New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-09-13

States Senate" is devoted to an arrangement OIL
the late Alexander Slidell Mackenzie for cruel and
heartess murder, in causing Midshipman spencer
and Sesmen Cromwell and Small to be executed
under the pretense Of mutiny on the return OF 'ne
sloop.of.war Somers from the coast OF Africa eany
in the wear Ie43. The whole chapter Is truly ter
rife in its denunciation Of the execution, as peing
in fact little or no better than massacre. Alter
treating the subject at great length and with singu-
lar ability, Col Benton concludes as follows;
Commander Mackenzie had been acquitted by the
autbortes: he had been complimented by u body OF
eminent merchants; he had boon applauded Dy tne
Press; he had been encomiasticaiy reviewed IA ngn
literary periodical The loud public voice wa ior MN
but there was small inward monitor whose stu ana
sinister wlisperings went cutting through the SOU.
The acquitted and appauded man withdrew to Lonely
retrc,t oppresse ed with gloom and melancholy, vsioe
only TO few, and only aroused from ms deprt~-
sion to give signs Of sDS sarnr the war with
Mexico The Administration had conceived the
idea of procuring peace through the instrument
ta!ty of Santa Anna, then an exile IN havana,
and who was to he returned to his country upon
some arrangement of the American Government. Thus
writer Col. Benton) going to see the iresdent lMr.
Polk some day about this time, mentioned 10 MN a
visit from Commander Sdel Mackenzie to TINS exned
chief The President was startled and asked now TINS
came to be known to NE. told him read It IN the
Snanisb newspapers. He said it was all profound
secret. confined to his Cabinet The case was this;
secret mission to Santa Anna was resolved upon, ana
the face Mr. Buchanan, Secretary of State dominated
by Representative Sdel, brother OF the Commander,
accepted this brother for the place
1t is easy to see from this quotation what Col
Benton who is now supporting Mr.. Buchanan for
the Presidency, really thinks of that gentleman
1.-THE facile Mr.. Buchanan that is to say, easy,
plant, supple; ready to conform to circumstances,
regardless of principle. 1.-The facile Mr. Buchanan,
Secretary of State dominated by Representative
"Slidell," now Senator SGdell, from Louisiana,
then member of the House. 1t seems, then, that
Mr.. Buchanan is not only face in his disposition
and action, but he permits himself to be dominated
BY others. He displayed his facility by concur
ring in SANDER and abuse of Henry Clay, and in
the surrender of the cherished policy Of his State
in the matter of protective tariff. In lo44 ne
proclaimed all over Pennsylvania that James NJ
Polk was better tariff man than Henry clay.
Facile Mr. Buchanan! In 1S45 he was
dominated by Representative Slidell, just as he
will be BY Senator Slidell should he be called to the
Presidency, and just as he was by the flllouster
Souls at Ostend. Mr.. Buchanan IN the Preslden-
tial Office is certain to be dominated by somebody,
lust az the facile Franklin Pierce has been domi-
mated by Messrs. Douglas and JEFF Davis. Fortu-
nately there is little prospect that the people Of
theUnited States will elect hefacile Mr. Buchanan"
to the Presidency to be dominated" by Mr.. Slidel
or anybody else. They need in the present crisis
Chief Magistrate made of sterner stuf-One to whom
no human being ever thought of applying the word
"facile"--who will move forward in the path OF
duty with resoute and fearless tread, and will sub
NIT TO the domination of no man, whatever may be
his name, character or position. Whether we are
likely to find in JOHN c. FREMONT Chief Magis-
trate in every particular the reyerseof the faclle
mfr. Buchanan" let the people judge.