Courier and Enquirer, speculating about Kansas affairs, writes as follows:
“Should they not be removed, the nomination of Messrs, Walker and Stanton will come before the Senate, and will be opposed by Jefferson Davis, who will lead the assault, by Messrs, Toombs, Iverson, Clay of Alabama, Hunter and Mason of Virginia, and Green of Missouri. What course Mr. Douglas will take is not clear. In this strange concurrence of lately adverse elements, the Republicans will probably coalesce with the moderate and conservative Democrats, and confirm the Governor and Secretary.”
It is becoming evident that the confirmation or rejection of Governor Walker is to be the first political issue in the coming session of Congress. The Southern ultraists have been demanding his recall at the hands of the President; and, falling in this, they now insist upon his rejection by the Senate. Their ground of complaint is the Governor’s demand that the new Kansas Constitution shall be submitted to the popular vote, and his rejection of the “simulated and fictitious returns,” by which the Pro-Slavery minority hoped to get possession of the Territorial Legislature. We run little risk in predicting that they will find it quite impossible to rally the Democratic Party in the Senate to such a platform. It is possible, however, that they may withdraw enough votes from that party to render Governor Walker’s confirmation by Democratic votes alone doubtful. In such a dilemma the Republican Senators, who now number 17, will have virtual control of the result. By voting with the Southern ultraists they can secure the rejection of Walker. By voting with the Conservative Democrats they can secure his confirmation. If they governed by exclusively party motives, they will probably take the former course- if by a permanent regard for justice and the peace of the country, they can scarcely fail to take the latter.
The result cannot be a matter of special interest to Governor Walker himself. Indeed, if his personal views are as ambitious as they are generally supposed to be, he could desire nothing better, as nothing could do him more good, than to be rejected upon such grounds. He has taken a course which will command the approval of the country. If the Democratic Party choose to make war upon him on account of it, it is not difficult to see which must be injured most.