Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-07-19
Letter from Gen. saunders.


Having learned that Gen. r NJ. Saunders had
been invited by Committee in Maryland to address
. mass meeting to be held by the Democratic party
OF Frederick and understanding that he had declin
ed to make Speech but had responded to the invi.
taton by letter, We applied for . copy of the
letter. and have been kindly furnished with it for
publication.
Gen. Saunders only purpose is to do justice to
faithful public servant and to vindcate the truth
of history" This he has done, calmly, candidly and
in the most conclusive manner. The opinions and
statements OF such man. on any subject, would be
entitled to respect; but in this instance, his long
ISOLATION with MIR. Buchanan, his knowledge of his
public and private character, together with his
experience and advanced age, and his indisposition
to engage in political Strife all unite give to what
he says peculiar weight We invite the attention
Of the country generally to this letter. In relation
to the vital question of slavery, he shows the record
of Mr.. Buchanan to be without blemish aud he
is equally clear and satisfactory to the bargain
and corruption" and in regard to Cuba and the
much misrepresented Ostend Conference:
RALEIGH, July IL, 1885,
GENTLEMEN: feel highly Aattered by your polite
invitation to attend and address "A Mass Meeting"
to be held BY the Democratic party of Frederick
the 7th Of August. 1t would afford me pleasure to
be present on the OCCASION and to comply with your
wishes, but that feel restrained by my position at
home from attending any public meeting of polit-
ical character. Yet as the Committee are pleased
to say, from my long association and connection
with Mr.. Buchanan in the public service, my test.
mony as to his course would be received with inter-
est and qualification, l see no improperly in my
thus responding to your request; and l do so the
ahn rfIy l.
faithful public servant and to vndicate the truth of
history.
My acquaintance with Mr.. Buchanan commenced
in December. 1921, when we both. for the first time
entered Congress as members of the House of Rep
resentatives We acted together for six years. when
I retired leaving Mr. Buchanan an active and eff.
cent business member until 1881, when he was
transferred to the Senate. | returned as a member
of Gen. Harrisons called Congress in 1s4l and con-
tinued a member four years. found Mr. Buchanan
still in the Senate !; and though acting with such
men as Clay and Calhoun, Webster and Silas Wright
fully sustaining his high reputation in debate. On
Mr.. Folks accession to the Presidency, he entered
his Cabinet Secretary of State and as Minister at
the Court of Spain, our intercourse and correspon-
dence continued for the next four years. So that
can say, with propriety, l have either acted with
him, or been in a situation to know his opinions
and to form judgment as to his public course for
nearly quarter of century; and can sincerely
and truly say, that know of no public man North
of Mason's and Dixon's line, whose record exhibits
so just and consistent all questions con-
sidered by vs. of the South involving our Consti
tutional rights as that of James Buchanan's The
Journals of the House and Senate show that he has
uniformly acted in opposition to all measures look
ing to the abolition of slavery in the District of Co.
lumbia In February, 1856, being the first session
of the 9th Congress- at period of great excite
ment, and when both Houses of Congress were
greatly harrassed BY the introduction Of abolition
A.. p,,oh had hold ;p1o
pendence to move that the prayer Of the petition.
be rejected" and said on the occasion, his mo.
ton to reject the prayer of the memorialists,
and thus to decide promptly that slavery ought not
to be abolished within the District of Columbia. He
had made the strongest motion he could make con-
sistently with the right of petition and the respect
due to the petitioners lie might have moved ref
erence Of the memorial to a committee but he was
prepared at once and without any report from
committee, to vote for rejecting the prayer Of the
petitioners" Now, I ask, what Northern man has
taken so bold and decided STEP or expressed him
ion? Most certainly, not Mr.. Fillmore, who both
acted and voted against US on these abolition petit
tons On the contrary he was in favor of receiv-
ing, referring, and reporting on, and, as think, is
clearly nferable from his course, at that time, of
granting the prayer Of these petitioners for the aboli
ton of slavery in the District of Columbia.
Again, to the annexation of Texas Mr.. Buch-
anan acted with the like independence. He both
voted for and advocated its annexation. He voted
for the ratification of Mr.. Tylers Treaty, and when
rejected by majority of the Senate, at later Pc
riod he supported the measure of annexation, and
concluded an eloquent and powerful argument in its
favor bv declaring he did cheerfully gladly con.
siderng the most glorious act of life believing the
vote would confer blessings innumerabe on his coun
try, now, henceforth, and forever. When it is re-
collected that the slave property of the South is
tmated at from twelve to fifteen hundred millions
of dollars, no measure has ever been decided by
Congress of great Importance to that section of
the Union. On this question of annexation, too,
Mr. Fillmore, though not then member Of Con-
gress. threw the whole weight of his influence
against us.
propose now to notice very briefly some of the
charges and objections to Mr. Buchanan-not such
as have been revived and pressed by the partizan
newspapers of the day, but such as have been urged
by responsible persons, and which they seem to con-
slider of such weight as to deter them from support
ing him for the Presidency. shall pass the old and
idle story of one drop of blood and that of "ten
cents day to laborers!"-the first, having been
fatty contradicted by Mr.. Buchanan and his neigh.
bors and the latter not to be found in his speech
but on the contrary, both the measure proposed and
the argument intended and calculated to advance the
responsibility of the aboring class and the value of
their labor. But l will notice charge recently
made, that Mr. Buchanan was to be regarded as the
man " who knew the falsty Of the bargain and sale
calumny, when he propagated it." 1t is certainly
matter of surprise that persons of responsibility,
whilst complaining of a calumny against the dead,
should themselves be guilty of like offence against
the living and yet undertake to convict these per-
sons as having knowingly violated the ninth
commandment. I was a member of the eighteenth
Congress when the House of Representatives was
called upon to make election of President between
Mr.. Adams, jackson and Crawford, they being the
three highest voted for by the people and returned
to the House. And claim to be fully informed as
to what vas done-had the opportunity OF hearing
what was said, and Of witnessing what transpired.