Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-09-24


jackson was consulted, however, and only
gave his consent upon the compliance with
certain "terms.D What these terms" were
the public will perhaps never know, but
they show that Jackson had 70 confidence
in him, or he would never have imposed
them. Is it possible, Judge Catron, that
you could have heard Gen. Jackson express
superior confidence in such man, or is it
highly probable that an overweening par
TALLY, or failing memory has misled you.
Time, which has sprinkled its snow upon
your head, and craven his crows-feet about
your eyes, is sad decayer of memory.
But the Union and American thinks our
article of Monday was dictated by Major
Donelson himself, and proceeds to quote
from the speech of Major D. of last year,
to prove that after the publication of
Mr. Van Buren'S anti-Texas letter, General
Jackson had abandoned him as a candi-
date, and thus seeks to overthrow by Ma
jor Donelson's testimony, our position, that
General Jackson preferred Van Buren,, as
long as there was an opportunity for him
"to modify his views in regard to the an
nexation of Texas" There is not a SEN
tence in the extract which it publishes from
Major DIS speech, which conflicts with this
position. Major DIS speech represents
jackson as saying to him, if We cannot
get Texas with Mr.. Van Buren's aid, We
must obtain it without his aid" Why,
that is the tenor Of the 18th of May letter
which we publish, and there breathes
through it his hope that we would be able
to get Texas and to get it with Mr.. Van
Buren's aid. With this hope, Major Don
elSon, as a delegate, left the Hermitage,
charged with an earnest solicitation to
MessrS. Wright, Benton and others, to in
duce Mr. Van Buren, to place himself upon
the annexation of Texas. Mr. Van Buren,
failed to do so, and General Jackson'S con-
fidential friends in the Convention, loving
Texas better than Van Buren,, attempted
to concentrate on Mr.. Wright, and failing,
did unite on Mr.. Polk, Mr. Buchanan re-
ceiVing at no time more than tWenty-SiX
votes. 1t was General Jackson's topmost
desire to witness the annexation Of Texas,
and to accomplish it he abandoned his
long-tried personal friends it reasonable
to suppose that he would have indicated as
the proper man to achieve this darling OBJ
ject, one who when pushed to a vote on the
question, expressed many objections, and
could only be brought to it, from the con-
sideration that it would ''Iimit and not en-
large the area of slavery" Had General
Jackson a world Of confidence in Buchan-
ans personal integrity, would he have gone
to him as a special friend of Texas?
Then Major Donelson'S testimony does
not vindicate Judge CatrOn's statement,
but fatty inValdates it. 1t shows that at
the time of Judge CatrOn's visit, Gen. Jack
son still cherished the hope that Mr. Van
Buren, would so modify his views as to per-
NIT him and the friends of Texas to support
him, and that as a consequence Judge c.
must be mistaken in stating that the Gen
eral declared himself for Buchanan When
viewed in connection with Gen Jackson's
written opinion of the man, and his failure
during JacksOn's lifetime or the lifetime of
his influence with the Democratic party, to
inspire the confidence of that party as a
candidate for the Presidency, all doubt of
the mistake vaniShes.
Oh no, James Buchanan could never
become the candidate of the Democracy
while the spirit Of jackson ruled "lord of
the ascendant" 1t was not till that honest
old mans head lay with the clods of the
valley, aud Democrats could revie him as
a slanderer and falSifer, that the arch-in-
triguer at Wheatland could cozen them
into his support.