Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-07-19

Buchanan had neither made. nor had he been al.
thor,zed TO make any such proposal The letter af
Mr.. Buchanan, q well recollect At the Time was
considered as highly honorable to himself and en-.
tirely satisfactory to Mr. Clay and his friends. Mr.
Clay, in letter to his friend Judge Brooks, when
referring to this letter of Mr.. Buchanans says:
would not desire stronger statement from Mr.. Bu-
chananl" And his friend Mr.. Letcher, uses LAM
guage equally explicit. He says Ct Mr. BIS letter,
it is modest and gentlemanly, yet strong and con-
elusive! am truly delighted at thei manner In
which Mr.. Buchanan has acquitted himself" Such
was the strong and explicit language of Mr.. Clay
and his friends in 1926 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 oeritas ct praerale6it ="
Again, it is objected to the Democratic platform
because of its llibustering designs against friend
ly nations" and that Mr. Buchanan is to be regard.
ed one of the particpatorsin 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 no such
doctrine, nor are there any just grounds to justify
these fears of Mr.. Buchanan's pursuing such line
of policy towards foreign nations In his letter
OF acceptance Mr. Buchanan says, our foreign pol
icy ought to be based upon the principle of do
ing justice to all nations and requiring justice from
them in return and from this p, incipls shuU neu
~ePuTt LINUS TcueWinS III SUBSTANCE, uOt III
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 busterng design against
friendly powers. does not rest any supposed opin
ion of his of the present day. 1t will be found clear
ly expressed in very lucid and able document, writ.
ten by Mr.. Buchanan while Secretary of State, and
which formed the basis of his letter Of instructions
| to myself, whilst Minister at 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 hundred millions of dollars.
am excused in thus referring to this document
it has already been made public, and only refer to
it as an act of justice to Mr.. Buchanan. He places
his argument for the acquisition Of Cuba ON high
national grounds alike important to the commerce
of the North as well as tina, Of the South. That
whilst government content that Cuba should
remain in the possession of Spain, so long as 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 not
only the Gulf stream, but ultimately the mouth Of
the Mississippi. Lord George Bentick, leading
member of the British Parliament, about this time
talked of seizng upon Havana, placing its revenues
in sequestraton in order to satisfy British creditors
thus alarming our Government and inducing them
to make this offer to purchase. And was further
instructed il the event Of her refusal SELL and Of
such attempt being made by the English govern
men to tender to Spain for its defence the naval and
| military power of the United States. This, as be-
lieve would still be Mr.. Buchanans policy in regard
to Cuba-to purchase if practicable at any price,
but under no circumstances to suffer it to pass I'M
| der the control of a naval power. Such as con-
| ceive, was the result of the much talked Of and
! much misunderstood Ostend Conference! The is-
land of Cuba was to be required by the United
States by fair purchase and only seized by force as
q measure of last necessity. To such policy there
could be no we'll founded objection by any true
| American.
| In conclusion allow me to say, with Mr. Buchanan
President-and feel quite certain he will be-the
fugtive-slave law will not be repealed-the Missouri
restriction will not be restored-the Kansas Difficult.
ty wiU be settled, and new States admitted into the
Union, with or without slavery according to the will
of its people-the transfer Of slaves from one State
to another by their lawful owners will not be pro-
hibited, will slavery be abolished in the Dis
! trict of Columbia. Have we not, then, the right
| to expect and to call upon the freemen of Ma
! ryland to unite with the two Carolinas in bring
| ing about SO desirable an event by the election
| of q man from whom the country has every
thing to expect and nothing to fear? Tosuppor the
opposing ticket of Mr.. Fillmore could lead to no
cessful result, there be reasonable cacula
ton of his ticket being able to do than to d.
vide the vote of national and conservative men, and
thus devove the election upon the House of Repre-
sentatives, and thereby endanger the peace of the
CO untry by the possible of the candidate,
whose supporters, with feelings of deep hostility to
the slavehoding States, stand pledged to course
| that would result in a dissolution of the Union To
support such candidate in preference to the Dem
ocratic nominee, JAMES BUCHANAN, would be moral
treason against the country, his friends and sup
porters stand pledged to maintain its peace and hon.
or and resolved at all hazards to defend and pre-
| serve the Constitution and Union of the States.
Yours with great esteem and respect,
r. NJ. SAUNDERS.
| To Messrs Bradley L. johnson, Ed. Shriver, Wm
r