Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-05-17
Assaults upon President Buchanan.

The recentassaults upon President Buchanan
by members OF his own party--in fact their al
most universal reputation of him-haFe stirred
up our sympathy in his behalf. We are satisfied
that old Buck is the worst used man in the
country, and We are compelled to come to his
defence. He has, to be sure, done many things
which we cannot justify or excuse, but these are
not the things for which he is assailed by MS
party friends. They accuse him of treachery In
abandoning Democratic principles and measures
and recommending those which have always
been advocated by the Wings. Itcan be proved
very easily that Mr.. Buchanan is not liable to
the charge. He has, indeed, recommended Wing
measures, but he is not guilty oftreschery. No.
body has been deceived. His views and seDtl-
ments were as well known before bis nomination
by the Cincinnati Convention as they are how--
the Democrats elected him with their eyes open,
and il does not become them to complain. To
prove this we beg leays to quote from an edit
oral article published in the Spectator OF No
yember 10, 1855. In that article we oongratu-
lated our readers upon the triumph of Wing
principles just achieved in the election of Mr..
Buchanan. We referred particularly to his long
entertained and well known sentiments in favor
of protective tariff and internal Improvements
by the General Government, stating, however,
that upon both of these questions the President
elect went bow shot beyond US, advocating as
he did protection per SO, and the Pacific Railroad
project, of which we doubted the expediency.-
We then remarked:
Candidates are the opponents of principles.
Men are not made candidates by reason of any
mere personal merits. They are taken up as the
embodiments of principles, to give effect to those
principles and to bring them into power. And
as the Cincinnati Convention which nominated
Mr.. Buchanan ss their candidate, and the people
who elected hin, knew perfectly we'll what his
principles were, there can be no doubt that they
selected him as their champion on account of his
principles and to give them practical effect IN the
administration of the Government. So viewing
the matter, we again renew our congratulations
to our readers on the new lights which have
broken in upon the Democracy-on their repu-
dlation Of their old errors, and on their adoption
of the sound, wholesome, conservative opinions
of Mr.. Buchanan as the basis of their creed
'It is true the leaders of the Democracy, fear
ing revolt among the masses, had to cover the
movement up little, by sort of Incompetent
sible particularly structure called PLATFORM, a.
Cincinnati. But we all know that was q mere
sham. 1t was, as it we're, mere temporary We
hicle, which was gotten up for Mr.. Buchanan to
ride on during the cGneass. At the end OF the
campaign, he was expected to step from it into
the White House and then split it up for kinding
wood. lie told US himself he meant to occupy
it during the CARCASS. Not one word did he say
about occupying it during his Presidential term.
Not he %
We regret to find that our anticipations have
not been realized The Democracy, it seems did
not intend by the election of Mr.. Buchanan to
surrender their opposition to Wing principles.
But what right have they to complain of the
Presidents Especially, what right had Mr.. Mon
tague our Democratic candidate for Lieutenant
Governor, to speak Of him as he did on recent
occasions He said 81 voted for Mr.. Buchanan
on the Cincinnati platform, bat he has deeeiced
me-As IS a traitor to has party" &c. Now this
is pretty piece of business. Mr.. Montague
ought to be ashamed of himself. We knew Mr..
Buchanan's position in reference to the tariff, in
ternal improvements, &C., before his election,
aud Mr.. Montague must have known it also
And now for him to call the President "a trait
orr and all that But the richest part of the
joke is that the Lieutenant "voted for Mr. Buch-
anan on the Cincinnati platform" What if he
did2 Old Buck told US himself, before he was e.
lected, thathe meant to stand upon the Cincinnati
platform "auring tile canUass" "Not one word
did he say about occupying it during has Presi-
Dental term. Not he!"