Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-09-08

LETTER PROM PRESIDENT BUcHAN.r-u.,s,o
appended the Stars readers will ind letter from
tne PRESIDENT, which we publish az forming an
interesting Illustration Of the tendency of the
umes on which we have fallen. 1t has melau
ouoly INTEREST," insomuch as tsefves 10 illuseate,
win no mean force, the degeneracy Of American
puoiic affairs. Thus 1t proves upon no les : per.
sohage than candidate for the Pr6aadency OF our
great country, the utterance of palpable and de-
noerate falsehood, as means Of strengtheninu
himself with the people. A malicious. Ss wejf
az mean, falsehood. However that was but in
keeping with the whole system of electioneerinp
to which Mr.. Douglas has resorted since making
AN bia mind fo n bs, -nsrsnac,atIc
.'artv
in the hope of profting in 1864 by Its disruptioa
at this time. He declared to Mr.. John Co-sode
that he had his tsbaggage checked through
fof the Republican camp ~ to the Gon. r. P.
Blair, Jr., that he desired to secure for him the
seat Of the Hon Jsues 3. Green In the U. 9. Sem.
ate; and he admitted to Senator Wilson. accord.
ing 70 that gentleman's recent public decar..ion,
that he had uttered deliberate false.,ooa with
reference to his own conduct in ....e SENATE. ga.
political expedfent. - = man who VIII do such
things, Of courss would not scruple to be guilty.
Of coi.,ng such conversation as the President
denies that itever took pace) in the letter below
to which we ask the readers attention The
morale of the matter is. however, the point Of
interest. That American public affairs should
have descended to the condition In which a
coiner of such story is or even fancies himself
serious competitor for the Chief Magistracy 10 a
subject fot reflection the part of all who realize
the great truth that this Government can hardly
last any time after Ii falls into SIMS
ter and, as consequence, dishonest hands Its
strength lies almost wholly In the confidence Of
the country in the integrity Of those who admin.
lister IL. Who can have any confidence whatever.
| Ia the integrity of him who calls forth such a
statement of facts from the President of the United
States, -, RI A = IA
WAsHfNsroN, Aug. IL, 1850. |
My Dear ST. have received your favor Of
the Sth instant, enclosing printed extract from,
the recent speech Of Mr. 6ouglss at Concord
You informed me you expected 70 be at the Char
lottesvilie Convention, and would be glad to know
s-mething of the Interview referred TO in that
speech 1.-The President told me il did not
oDsy ndn, ana vote TO force the LecomPton Con-
sLithiion ,"pen the people against their will, he
would take off the head of every friend had in
ONCE us unnecessary to quote the alleged
reply of the Judge .-.-'- a., :. - =
Surely there must have been some mf.f, Re Z I,
the report Of the speech, because never held an
snch conversation with Judge Douglas; nor AMI
conversation afording the least collar or preteIt
FOR such statement. 1t was not in my nature to
address such threatening language to any gentle
man. Besides, have not removed one In ten Of
his frienda, and not one Of his relativ es Even
among those Of his fsends who have rendered
themselves prominently hostile to the measures
OF the ADMINISTRATION, majority stin remain 10
might add that have never held political
conversation with Judge Douglas on this or any
other subject since the day my first annual mes
sage OF thesth Of December, 1857, was read In the
Senate; and did not transmit the Kansas Consti-
tutioh to Congress until the ID Of Feb uary 1853
the question of slavery not having been decided
by vote Of the people until the lst of Decem Der
1857. EoJ -aS1s7-,
Now, my, dear sir, in writing thus to YOU
have transgressed a rnle which had prescribed
Tor myself not to contradict any statement assaf-
ing my public conduct character until after
the conclusion offny term of Office "A statement
however, comes with such force from Senator
Of the United States, who is one Of my constitu-
tonal advisers, and this, too, in published
speech delivered by him I'm his canvass for the
mig hest elective office in the world, that deem
the present case proper exception. Yours most
truly, - t...e- 'D JAMES BucHIN.y
Hon WILLIAM Smith.
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