The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-06-27
A WORD ABOUT NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

guaGes
"a portion Of the Federalists were opposed
to the war Of lSl2-'l4; snd-among chem Mr.
buchanan. For this, how far they were OBJ
noxious to eensure we shall not now stop &c
say"
This seems TO have given offence to some o.
our democratic friends. and we have been
charged with incorporating and making
statements that could not be sustained
that Mr.. Buchanan was not opposed to the
war. At any other time we should not no
tiee this charge Of Misrepresentation, as we
care but little what our opponents may say
or think of The editorial conduct of this pa
per; but we are now on the eve Of a canvass,
and in district that will be more warmly
contested than any in the State, and we can
not afford to let it pass unnoticed and uncon
tradcted. We have not made. and shall not
make. any charges without authority for
them, and we repeat that Mr.. Buchanan was
opposed to the war-opposed to the policy
that brought it on--opposed to Mr. Madison,
under whose administration it occurred-de.
nounced that democratic President and his
policy. and charged him with running away
from Washington when the British arrived
and fred it. We don't care whether he vol.
unteered or not-whether he was at the bat
tie Of Bladensburg, or some other equally
bloodless field-that's neither here nor there
we said he was opposed to the war-he,
himself, admits it-and the washington
Union" that democratic text book, admits it,
and certainly no one will presume to ques-
tion such authority as that.
Mr. Buchanan, in explaining his opposition
to the war. years afterward. says:
I'm 1915. after peace had been concluded, i
did express opinions in relation TO the causes
and couduct of the icar, Which Itery soon af.
ter regretted and recalled"
Every soon after" is an indefinite term and
the time alluded to was 1925, when Mr.. Blu.
chanan Joined the Jackson party.
The Washington Union says
1--WE see that several OF the Know Moth.
ing and Black Republican organs have re-.
produced a speech made by Mr.. Buchanan
on the 4th Of July, 1915, in which are senti.
ments in regard to the war with Great Bri
tain that had then clio sed, ,chich no,o find no
reiponse in the public mind As Objectionable
as zoe admit some of these sentiments to BE-, we
think the objection is made with an exceed.
ingly i'll grace by those who are daily giving
to opinions and doctrines far more
and un-American than anything
to be found in that speech"
These quotations are sufficient to show that
we did not misrepresent, and to show that
Mr.. Buchanan was member of the anti-war
party; but IS ''garbled extracts" is now a
favorite expression with our democratic
friends, we will in week or so publish one Of
speeches entire, which cannot fail
to convince every one except such as are de.
not to be convinced.
We do not parade theee charges of FEEDER.
alism and opposition to the war for the pur-
pose Of prejudicing Mr.. Buchanan before our
readers, but to show the duplicity and n.y.
pocrisy Of the men who have brought him for.
ward. For twenty five years they charged
Federalism on their opponents because mem.
bers of the Old Federal party were to be
found acting with them, and told the people
that they were not to be trusted with the
government. They now bring forward one
Of those same ''odious old Federalists." who
maintained his identity with the Federal par
ty ." long as it had an existence, and
tell the people that Of all men he is most fit
for their Chief Executive. It is unnecessary
to point the reader. to the conclusion-for a
quarter of century they have been prnc.
ticing upon the honesty and simplicity of the
masses, or they are trying to do 60 now.
Another remark. The charges of Federal.
ism, opposition to the extension of slavery,
&C., now SO rife against the democratic nomi
nee, were not dug out from among the rub.
bish and lumber of the past by his present
political opponents, but were paraded in the
prints of his own party before the Conven.
lion met to show why he should not be
nominated-to show that he ought not to be
trusted with the relns Of government. will
our democratic friends bear that fact in mind
rs they 60 alongi There is no occasion to
Mr.. Buchanan-his record" as
re produced by leading democratic papers,
is replete with material for the campaign.
and his opponents are relieved from the ne.
,essity Of invention or Misrepresentation.
Dp A despatch from Knoxville states
hat two distinguished members of the old
Wing Guard-Messrs. John II. Crozier and
VIM. G. Swan-have formally recanted their
political heresies and gone over to the demo.
,rncy. Well-time works wond'rous changes.
And-but We wont say il; no one knows
what day may bring forth.
The letter Of our Knoxville correspondent,
received Thursday morning, says that old
war horse, Col. JnO. r. Nelson, Is of. When
such Scared veterans rs Col. Nelson, who
for twenty years has been in the front ranks
where the blows fell fastest and hardest, and
who breasted the overwhelming tide Of de-
mocracy when all others turned and fled
when such men "bolt" we begin to have
doubts of our own frmness and the safety and
mpregnability Of our position. Can it be
possible that We have been deceived all this
lime, and that democracy is not that monster
Of frightful mein which the teachers in the
old wing synagogue taught us to think 1t
was! There must be some mnlgn influence
1t work in old Knox. Who put that bail in
motion, and will no one stop III We are
shaking i'm our shoes, and await n response