Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-08-09
Letter from Col. Humphrey Marshall.
WASHINGTON, July 81, 1885,

To the Editor of the Frankfort Commonwealth
Ny DEAR SIR: The story of secret conspiracy
upon the part Of the Southern Democrats against
Buchanan to elect Breckenridge, have seen no
reason to believe; that part of it which represents
me as having been let into the secret has ne foun-
dation in truth and that part which ventures to
state an g arrangement for me to stump kentucky
for Fillmore and Breckinridge," is a falsehood
cut out of the lohote cloth.
It is a Republican movement, which should give
no disquiet; for the premises so transparent
that the conclusion must be seen also by all men.
1t was designed by the fabricator Of the fasehood
10 create dstrust, in the first place, between Blu
chanans and Breckinridge's friends and, by the
part of the story referring to the " South Ameri-
cans to SOW like distrust between Filmore's
and Donelson's friends. The last attempt GER
tanly was sufficiently desperate to indicate the
reckIessness of the slanderer, as have no doubt
the first was sufficiently false to indicate his ma
lightly do not believe the Southern Democracy,
sfthe original friends of Cass Pierce and Doug
lasn have plotted the defeat of Mr. Buchanan in
the slaveholdng States, and / think, when that
defeat shall come, as hope and believe it will it
would be most ungenerOus to attribute to a con-
spracy what would naturally ensue from an inde-
pendent examination of his merits as a candidate.
"Throw away two or three slave States on Fill.
morel" Such is the niggardly and mean grace
with which the Herald yields to its iron conviction
that Mr.. Fllmore's strength in the South is be-
coming patent every day.
You will observe that the Northern press is ev-
erywhere pretending that the contest of Fremont
in the North and East is with Buchanan. This is
like the other, intended to deceive. The contest
in New York, for instance, is between Fremont
and Fillmore--Mr. Buchanan is scarcely to be re-
garded as in the fight at present, and by fall will
not be regarded in it at all. This is, frankly,
what our friends think Of the matter. The Herald,
Tribune, Times, Courier and Enquirer, are all for
Fremont--the Express is alone for Fillmore This
you must bear in mind, lest you be deceived by
what may appear the united voice of the New
York press.
have Just returned from New York and New
Jersey Our friends are confident of success in
New York, and they think the Americans will sue
coed in New Jersey. In both cases the Republi-
cans war upon our party with fury to which their
hate of Democracy bears no sort of comparison.
1t is the same thing everywhere have no doubt.
In Massachusetts the Americans proper-the Ma
tional men-have separated from the Wilson set,
who are the Republicans supporting Fremont, and
have no doubt we shall have sharp contest in
Massachusetts,. Where will Mr.. Buchanan be in
that State Or in any State North and East of it
Emphatically no-,ohere.
The gross delusion which was attempted upon
the people of the savehodng States will be dissi-
pated after a while, and it is to be hoped in the
time for those who want sound conservative ad-
ministrator Of the laws to cast their votes for the
American ticket As to Mr. Breckenridge, as you
well say, his friends should be sure that he will
get before the Senate before they make calculi-
tions on his occupancy of the Presidential chair.
How he is to get there / have never been able to
cypher out If tile Senate shall have to choose be-
tween Dayton and Donelson, 7 think it not improb
able they will choose Donelson, but by no means
certain. The Democratic Senate would at least be
in condition to act disinterestcdly between the
Americans and Republicans, and we should then
see which they would, in the abstract, prefer-a
Southern American or Northern Republican.
As they could at any moment have decided the
contest for the Speakership in the House in favor
of a Southern American or any American whom
they would have selected, and yet would not so
decide but let Mr.. Banks go on to an election in
stead 80 it is not improbable between Dayton and
Donelson they may in the Senate let Day ton reach
the chair in preference to Southern Democrat,
who is American in principle and practice.
But should that be the contest before the Sen
ate and Dayto the choice the Union of the friends
of Buchanan on Mr.. Fillmore in the House could
still prevent Mr.. Dayton from reaching the Pre-
sidency. We should see whether there they would
unite in such an emergency, or would continue to
vote for Buchanan until the 4th Of March. My
opinion is that they would so vote in the House
and let Mr. Dayton have the Presidency rather
than Mr.. Fillmore.
The people Of the slaveholding States can elect
Mr.. Fillmore without sending the election to the
House, if they will unite on him. A union upon
Mr.. Buchanan viii not, cannot, now accomplish
that result He is too weak in the free States to
do any good there with him. declare that do
not believe he can carry single free State, if Mr.
Fillmore were dropped to-day. l feel certain he
could not / make no appeal for sectional sup
port, because / abhor all sectionalism apart from
principles--but let the men who have been crying
out for united South consider it, and go for Fill
more and Donelson, either of whom would be safe
for the South. Yours,
Fl MARSHALL I