Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-04-09
col. FORNEy's PRESENT OPINION
oFTHE ADMINISTRATION.


] L
ting from the capital of my country and that
my old friend--hc to whom | have borne al
most iilial relations from my boyhood--he t.
whom have cOnidcd my few hopes and fears
lie for whom dared the frowns of foes,
and for whom during four long years in the
lower House of Congress the patronage in
my gift was fcarlcsslv bestowed, and he
knows how gladly and spontaneously, too -
! can hardly believe my senses, that this is
the city of Washington, and that James Bu-
chanan is President.
What is the prospect now? One wide
| Reign of Terror. 4 test is erected here
| like some horrid instrument of torture. upon
which Democrats are tried and executed for
their opinions. The work Of dccapitatiOn
has ceased against lifetime foes, and is now
wagcd upon old and cherished friends Men
are removed and illuminated not for being
| opposed to Democratic principles ; but for
being too much in favor Of them. The
| humbcst clerk, with his little family, who
! struggles along ON his thousand dollars II
year, must hide his sentiments or leave his
| place. For the bold and upright Democrat
who darcs to think aloud, there is short shrit
| If hr has an office he must he ready for the
! uminous cdI1l of dismissal ON the instant
! If he is AN Independent citizen, he is cXclu-
ded from the Departments and from the
White house like common lcpcr. An army
of spies are on the alert, hunting for victims.
Woe to the unguardcd gentleman who, in
| the presence of one of these eager caves
droppcrs, may let fall Il free opinion 1t is
at once caught up and carried, with no lack
of cxaggcration, to the ear Of power. If
there is on this round globe a race more des-
pissed in civilized society than any other, it is
| the race of inomers. The nobcst invcct-
| i've of the nobcst of Irish orators has made
them Immortality infamous These mercc-
nares now hold high service in Washington
| ! could name several from our own State, but
| iorbcar for the honor of PENNSYLVANIA
| They glory in their shameless trade. Broken
in fortune, reckless of their own fame,
laughing at conscience in others and reject
| ing it for themselves they swarm here anX-
ious to earn their guilty wages. The most
of these creatures, happily, are the men who
have pursued and prosecuted the President
with the same venom which they now dis
| play towards those who differ from his Kan
Sas policy.
1t is their vocation to make public orn-
ion here against the intrepid sentiments of
| the people, to bully in the hotels, to infest
the rooms of members, to pump the new
arrivals, to coax the doubtful, to intimidate
the weak, to supply false motives for honest
| differences, to fill the town with rumors of
detection among the friends Of the Right, to
hattcr power, and to applaud to the echo
everything that falls from the lips of great
ness. Sir said a wise and good man to
me on one occasion, several years ago, 1" The
Preadcm rarely hears The trtdh. He is sur
rounded by sycophants, who say only what
, pleascs him" How often. this profound
truth is illustrated 1t is said that Fred
erck the Great think Lord Brougham
short sketch Of him contains the statement
would sometimes demand of his ministers Il
talk to him boldly, and when they did, he
would lose his temper, and beat them ioi
their candrr. There are many good BRAY,
men in Washington to-day, who would give
their worst of thoughts the worst Of words
if they had the chance. But the eye o.
greatness has no welcomc-thc ear of great
ness no harrington such men. II they at
tempt to speak out, they are turned away ol
! left standing 'alonc in their glory Let ms
| give You the last instance of the way thing
are done. One of the best men ever Sent
from Western Pennsylvania to our State
Legislature was Maxwell M'Caslin. His very
name is household word in Washington
Eaycttc, and Greene. Everybody liked hin
during his long residence in the latter county
Honest, faithful, intelligent, and brave, h
was a fine specimen of that Scotch-lrish clc
mcnt which has infused So many sterling
traits into our PENNSYLVANIA character. Well
Maxwell is not ovcr-rich and SO, after hav
ng served his constituents with honor, TO
many years, lie asked for and obtained an In
dian Agency in Kansas about two years az
from President Pierce. lie had been Blu
chanan standard-hearcr in Greene count
for, think, some fifteen years, fighting on
g..
Il hard contest, when the latter led the Anti
Buchanan column in the West. 1t was nat
ural that such man should feel free to spea
the truth without fear, especially to save hi
old chief, Mr.. Buchanan, from harm.
Maxwell M'Caslin saw the wicke d an
mcrci!css tyranny in Kansas. His homes
nature rcvoltcd at it. He saw the man h
had labored for about to be damaged by tn
author of this bold villainy. What did h
do ? Did he wait to think of himself
No Like a man who sees his brother il
, pcril--for Maxwell M'Caslin is about Mr.
Buchanan agc-he rushed in to save him
/ lie wrote imploring letters from the Terri
; tory, telling tho powers here that they wcr
deceived, lie begged them to halt in the
career lie told them that the people ,
= Kansas never would submit to Lecomptor
: and that it''was cruelty to ask them to sui
NIT to it, He appealed to the friends of III
% President to drive of the vermin from tht
t Territory, who were here besieging powCl
dcluding and decciving the Executive. Thc'
letters, written in all the ardoT of old trlenC
ship. and in the credulous belief that no or
n would question their sincerity-alas val
i hope-cost him his head One of them q
c into the press through Mr.. Kincaid,
: Greene. now member of our Legislature
| II aI no tIritp In la
4 was removed from his little place, and h
# successor appointed. can realize how tn
v act of grace will be received in Greene count
d and all along that rebellious frontier, VI
!, regret is deep that, by any act of mine
" the publication of that unfortunate letter
a | should have been the innocent cause of h
# removal. How he did write, let the iollowiI
p extract from one Of his letters (Which cann
iniure him now) speak to the reader 80
the Lecompton Constitution is adoptc
and the election of the 18th of January
y, given to the fre-eators under Calhou
it will not only make dark day in ka
IN sas. but all over the Union. ''lf the Pre-
If idcnt had stood his ground with GOV, Wa
ker, dHidH The millions N C0Hscrrdi'r" M
rrho icouH hdr' raih,d around HIM, b0
North and South, all would have been lrc
THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DEMO,
H. 49, wv - ~ T. MAi-N ~ ~ ~, +,
- IT'S CONSISTENCY, AND STOOD UPO
y THE PILLARS OF ETERNAL TRu T
~ AND USTICE." This fatal letter is dat
on the 10th Of February, and as John Gan
IN bell, my Irish ncighhor across the way, is Il
n onlya first rate bookseller, as well as
he book readcr,) but is also fond of autograph
s ! will give this letter to him if he will col
, and get it. $50 much for Bucklnghdm.'
" You will see that am committing gre
o. imprudencc by writing 50 plainly. -
tainly do so with no personal purpose.
IS, frankncss may disturb some sensihilities-a
or may give some greedy aspiring gentlemen
good chance to help themselves by abuse
al, me and if 50 | shall not be sorry. But
claim the right to speak out ON this gr'
subject. do it more in sorrow than
III anger | feel that we are on the verge o
az fri,htfnl nhvss . nnl in m. Nnrntinn n.