es that these Cabinet members favored
submission, but that Thompson wished it understood that he was
unwilling to oppose the admission of Kansas "if a pro-slavery
constitution should be made and sent directly to Congress by the
convention." A wink was as good as a nod with that body, or rather
with the cabal which controlled it; and after a virtuous dumb-show of
opposition, it made a pretense of yielding to the inevitable, and
acted on the official suggestion. This theory is the more plausible
because Martin testifies further that he himself drafted the slavery
provision which was finally adopted. The third point is that the
President inexcusably abandoned his pledges to the Governor and
adopted this Cobb-Thompson-Calhoun contrivance, instead of keeping his
word and dismissing Calhoun, as honor dictated. This course becomes
especially remarkable in view of the fact that the change did not
occur until after Walker's rejection of the fraudulent Oxford returns,
which action placed the legislative power of the Territory in the
hands of the newly elected free-State Legislature, as already related.
On the same day (October 22, 1857) on which Walker and Stanton issued
their proclamation rejecting the fraudulent returns, President
Buchanan wrote another highly commendatory letter to Governor Walker.
As it has never before been published, its full text will have special
historical interest.

WASHINGTON CITY,
22d October, 1857.

MY DEAR SIR: I have received your favor of the tenth instant by
Captain Pleasonton and am rejoiced to learn from you, what I had
previously learned from other less authentic sources, that the
convention of Kansas will submit the constitution to the people.
It is highly gratifying that the late election passed off so
peacefully; and I think we may now fairly anticipate a happy
conclusion to all the difficulties in that Territory. Your
application for a month's leave of absence has been granted to
commence after the adjournment of the convention. During its
session your presence will be too important to be dispensed with.
I shall be glad to see you before you publish anything. The whole
affair is now gliding along smoothly. Indeed, the revulsion in the
business of the country seems to have driven all thoughts of
"bleeding Kansas" from the public mind. When and in what manner
anything shall be published to revive the feeling, is a questio