Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-04-16
ER. BUCHANAN's BID FOR THE SOUTH
EEE VOTE.
From the Washington Union.

/ position of Mr.. Buchanan on the Kansas Ne
| braska bill we are permitted to copy the fol-
| lowing extract from letter addressed by Mr..
! Buchanan TO SenatorSlideli, dated London, on
the 28th of December last, when there seemed
/ to be no difference as to Mr.. BIS thorough den-
| tity with the Democratic party on this, as on
! all other issues. 1t will be seen that Mr.. B.
| speaks Of the Kansas-N ebraska bill with his u
| sual frankness and decision. We are confirm
ed in our impression, by this letter, that no
man, no set of men, and no newspapers, are at
all warranted to speak authoritatively for Mr..
Buchanan upon this or upon any other ques-
tion. His own words speak for themselves
The letter of Mr.. Buchanan was not, it will be
seen, intended for publication, but the gentle
man to whom it was addressed has thought it
necessary, after the editorial article in the u
MON of Wednesday last, to lay it before the
! country:
''The question has been settled by Congress,
| 6 and this settlement should be infeXibly main
g tanned. The Missouri compromise is gone,
&c and gone forever. But no assault should be
90 made upon those democrats who maintained
" II, provided they are now willing in good
&c faith to maintain the settlement as it exists.
g Such an understanding is wise and just in
| g ITSELF
q 1t is well known how 1 labored in compa-
. ny with southern men to have this line eX-
60 tonded to the Pacific. But it has departed.
| '' The time for it has passed away, and l ver-
g mode now left of putting down the fanatical
g and reckless spirit Of abolition at the North
g is to adhere to the existing settlement with
F' out the slightest thought or appearance OF
&c wavering, and without regarding any storm
81 which may be raised against it,"
The Lancaster Independent Whig comments
as follows on the foregoing by the above it
will be seen that Mr.. Buchanan has plunged
deeply into the turbid waters of the Kansas
question, and placed himself along side of
Douglas and Pierce in the mud of slavery
He had before occupied conservative grounds,
| having expressed himself in favor of sustain
| ing the Missouri Compromise; but the en-
chantment Of the Presidential meteor has warp
ed his judgment, intoxicated his hope and
prostituted his principles. 1t viii be observ-
ed however, that Mr.. Buchanan endorses squat
ter Sovereignty, with protest. s'No assault,
! Che says) should be made upon those demo-
Gratis who maintained the Missouri Compro-
| mise -
lie appears sensible of the fact that he is ia
king bold leap after Douglas & Co., and begs
Justify for the privilege of endorsing their in
iquity. He also reminds them of show la
bored in Company 1oith Southern men to have
the Missouri Compromise line extended to the
Pacific" He is proud of-he boasts of the
| bloodless services he rendered the country ssin
company trith Southern men," in endeavoring
to have that line extended to the Pacific, Civ
ing to slavery millions of territory that had
ever been free Perhaps he forgot that Doug
las and the South insist that the Missouri Com
promise was unconstitutional-and a gross out
rage on the rights of slave owners!
But upon what ground is it that Mr. Bucha-
nan rests his aequiescencc in sssettlement''
of this vexed question, which overthrows and
destroys the principles in defence of which
his former labors were bestowed Why ssthe
Missouri Compromise is gone and gone forey-
eri" E'Ithas departedl'' 1t snot the ground
now taken by the South-it is wrong in prin-
ciple, and an outrage On Southern rights
''The time for it has passed away - aud he eve
riiy believes the best and only plan now to put
down abolitionism is to adhere TO the existing
settlement
The principle which underlies the Kansas
Nebraska act is approved aud endorsed. With
great zeal and elacrity he straddles the hobby
of his party, and is ready to ride whithersoever
it may go, without rein or curb, for he verify
believes that the repeal of the Missouri Com
promise and the introduction of Sguattcr Sow
erelgnty ''is the best, nay, the only mode left
of putting down fanatacism ~ Is it not enough
that he ''yerily believes it the best mode''-of
keeping his party in power Mr.. Buchanan
is shre10d man, and has learned wisdom from
his experience. In 1872 he opposed ssthe sec
ond War of Independence and would have
freely opened his veins IF one drop Of DEMO
cratic blood had been an them but experience
taught him that Federalism would not lead
him to power, and he abandoned it.
In 1915 he denounced s'foreign influence
but soon saw that years must roll round before
the people could be aroused to a sense of its
evils and he could not wait, he therefore aban
doned Americanism and rose to power and
place. His abandonment, first of Federalism.
and next of Americanism, has been rewarded
Could such man find the slightest difficulty
in acquiescing in any measure, however, op-
posed TO his preconceived notions of right,
when such acquiescence might lead to his ele
vation to the highest office in the world p
Surely not, and more especially if permitted
to enter a protest that no assault should be
made upon him for this change.
--~>>-~
1t is amusing TO hear some Locofoco sheets
talk about the nominees of the PHILADELPHIA
Convention. The NelOs says it reminds one
forcibly of the Frenchman who had but lust
taken his first lessons in FpnIisb ArFar a