Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1860-06-27
Col. Forney Before tho covode COM

Col. Forney's recent disclosures before tn
Covode Committee. They are rather rich
and show to the people how their affair
are managed at Washington. and how cor
rupt is their President: .,,b s.t s..ff
The Chairman. Just commence th
| commencement. and go on and state tn
history Of the whole matter, as explaining
your relations with the President. ai.a
Answer. After the nomination of Mr.
Buchanan, I was at Cincinnati helping
with others, to secure that result,) I wa
taken very ill. and resided at Lancaster
with my mother. my wife being with m,
at the time. 1t was sometime before re
covered sufficiently to go to Pbiladelphi,
and resume my connection with the cam
paign. One afternoon I drove up te
Wheatland, and found Mr.. Buchanan sit
| ting in front Of his house, on the lawn, ir
company with my wife, who had proceed
ed ne; and he said to me in his usual kind
manner, (for we had formed very close and
intimate relations to each other,) II am
very grateful to you for what you have
done at Cincinnati, and also during
your life for me. shall be elected easily"
1t was then believed that he would be elec
ted easily; he was regarded as conserva-
tive man, and he was confident himself OF
an election. "Aud now" said he, in or
der to make your mind easy upon the sub
ject, / want to tell you what my purposes
are in reference to yourself | design that
you should go to Washington and take
charge of the organ Of my administration
should be elected. and to take POSSESSION
Of the public printing This offer is vof
unfairly made, in the fullness of my heart,
and intend to stand by it." Twas, OF
course, gratified and surprised. did not
expect that he would make such an offer,
at least at that time, and We parted. We
frequently met afterwards. The campaign
began with good deal Of excitement. aud
in short time the contest assumed an as
pect which made it exceedingly doubtful
whether he would be. elected. But the
election passed over. We carried by a
close vote the the Democratic ticket in
October, and after the November election
he sent for me to Wheatlaud and said. 81
am sorry to inform you that cannot call
you to Washington" / ought to say in
this sconnection, that was for some time
the assistant editor of the organ of the ad
ministration of General Pierce, and had a
large interest in the public printing, which
was just about becoming valuable to me,
when Mr.. Buchanan became a candidate for
the Presidency. could not sustain a
double position to these two candidates
Geperal Pierce and himself being in the
ield-and threw up not only the partial
control Of the newspaper, but whatever in
terest had in the public printing under
him, and came back to Pennsylvania, at
Mr.. Buchansn's request to assume the di.
rection Of the campaign. al am sorry -
said Mr.. Buchanan, that l cannot fulfill
my promise to call you to Washington" /"
had my house here furnished-the house
now occupied by Senator Trumbull, and
owned by my wife. of whom Mr.. Buchan
an is still trustee-and ], of course, felt
very much shocked at this statement, and
demanded to know the reason. Said he,
There are serious objections to you upon
the part Of a number Of Southern men. |
said "Yo on have surrendered me" Said
he, Il have been compelled to do SO; a
great trouble would take place ia my ad.
ministration if you came there. aud sho'd
be compelled to make arother arrange
mpnt" said that however dissgreeable
the intelligence might be, it was conclu
sive; and be might rely upon it that be
would hear nothing from me in opposition
to his administration. If he continued to
stand by the principles upon which he was
elected, He said. There are many places
which you can take under me-" / said
"No! it is utterly impossible that l can
bear any official relation to your admins
tration hereafter; but l intend to give
your administration a hearty and sincere
support"-for believed then that il there
was a man on earth who would be true tc
his pledges, it was himself ..--o =. l..l
Subsequently I became the candidate o.
the Democratic party for United State:
Senator. He recommended me to the Leg
islature through friend, for that position
which / thought was an ample contradic
tion to the objection which he had allowed
to be successfully made against me; be
cause il he was willing to put me into the
Senate, he certainly ought not to have OBJ
iected to having me here as his newspape
representative, so to speak. l was de
feated for that place, and then very strong
demonstration was made, in many quar-
ters, to put me before him for the cabinet
| took occasion at once to tell him, that
acting on the determination which 1 haC
started out with, | was not candiaat
for that place. Indeed, | went so far al
to assure many kind friends that their per
s;stent support of me for the Cabinet wa
disagreeable to me aud would produc
trouble; that Mr.. Buchanan had other OBJ
ects in view, and my course was marked
out. Shortly before his Inauguration, Mr.
Buchanan wrote me letter rendering M
one of two places-the place of Consul a
Liverpool, and the place Of naval officer a
Philadelphia confess that was sur
prised at the offer, and was somewhat in
dlgnant, and declined it unhesitatingly
Either before that or directly after. (cer
tsinly about that time,) l was called upol
by Mr.. Wendell, at the Merchants Hotel
Philadelphia, first, and subsequently, a
Marshal Hoover's, in this city; when h
) renewed the proposition that the Prssiden
had made to me in his letter, adding this
anything else ! might wish could have
He stated further that be was authorizes
TO say that IL would go to Liverpool, o
accept foreign mission, should receiv
ten thousand dollars 10 addition to th
salary Of consul, or of named foreig
mission. Mr.. Wendell had always befor
been identified with the eopponents OF MI
Buchanan. Daring my intercourse wit
the Administration Of General PIerce-Dc
because / had any hostility to Mr.. Wer
r dell, for wewere always good friends, bu
because our relations were not Of the mos
confidential character-I looked upon hi
proposition as a most extraordinary on
= | thought Mr.. Buchanan had, | will nc
say made mistake, but thought he ha
selected somewhat singular friend {
make that proposition to me. kne
}, then, as subsequent events have proveC
s that the money, outside Of the salar.
could only come from tho profits OF Ii
public printing. In a subsequent conve
sation with Mr.. Buchanan, and with gel
$ tleman connected with the Cabinet. for
e was on the best terms with them then.
:, said to them that was not entitled to tn
much money, that au inquiry would
u raised. aud that although, as Mr.. Buchal
h an suggested, / might correspond wit
newspapers, ! never could make tn
much money by correspondence. We
during the interim between that time at
the establishment of my newspaper
- Philadelphia, this offer was repeated
/. declined. AT last number OF genllem,
q y ith whom | was then, and still contin
to be intimately associated, Thought
would be best that should go abroad.
ie was at New York, where receiy,
another letter from Mr.. Buchanan, aud
.. reply TO that proposed to submit It
Mrs Foruey, who was then here 10 Was
iugton: that m ight have been in May,
3. whereabouts; and she was here in i'll healt
. I I A.. M n