Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-10-16
From the Nashville Patriot -
Gen. Jackson and Judge Catron-Letfer
from MlJoE DoneAson.

showing that il was in direct conflict with numerous
written evidences Of the opinions and acts Of General
jackson az that period OF his fe and hence that the
i Judge had made mistake.
In the letter which you republshed from the Nash
vile Union, dated the 18th Of May 1874 signed BY
Gen jackson, he reierates his confidence in Mr.. Van
Buren,, whose position he regards as that may be
modified 70 meet the wish Of the Democratic party.
70 make the annexation of Texas test question In
the Presidential canvass Of that year That letter.
the day Of Its date was handed to me. with the UNI
derstandlng that il was not 10 be Immediately pub
\ shed. 1t with other letters addressed about the
same period, by Gen. jackson TO his confidential
friends at Washington, was delivered TO me, and
intended and used az the basis OF consultation with
Messrs. Wright, Benton, Butler, and Others in an at
tempt TO harmonic the conflicting views Of the party
on the Texas question. AT that time, Mr. Polk was
as anxious 10 see Mr.. Van Buren, nominated as Gen.
Jackson had been, If it could be done consistently
with the project of annexing Texas. Mr.. Polk
name as u candidate for the Vice Presidency on Mr.
Van Burens ticket flying at the mast head of the
organs OF the Democratic party and he looked TO
as his friend TO urge his claims and see that his
name was not withdrawn from the cons deration Of
the convention His letter 10 me on this subject is
now before me- and is at the service of any friend of
his who may wish to examine it, BE was then the
friend OF Van Buren,, and as such expected the nom
nation for the Vice Presidency
II Is scarcely possible, from these facts that Gen.
jackson could have had the preference ascribed 10
| him by Judge Catron. To suppose that he had
would make him guilty of the folly of conceaIinQ his
preference from the very friends he had charged with
authority TO act for him. and who did act for him in
sense directly the reverse Of this superstition and
/ IN manner to receive his warmest appreciation
These friends never thought of presenting the name
OF Mr. Buchanan as Gen. Jackson's preferred cand-
date for the Presidency in 1914.
Gen. jackson, in letter To a confidential friend
on this subject, which bears date Hermitage, the
| 18th May, 1914, uses the following language:
"As understand, there will be no consultation
amongst the delegates to the Baltimore Convention
until the members reach there. AtPresent there is
great excitement among the people and division.
They declare that they will not vote for any one that
VIII not be for annexation, and Governor Cass being
yet silent on this subject he is not much spoken of
by the people. The balance who have declared in
favor OF Texas are spoken Of but no concentration
on any one"
"(Signed) ANDREW JACKSON"
This letter, written but two days before the note
of the 18th Of May, corresponds with it. and shows
conclusiyely that the writer looked to consultation
OF his friends at Baltimore, for the purpose of
centrating the party in favor of the annexation of
Texas. But 1t expresses preference for Buchanan.
On the contrary, from the remark it contains about
Governor Cass, we must infer that Buchanan who
was less favorably identified with this question and
less acceptable on personal grounds than the Gov
ernor had been was not at all in the thought of Gen
eral jackson as candidate for the Presidency.
Judge Catron knows that General jackson, a short
period before his death, declared that Mr. Buchanan
wanted moral firmness and made to him grossly
corrupt proposition. When he, therefore, alleges
that Mr. Buchanan was General Jackson's prefer
tally, that General Jackson willing to make
corrupt man President; and he descends from the
bench OF the Supreme Court to make this assertion
at time, and under circumstances when it can have
no other effect than to disparage the character of
General jackson, and elevate that of Mr. Buchanan.
But the letters referred to are but small part of
the evidence still extant of General Jacksons dsrust
of Mr. Buchanan as leader for the Democratic par
ty. Besides the letters which have been published
by Mr. Blair he wrote others to various friends and
among them one which has the following remarkable
expressions under date of February 4th 1915:
You may rely upon this, that Colonel Polk will
have none OF the present cabinet in his, nor no one
who is aspiring to the succession or whose name has
been urged by any portion of the people for the Pre-
sidency, unless withdrawal in writing over their
own signature that they will not permit their names
to be used as a candidate for The succession.
/" Under this special rule, Mr.. Buchanan may be
brought into the cabinet and be made Secretary Of
State.
"Signed ANDREW JACKSON"
These letters are in the original handwriting of
General Jackson, and are left with me for the in
specton Of any one who may question their anthem
Heity
In this last letter, manfesng in every line of it
modification at the selection of Mr.. Buchanan to fill
the State Department, General Jackson consoles
himself with an assurance from Mr. Polk that he
would adopt special rule" which would close the
door TO Mr.. Buchanan as an aspirant to the Presi-
dency whilst in the cabinet The same feeling was
also manifested when General Jackson was informed
that Mr.. Buchanan's confidential friend Gen Cam
eron, had desired to become the editor of the ma
per now known as the Washington Union. a propo-
sition which, after consultation with General Jack
son, declined although it was accompanied by the
assurance that the position would be one of great
profit and honor
state these circumstances in Justice to the memo
~ of General Jackson repeing as they do the idea
that Mr. Buchanan was ever his preference for the
Presidency.
Up to the period which disclosed Mr.. Buchanan as
the preferred leader of those uraists who made war
on the Compromise of 1850, and claimed the right of
State to nullify the laws of the Union my inter
course with him, personal and official had been kind,
friendly, and unsuspectng. | had no knowledge of
Gen. Jackson's letter to Major Lewis in 1S45 nor of
many of the incidents which were brought to light
BY his letters to Mr. Blair, published in April last
and which show clearly that he anticipated the dis
organization Of the Democratic party in consequence
OF the ascendency, in its councils of the partsans Of
nuihhcaton and secession. was, great portion of
the period embraced in the dates of these letters out
OF the country, in the service of the government
In my last interview, however, with General Jack.
son. after Mr.. Polk had made known to him the pro-
ect of his Cabinet his forebodings in regard 10 the
influence which the appointment of Mr.. Buchanan
would exercise upon the Democratic party were free
y expressed to me- and have distinct recollection
that he adverted to an effort of Judge Catron to In
duce Mr.. Polk to retain Mr.. Tyler's Cabinet as one
of the ominous signs that Democracy was losing
sight of its ancient faith But did not then see the
dangers be depicted, nor appreciate fully the fore
sight which enabled him to descry the storm which
is now lowering in our political horizon and which
has sprung from the influence of that sentiment
under which the Hartford Convention, in 1872 and
the Nashville Convention in 1885, claimed the right
of a State, at her pleasure to withdraw from the
Union and nullify the laws of the landa sentiment
which has acquired its force mainly from the counsels
of men calling themselves Democrats
am aware that this note may subject me to the
imputaton of oyerstepping the bounds of propriety
because am the candidate Of party which Mr.
Buchanan and Judge Catron oppose. But when a
Judge Of the Supreme Court volunteers to say what
think is erroneous, and what is alike injurious to
the fame Of General Jackson and the great interests
OF the country, feel that generous public remem-
bering the confidential relation existing between Gen.
eral jackson and myself, will permit an expression