The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-04-01

,bev were bound in honor to withhold it is asking toe
much when they demand creGence of their fellow
men. The impuation which he seeks to cast upon Mr.
Polk is not true and the intimation which he makes
that Mr. Polk did not repose confidence in Mr. Buchan
an, is entirely without foundation And, in making th,
denial we feel that bestowing upon this charge
more much notice than ii deserves We speak ad
vsedly when assert that Mr. Reynoldss insinuation
is perfectly unfounded 1t is not true that Mr.. Polk had
more confidence in Mr.. McLane than in Mr. Buchanan
He highly respected both these gentlemen; and is not
true that he gave private instructions TO the minister
which were unknown to the Secretary oil State, OF
which clashed with the official instructions. 1t was
the same with MIR Saunders. The whole course OF
the late President towards Mr. Buchanan kind, cor
dial, and conhdng.
There are other points which intended to notice
hut we have not the space to do 80. And we do not
intend again to refer to Mr.. Reynolds We have paid
more attention to his letter than it deserves We have
done with it, we him to the tender mercies of the
press generally which TO be unanimous for once
in condemnlng him. lndeed, late secretary of ega
ton may clay the aerlng JUNCTION TO his soul" that he
has accomplished the impossible in forcing all parties
think alike for once. No papers have rebuked him
with more severity than the wing. Witness the terms in
which the North American, of Philadelphia, and the
New York Express have reprobaed his production. We
will only add the following from the Augusta Const-
tu,ionas. hemocratic:)
THr PURCHASE OF CURA.-The Charleston Courier of the
2st inst is made the medium of long, rambling, and
egosoal letter of Mr.. Thomas c. Reynolds in relation
the reported Of government for the purchase
of Cuba from Spain Mr. Reynolds secretary of ega-
ton to our embassy Madrid from July, 1916, July,
lS4s during part which period he acted in the absence
of our minister, Mr.. Saunders, as charge daffares
The opportunities for correct information to the state
of relations with the Spanish and the negoua-
tons TRANSPORTING during that time, therefore ample
The letter before PROCESSES be exposition of the
tnre and of the writer's connexon with this a, of
the purchase of Cuba We have carefully read the letters
curious learn the Of the disclosures this
teresng subject and curious 10 the grounds which
Mr. Reynolds usdes this exposition of matters of State.
Nothing but very strong exigency of justice to him
self the public can excuse palliate step like
this for tmay be stated universal rule, be dis
pued that subordinate agent the decide
the propre,y of disclosing the of his principal.
The ambassador himself OF government is bound, by
every consideration of duty and honor, keep safely the
affairs of State ntrusted his discretion. Much
binding, if there be Distinction is this obligation upon
those in subordinate capacity to whom these
conhded and yet on whom responsibility is i'm
posed of failure or OF success Nor this Obligation be
evsded by any technical plea drawn from the fact that
the time of the disclosure the betrayer OF State
no longer in the employment of the government Common
and the of things would not tolerate the propo-
so that the obligation the the individual
ceased be salared oicer for in such it is
the power OF the officer place himself any moment, by
resyning, in position TO give publicity
which would be only detrimental great
tona interests but in the end destructive of
negotiations.
We do find anywhere in this long letter any sucien,
given why the writer in his vndication for
the public good, should have made any to the
world this subject Much, if all, that he knew he
derived while in his OH ;ial position, by it,
though he may have learned things after his resgna
nation. His character was in way impugned. His
rights in way involved The fact that the. M ,dr id
correspondent OF the New York Herald had
such negotiation had been attempted by the American
government did not remove the obligation resting Mr..
Reynolds to be silent this subject When the United States
Senate proper bring the public by
resotng the archives of the State Department. under
resolution for normaton and publishing the world
country could be enlightened in legitimate and reliable
manner But the inform thus oiciousy upon
it by this secretary of legation suspicious
garb and deeply discoored by evident hostility to the
late President to Mr. Saunders and other
and witha is marked by the overweight concet and
sefconsequence of the inflated author be taken by
all cautious inquiIers with many grains of allowance
Had Mr. Reynolds been dragged before the public th.
matter, his appearance retailer OF diplomatic gossip
might escape repobaton. As it is, he dscred Bile
figure.