Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-09-20
Help me, CassiuIs, or 1 Sink''-Bu-
chanam and Judge Catron.

"
the author of the charge of intrigue and
corruption against Mr. Clay, have taken
Judge Catron from the Bench of the Su-
preme Court, and dressed him up as
political gladiator.
The Judge has doubtless tender regard
for bis old friend and crony, Ten Cent
Jimmy, and would sacrifice great deal to
make him President. Bnt he has over
tasked his power, and will find out before
he eau send plank to his drowning friend
| that he is sinking with him.
The Judge would have us believe that
! Gen. jackson in conversation previous to
the nominations Of 1874, expressed de-
sire to see Mr.. Buchanan placed in the
| Presidential chair by the votes of the Dem
| ocratic party. We cannnt suppose that
the Judge or his Alabama companions on
the occasion to which he refers would state
q falsehood, but we must be allowed to
J express our conviction that Gen. Jackson
/. was not correctly understood in that con-
versation, and that he never made, on that
or any other occasion, the remarks attri-
buted to him.
Our reasons for refusing credence to the
Judge are numerous, but we content our
selves for the present with the following:
First, At the period referred to by the
Judge, Gen. jackson had not given up the
hope that Mr.. Van Buren, would be the
nominee of the Democratic party This
is proved by his letter dated May 18th,
1874, which was published in the Nashville
Union at the time the delegates to the
Baltimore Convention were about leaving
Nashville. We shall republish that letter
to show that Van Buren, had not lost the
confidence of Gen. Jackson who still be-
lieved that Van Buren's views on the Texan
questions would be modified so as to cor
respond with the proposed action of the
Democratic party on that subject. If this
had not been the case-if Judge Catron'S
story is correct, that Gen. Jackson desired
to see Mr.. Buchanan substituted in Mr..
Van Buren's place, before the delegates
left Nashville, the proceedings of the Bal
timOre Convention would show that Gen.
Jackson had no influence at all with the
Democratic party. According to the report
which is before us of the 5allotings at Bal
timore, Mr.. Buchanan on the first ballot
received four votes, a small portion of the
delegates from his own State. This fact
of itself is a complete negation of the ALE
CATION that Gen. Jackson had espouSed the
cause of Mr.. Buchanan, for no enc acquaint-
ed with the movements Of that day in the
Democratic party can suppose that Gen.
Jackson could not have commanded more
than four votes in such body as the Bal
timore Convention.
Secondly, When it was aScertained that
Van Buren, would not change his views on
the Texas question, it is notorious that
Buchanan was never seriously thought of
as the candidate of the Democratic party.
Gen. Jackson'S particular and confidential
friends in the Convention desired first the
nomination of Silas Wright, of New York,
and not being able to obtain his assent to
a nomination, then took up Mr.. Polk,
never thinking of Mr.. Buchanan, except to
repudiate him.
Thirdly, The idea that Gen. jackson ex-
pressed wish to see Mr.. Buchanan placed
in the Presidential chair, is contradicted by
the numerous written evidences which are
extant of his want Of confidence in the
moral honesty Of the man. His letter to
Mai. Lewis, written on his death-bed, can
never be explained away by any report of
his conversations, particularly when these
conversations are stated by political parti-
zans, after the lapse of dozen years, and
contain intrinsic evidence of their want of
accuracy aid faithfulness
But independent Of these conversations
there are others quite as conclusive COM
peling us to reject the statement of Judge
Catron. If Buchanan had been the choice
of Gen. Jackson, can the Judge explain
how it was that Benz. F. Butler, who visited
the Hermitage a short period before the
meeting of the Baltimore convention, and
vino read a letter just received from Gen.
jackson when he declared himself TO the
convention in favor of Mr.. Polk, never once
mentioned the name of Mr.. Buchanan? Il
is notorious that Gen. Jackson's influence
in that convection caused the nomination
Of Mr.. Polk and made him President. If
the Judge is not in error Buchanan would
have been the choice Of the convention and
not Mr. Polk.
Judge Catron has, we apprehend, per-
mitted sympathy for his friend to misead
him. We suppose that his mind is somewhat
in the stated was when he wrote his celebra-
ted letter from the falls of Niagara. The peo-
pie of Nashville may remember how utter
ly he failed in his description of that sub
lime work of nature He called it 'se-
ries If iRdentsa cares" His candidate for
the Vice Presidency is more like these
"iHdsHted cHrUesD than the falls of Niagara
are, and we think the Judge himself would
be more like Judge if he would cease
meddling with politics, or would coufne
bis descriptions of nature 10 such things as