Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-04-10
OId Buck on I'M Nebra,La .BiII.

Old Buck on the Nebraska BILL
The recently published extract of letter from
Mr.. Buchanan defining his position in relation to
the Nebraska BILL seems to have sgnally failed OF
its intended effect In truth, Old Bucks views on
this interesting subject by means full and
clear as they might have been; and consequently
the Southern wing OF the Democracy, with
few exceptions, still entertain doubts Of the Penn
sylvauisns complete orthodoxy this great ''test
question" Our neighbor of the Examiner, to be
sure in the iervency of his zeal in behalf of his
first choice for the Cincinnati nomination, comes out
in sweeping language and declares that Mr.. Bucha
mans letter is full, thorough, straightforward, bold,
manly. and honest" But this wholesale common
dation, take it, meets with little favor from the
bulk of the Democracy at the South, most Of whom
have hitherto asserted the necessity of broader
and wider concession on the Nebraska issue than
Old Buck has thought proper to make.
We confess our establishment at the ErdmiHer's
extrayagant audation of Mr. Buchanan's Nebraska
epstle II most other Southern Democratic jour
nails had expressed themselves in similar terms
corning it, we should have felt surprise at their
conrs--knowing rs We well do, that they are
ally easily satisfied with anything matter what,
which promises, in the slightest degree, to contri
butte to the success Of party. But for press, like
the Examiner, which has hitherto occupied so eX-
treme position the Southern question, and which
has exhibited so much independence Of all conside
rations apart from fidelity to principle and duty To
the South, to be found expressing such unbounded
satisfaction with letter which studiously ignores all
reference to the principle of the Nebraska BILL is
us, repeat matter of exceeding great aStonish-
ment For il will be recollected that the Erdmincr,
in common with nearly the whole of the Southern
Democratic press, have all along contended that
mere acquicScence in the passage OF the Nebraska
bill, and avowed opposition TO its repeal by
means enough To meet the demands and satisfy the
scruples of the South Each and all of these jour
mails have consistently and stOutly maintained that
an open, explicit, downright approval Of tie prin
eipios OF the Nebraska bill condition precedent
to any mans securing the support of the Southern
Democratic party for the Presidency. Without ex-
cepton, so far as We now recollect such has been
the invarable tone Of the entire Democratic press in
Virginia and throughout the South
WE'LL what is the sum and substance of Mr.. Bn
chanan's letter upon which the Examiner, in it,
last issue almost exhausted the language of enco
MUM Does Old Buck deign to intimate that he
approves the principles of the Nebraska bill That
if he had been in Congress at the time of its pas
tell that Judge Douglas and those who CO opera
ted with him in the work did right in abrogatng the
Missouri Compromise line-a line which Buchanan
himself strove hard, he says, to have extended
to the Pacific Ocean: Nothing of the sort-not 4
word approving either the principle Of the NebraS
ka bill the course of those who sustained AN
made it law, can anywhere be found in his letter
from the beginning to the end. Not syllable. Blu
Nth dit A. Il.
taSm which would do no dscredit even to the fam,
of Martin Van Buren, our willy diplomatic aspirant
for Mr.. Perces slippers simply contents himself
with the declaration that the bill, having become
law, should nov be maintained WHY. bless
your innocent souls, that is the ndentcal position OF
thousands of men who have over and over again cha
racterzed the repeal of the Missouri Compromise A.
outrageous and Infamous, aud whom you yourselves
for the expression Of such sentiment have denoun-
ced as Free-SoerS, Abolitionists, traitors TO the
South Is not this soy And yet you are now en-.
gagged in auding Buchanan for expressing himself
hostile TO the repeal of the Nebraska bill when for
aught you know to the contrary, he may have been
just as bitterly and uncompromisngly opposed 10
that bill at the outset as those person 10 whom we
have Just alluded And if you can support him for
the Presidency for the reason that he is in h.
vor of letting things remain as they are. why
may you not with equal proprety, support
Henry NJ. Fuller, or any other gentleman occupying
the same position What would be the difference
so far as the maintenance Of the Nebraska bill and
the interests of the South are concerned
Again we think rightly infer that Mr.. Buc
hanan was originally opposed to the repeal Of the
Missouri Compromise from several significant EXPIRES
sions in his letter Ia first place as evidence in
that direction is his boastfu reference to the act
OF how hard he labored have that line extended to
the Pacific; in the next he audes in tone of eyi.
dent sorrow to the abrogadon Of that line and
lastly, ne earnestly urges that mo assault should he
made upon those Democrats who were opposed IA
its repeal-and in this matter W. incline to the b.
lief that MIR Buchanan himself has a very eep her.
sonal interest Taking all these things together We
think no doubt can exist upon the mind Of any i'm.
partial and unprcjudiced man that Old Buck wa.
most certainly opposed to the abrogation of the Mis-
sour whatever his views may now b,
as to the propriety of restoring H.
But Old Bucks Nebraska epistle being n min,
which may be worked to advantage, we shall recu,
10 the subject hereafter