New-York daily tribune., 1857-10-01
A PORTRAIT OF 4 F4CILE POLITICIAV,
FROM SKETCHES By HIMSELF.

Mr.. Buchsnsns letter 10 Prof. Sillman and ohers,
susgess We grouping together OK few ,ketches maze
by this statesman, which, when brought 10 We" .
,se time, presents TO the observer very queer PIC
tore. Every one knows ths. during Mr.. hsd'sons
Aomir isu alton and the war Of 1872, MY. BUCHANAN
vas an ardent young Fedeiast in politics, and tha' IN
his celebrated 4th Of July oraOn lsl1l. he denounoe'
Mr. Madi and his associates in the strongest
al d characterized b. Admins ration a. q WEAK ana
wicked one. Now hear him speak OF the haf'iord
Ccnv.i .ionwhich be then passed unrebuked' though
il was fresh in the public mind spd with whose mem
bers he then syppstbzed in political v1ews-ani oi
Mr. Nadison, whom he detested:
"Folowng the wise example of Mr.. Madison TO-
ward the Hartford Convenion iiegsl ana asngsr4as
con atiops such as that Of the Topeka Convention
will not be disturbed unless they shall attempt 20 p
form some act which will bring them in'o actuai u
li,ion with the Constitution and the "a We in .hA
event they shall be resisted by the ~hoie power"
the Government.
The coolness with which be sludes to the Hartford
Convention is only equsled by his attempt to connect
the idea Of hs old favorite with the Topeka Conven
ton- similarity ra her iaretcbed and not easily seen
Leaving out of view former go ever present 70 his
imagination let US see bis record in relation to assem-
blages like the latter.
The Topeka Convention wa legislative BODY
called into existence by vast majority of the people
of Kansas Territory, for the purpose OF framing
Constitution and organizing State Government.
Thi. Convention performed ts duties, so far as prac
ticsblc satisfactorily to BY far the larger portion OF
the actual residents of Kansas They presented a Pc
ti.ion to Congress to approve their proceedings and
majority Of the House of Representatives, with all
the Senators who were not in effect ProSavery, gave
them end their c4ediDgs respectful hearing and
q M Buchanan well knows, but for tho Savery in.
terest in the Senate Kansas would this day have been
ope of our sovereign States, under the Consttutsn
and organization framed by this Topeka Convention.
But who is this Mr.. Buchanan, who talks OF this
illegal and dangerous combisation, and threatens to
put it down with the whole power Of the Government,
and mpiously calls on God to approve his course
Ju.t turn 10 Mr.. Benton's history of the admission
of Michigan in 1886, when this same Mr.. Bu.
chspan, then Senator in Congress, was the
principal defender of the illegal and dangerous CON-
biz alton that brought that State into the Union.
That was much stronger than the present. No
ore pet.nc ed doubt the regulaItyoi legae1sence
of bora fde Territorial Legislature. Yet the Con-
venton was org .nized by the People, independent Of
it, and with much less deberatOn and regularity than
the Topeka Conventions; yet this same Mr. Buchanan
not only approved but Mr.. Bentons report shows.
occupied conspicuous position that his reply to tho
charge Of the Opposition that the proceedings were
revolutionary, is the only one there recorded.
But let look little further into this precious let-
ter and compare it with his celebrated Berks County
letter, in lSi7: