Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1856-07-23

was created examined witnesses and reported their
testimony to the House exonerating Mr. Clay from
the charge. Mr. Buchanan neither spoke, appeared
as Witness nor was he ut the time in any way con.
nected with the matter. 1t was afterwards alleged
in publication made by Gen. jackson, or some
friend, 1 forget which, that Mr.. Buchanan was the
person who had made the communication to Gen.
Jackson that Mr.. Clay would vote for him for Pres
ident, provided he would make him Secretary of
State. This statement Mr. Buchanan promptly de-
MED in published letter declaring that Gen. Jackson
was laboring under some misapprehension, as he (r
Buchanan,) had neither made nor had he been au-
thorlzed to make any such proposal The letter of
Mr.. Buchanan, as we'll recollect at the time, was
considered as highly honorable to himself, and en-.
tirely satisfactory Mr. Clay and his friends. Mr..
Clay, in a letter to his friend Judge Brooks when
referring to this letter of Mr.. Buchanans says 81
would not desire stronger statement from Mr.. Bu-
chanan!" And his friend Mr.. Letcher uses lam
guage equally explicit He says of Mr.. BIS letter,
:" it is modest and gentlemany, yet strong and
elusive! | am truly delighted ut the manner in
which Mr.. Buchanan has acquitted himself" Such
was the strong and explicit language of Mr.. Clay
and his friends in 1925; and yet those who profess
to honor his memory in 1856, have revived this long
buried story and sought to fix upon Mr.. Buchanan
the charge of having promulgated, If not originated
it-a miserable Know Nothing apology for their vote.
Magma est rsritas Ell prdepatebit ~
Again, it is objected to the Democratic platform
because of its illibusterng designs against friend
ly nations" and that Mr.. Buchanan is to be regard
ed as one OF the partcipators in the Ostend Confer
ence, and as such dangerous and unsafe man to be
entrusted with the Executive power!" l answer,
the Democratic platform proper contains such
doctrine, nor are there any just grounds to justify
these fears Of Mr.. Buchanans pursuing such n line
of policy towards foreign nations. In his letter
of acceptance Mr.. Buchanan says "our foreign pol
icy ough: ever to be based upon the principle of do
ing justice to all nations and requiring justice from
them in return and from this p, incipie shall neu
de1urt"I Thus renewing i'm substance If NOT in
words, Gen. Jackson's much admired expression in
regard to foreign nations, to ask nothing that is
not clearly right and to submit to nothing that is
wrong" Fortunately for Mr.. Buchanan, his intent.
ed policy in regard to any ilibusterng design against
friendly powers does not rest any supposed opin
ion Of his OF the present day. 1t will be found clear
y expressed in very lucid and able document, writ
ten by MIR. Buchanan while Secretary of State and
which formed the basis of his letter of instructions
| to myself whilst Minister ut the Court of Madrid,
accompanying the commission with which was hon.
| ored by President Polk, when authorized to treat
| with the Spanish Government for the purchase OF
Cuba and to offer one hundred millions of dollars
/ am excused in thus referring to this document as
it has already been made public, and only refer
it as an act of justice to Mr.. Buchanan. He places
his argument for the acquisition of Cuba on high
national grounds,as alike important to the commerce
of the North as we'll as that Of the South. That
whilst our government was content that Cuba should
remain in the possession of Spain, long she
might desire to hold it, and only to purchase when
she might be willing to sell; yet under circum.
stances would the United States government suffer
it to pass into the hands OF any other power its
possession, by naval power, would command moi
only the Gulf stream, but ultimately the mouth o.
the Mississippi. Lord George Bentick, leading
member of the British Parliament, about this time
talked of seizng upon Havana, placing its
in sequestraton in order to satisfy British creditors
thus alarming our Government and inducing then
TO make this offer to purchase. And l was further
instructed il the event of her refusal to sell, and
such an attempt being made by the English govern
ment tender to Spain for its defence the naval
military power of the United States. This, as be
leve, would still he Mr.. Buchanans policy in regard
to Cuba-to purchase if practicable at any price
but under no circumstances to suffer it TO pass un
der the control of naval power. Such, as con