Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-07-10

OI Ine IeuerallsC OF 1912 the canulQate OF
the latter day democracy for the chair once
honored by Mr.. Madison.
In palliation of Mr.. Buchanan's sins
against the war, bis friends say he volun.
teered aud as a soldier marched to the de-
fence of Baltimore, thus participating in
the war. This does not wash away his
guilt, any more than the fact that Cassius
M. Clay volunteered and fought in the
Mexican war, excused him for denouncing
that war as unjust and wicked Self, self,
was at the bottom of the action of both.
If Mr.. Buchanan ever made his mark as a
soldier, the records of the country don't say
So
''Oh, no, they never mention him"
But Mr. B., in his letter to George w.
Jones, would have it believed that he "re-
called" his opinions against the war, early
after their utterance Where are the re-
cords of this recall? Will his friends lay
them before the public? We have not
been able to find them. We challenge
their production.
In connection with Mr.. Buchanan's OPP
position to the war of 1912, we wish to
direct attention to his
Opposition to the Claims of the Niagara
Frontier Sufferers.
In the Grafton above referred to, Mr..
Buchanan expresses himself Indignantly
about the exposed and utterly unprotect-
ed" situation Of portions of the country
which had to be defended against the in
vader. One would suppose from this that
he would have been the first to give ear
to Just demands for relief by citizens who
suffered physically and pecuniarily, in ex-
posed and unprotected places. Let us see,
however, what are the facts:
1t will be recollected by those who are
familiar with the history of the late war,
that the Niagara frontier was the theatre
ofmoSt harrassing strife, and unfortunate
ly was in no good state of preparation for
defence The government had no barracks
or military defences of any consequence on
that frontier. The result was that the
American troops had to quarter upon the
citizens of the country, to occupy their
houses and convert them into garriSons,
barracks, &c The British finding this to
be the case, destroyed the private houses
thus occupied, on the ground that they
should be considered public property. In
December, 1913, an American force
amounting to over 1000 men were quar-
tered in the village of Buffalo, now the i'm
portant commercial city where Mr.. Fill
more resides. Gen. Mcclure, when he
took possession of the houses of the citizens
who periodically yielded them up to shell
ter his troops and to protect the arms and
munitions of war, and in the dead Of winter
sought comfort for themselves in other and
meaner quarters, pledged them that if their
property should be destroyed, the loss
should not fall on them. He had conf
dence in the government he served, and
made the pledge on that confidence and on
his own word of honor. Before the close
of the month,-on the 30th-the village
was attacked by the British and Indians,
and, after an unsuccessful defence, capitulat
ed. The British commander, Gen. Rial,
agreed to respect private property, but
finding the houses had been occupied by
the troops, he suffered them to be burnt
After the war had closed, the citizens of
Buffalo, together with others on the Mag
ara frontier, who had lost property under
similar circumstances, presented their
claims to the general government for re-
muneration. Congress in 1916 passed
law with view to the settlement of all
claims of this character; but owing to some
defect either in the law or the execution
of it, the claims of citizens of Buffalo and
Others were not paid up to the winter of
1924 A bill amendatory of the act of
1916, for their relief was introduced in the
House of Representatives in December,
1924, and occupied the attention Of that
body till the 10Th of January, when it
passed, Mr.. Buchanan U0tiag against IT,
He could talk in 1915, of the unprotected
frontier, and censure the government, but
he could not consent 10 do justice to the
people and pay them for the losses impos-
ed on them by the government. He de-
clared his willingness to beStow upon them
eharity; nothing morel But they had not
come to him asking alms-they demanded
their rights, nothing but justice, and thanks
to the better spirit of the majority of the
House, they were not turned off on charity.
We present below extracts from the de-
bate in the House, hoping that our read
ers will consider the subject deliberately.
Mr. Buchanan's conduct was in keeping
with his opposition to the war. Indeed,
hating it as he did, it was a great stretch
of generosity on his part, even to offer to
distribute money amongst the claimants as
q charity:
House. OF REPRESENTATIVES, DEc l6, 1924
Mr.. Tracy said the bill only contemplated to pro-
vide for such cases as had been already decided
upon favorably by the commissioner, which cases
it proposed to refer to one Of the auditors OF the
Treasury limiting the allo wauce for losses TO oner
halt the amount Of personal property destroyed,
bat allowing the whole Of the amount OF real pro
perry which shall bs reported by that officer to
have been actually lost. See Gales and SeatOn's
Register OF Debates, 1894, vol /. page 10.