The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-08-27

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i BucHANAN's OWN TEsTrMoNF.-Mr Andrew
Jackson, of Tennessee, says the American Or-
gan, attributesgthe letter of general Jackson,
written short time before his death, in which
he charged Buchanan with want of moral
courage, to irritation" caused by the follow
ing letter received from q friend in this city:
stWAsHlNeros, FEB n, 1845.
/ my DEAR .GENERAL:-Your two confden-
tial and very interesting letters of the 4tl and
5th instant, have been received and disposed
of as requested. I am happy to say that am
entirely satisfied, and SO is Mr.. Blair, with the
gentlemen W ho it is supposed will constitute the
new cabinet. Mr.. Blair and myself both think
it doubtful however whether Buchanan will ac-
cept upon the terms proposed, he should not
be appointed unless he does. as he is ful OF
the idea, as / stated to you in my previous
letters, of being candidate for the succession.
IF he should not accept, | suppose the state de-
partment will then be offered to Mr.. Steven
son. With or without Mr.. Buchanan, however,
think the cabinet will be an able one and fully
entitled to, and doubtless will receive the con-
hdence of the nation. L..
1.-THE truth Is, general, / never had any very
great respect for Mr. Buchanan, and of late /
have even had less than formerly. He did not
come out upon the subject of that bargain.
intrigue, and corruption" charged upon Messrs.
Clay and Adams in 1895, AS he ought to have
done, and was expected Of him. Besides, !
have heard him say, not more than month
ago, that he dad not and never had believed,
there was any=truth in that charge. This oc-
Cured at Mrs dinner table, and the re-
marks were addressed to judge Mangum, the
president of the senate But having taken
place at the time and place when it did, have
said nothing aboutit to any one"
The above letter, saysthe New Orleans Gre
ole, was, as its language indicates, written by
an intimate friend of general Jackson, and in
reply to two confidential letters from that dis
tinguished man. In this letter Mr.. Buchanan
is declared 70 have said to Mr.. Mangum, OF N.
Carolina, that he never believed there was any
truth in the bargain and corruption charged
against Mr.. Clay. Mr. Mangum is still living
and will doubtless, if called upon, substantiate
this statement of the writer
Mr.. Buchanan undoubtedly made the same
confession to Mr. Clay himself in the letter
which the latter rmagnanimously refused to pub
lish, unless called upon to do so by the United
States senate. Still, with want Of principle
which it is difficult to conceive, he refused to.
give Mr.. Clay the benefit of his testimony,
and allowed that great patriot to go down to
his grave without publicly retracting the infa-
nous calumny against him which he had hlm-
self orig ginated and disseminated!
MARTIN VAN BUREN AS PROPHET.
ing over some old files day or two ago, says
the NatcheZ Courier, came across the fol-
lowing attempt at prophecy on the part of the
elder Van Buren, Looking forward to the fu-
ture, he predicted (in 1848,) ''the ultimate and
permanent success of the freesoil cause" Now
that he is engaged heart and hand for James
Buchanan. and looks to the Kansas act and Mr..
Buchanan S administration of it, for a more sure
method of carrying out the wishes and opinions
of the people of the north upon the subject of
slaverv-that is, an easier and more certain
freesoll victory than can be won by even specl-
fc congressional prohibition Of the institution
in the territories, lsee his late letter of June
28, 1885, now that his game is manifested,
We are not surprised at the steadiness with
which he has pursued his plan since 1848. NJ.
Van Buren, then predicted ultimate and per-
manent success for the freesoil cause He
now supports Buchanan that his prediction may
the more readily be fulfilled. We append his
letter.
| "L1NDENwALD, Ocr. 9, 1648.
"DEAR SIR:-l hope you will pardon my
long delay'in acknowledging the receipt and
returning you my thanks tor your spirited and
truly patriotic letter. You may be assured
that you will never have cause to regret the
zeal with which you have embarked in the free
soil cause. If there is any thing certain in poll
tics, it is its ultimate and permanent success.
With best wishes for your health and happi-
ness. Very respectfully and truly yours,
;, NJ. VAN BUREN,"
IMPORTANT DEelsIoN.-We find in the Mont,
gomery (Ala. Mail an important decision just
made by tie supreme court of the State of Ala
bama in relation to the liability of owners of
steamboats, and railroads in that State, under
the law which forbids the carrying or trans
porting of a slave ''without the written authority
of the owner, OF person in charge of such slave''
The penalty is fine of fifty dollars, and ifthe
slave is lost, the owner of The boat or railroad
is liable for his full value and expenses. In
case of suit, it devolves on the party sued to
make proof that the slave has been regained
by the owner, the legal presumption being crca-
ted that the slave is lost, unless proof be made
ofhis return.
The case carried up was that Of Stare from
Mobile, who was found on board of the seam-
boat Fashion, on her way from Montgomery to,
Mobile, 1t was not alleged that he was on
board with the knowledge or connivance of any
of the officers or hands He was arrested and
put into custody at Montgomery, to be recon-
veyed to his owner. He was there taken sick,
and died. He was well cared for by the own
ers of the Fashion, and all expenses paid by
them. The owner sued for the recovery of his
full value, o.n the rigid construction Of the law,
that the slave had been transported on the
steamboat without the written authority" of
the owner, and had been thereby lost. In the
court below, the plaintiff asked the Judge to
charge that these facts made the owners Of the
boat liable in full, without any defence thatthe
slave was Oh board without their knowledge OF
nd