Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-09-11
MISCELLANEOUS.
The President aud Mr. Douglas.


MISCELLANEOUS.
The President aud Mr.. Douglas.
The following letter Says the Alexandra
'Sen;inel') from President Buchanan has been
handed to us for publication. 1t is written in
reply TO one from Gov. Smith, calling the At,
tention Of Mr.. Buchanan to u REMARK made by
Mr.. Douglas in his speech az Concord. The
remark itself is quoted By Mr.. Buchanan in the
letter below, thus rendering unnecessary any
preliminary statement or explanation. We will
add, that while much regrctting that there should
be occasion for such a letter, w are glad to
give j. 10 the public as evilencIng u spirit wor'
thy Of u President, and a course of conduct
which will address itself to the generous sym
pathies Of the people:
WAsulSGToE, Aug. II, 1850.
Ny Dear Sir: I have received rour favor Of
the 9Th inst. enclosing Il printed extract from
the recent speech Of Judge Douglas at Con-
cord. You inform me You expect to be at The
Charlottesville Convention, and would be glad
to know something of the interview referred to
in thar speech. 'Thc President told me ii |
did not obey him. and vote to force the Le-
COMPTON Constitution upon the people against
their will, he would take off the head Of every
friend I had in office" II is unnecessary to
quote the alleged reply Of the Judge.
Surely tierc must have been some mistake
in the report OF the speech. because | never
held any such conversation with Judge Doug
las, nor urv conversation afording the least
color or preteXt for such u statement. 1t was
not in my nature to address such threatening
and insulting language TO any gentleman. Be-
sides, | have not removed one in ten Of his
friends, ard not one Of his relatives. Even
among those Of his friends who have rendered
themselves prominently hostile to the mca-
sures of the Administration, 4 majority still
remain in Office.
might add, that l have never held a politi-
cal conversation with Judge Douglas on this
or any other subject, since the day my first
annual message of the Sth December, 1857,
was read n the Senate; and / lid not trans
nit the Kansas Constitution TO Congress until
the I'd Of February, 1858, the question OF
slavery not having been decided By 4 vote OF
the people until the Dist Of December, 1857.
Now, my dear sir, in writing thus to YOU, |
have tranSsresSed 4 rule which | had prcScrib-
ed for myself, not 10 contradict any statement
a~ssailing my public conduct or character until
after the conclusion Of my term OF office. A
statement, however, comes with such force
from q Senator of the United States. who is
one ofmy constitutional advisers, and this, too,
in a published speech, delivered by hiInin his
canvass for the highest elective Office in the
world. tia, | deem the present case . proper
exception. Yours. ln"st truly.
JAMES BUCHANAN.
Hon. WILLIAM SMITH.
Appalling Calamity Oh Lake Michigan.
Collision Of Il Steamer TiM Schg0ner-OAIy
j. at Of 800 or 400 Passengers sared.
Ca!cAGo, Sept. S.-rhc steamer Lady Elgin,
in the Lake Superior Line. which left here las,
night, was run into iy the schooner Augusta,
of Waukegan, al hal:-9ast ; o'clock this morn.
ing. Unlv seventeen persons are known to be
saved, including the clerk, steward and porter.
From three hundred aud fifty to four hundred
persons are said 70 have hecI, On board. and
among them were the Black Yagcrs, the Green
Yagcrs and Rifles. and several fire companies.
Of Milwaukee. who were on 4 visit to this city.
Col. Lum>,!en, of the New Orleans Picavune,
and famiiy. were on uoard, aud are supposed
to be among The lost. At the time OF the &C.
cident TIE schooner was sailing at the rate OF
eleven miles an hour. the stcaIn-tug Nc,
QUetll iSil i1.iS ~ ''bS ~ NV ~ Va sHS
disaster.
TIE names Of the saved, rs far rs known,
are as fullows:-ll. q. Caryl, clerk Fred.
Rice, steward; Edward Wcstlake, porter; 70.
Gore, Thomas Murphy, Thomas Cummings,
Michael Conner, John +. Hobart, Of Milwaukee;
Tim O'Brycn. ". \. Danes. Wildman Mills,
Of Ono; Lyman Crilkc. of Waupan ii. IN
grsham, member %! the Canadian Parliament.
The son OF the proprietor OF the London News
was on board and is supposed to be lost. The
books ard papers Of the stearner are all lost
!Af.er the collision the steamer ioatcd South to
W!netka, where she sank.
IsEcoyD pisPATcu.l
CHICAGO, Sept H.-Thc clerk Of the Lady
Elgin makes the following statement
We left Chicago at hall. past II O'clock, fol
Lake Superior. Among the passengers Were
the Union Guard Of Milwaukee, comprising par1
of some $50 eXcursio.!iStS from that city.
At h~alEpast 9 in the morning the schooner
Augusta. Of Oswego, collidcd with the Elgin,
when about 10 miles from the shore. She
struck the steamer amidship, near the gang
way, on the larboard side. The two vessels
separated instantly, ard the Augusta drifted by
in the darkness.
At the moment OF the collision. music ant
dancing were going on in the cabin. An in
slant after the crash all was still, and in hal
an hour the steamer sunk. | passed through
the cabins. the ladies were pale but Silent-nc
cry or Shrek MAS heard, and 10 sound but i
rush Of steam and the surge Of the sea.-
Whether or not the passengers were July
aware Of their danger. or whether their appal.
ling situation made them spccchlrss. cannot be
told. 4 boat was lowered at once. with The
design Of going around the iarboald side To
examine toe leak. There wvr" two oars be
longing 10 the beat, but Just nj that imouen,
some person possessed himself Of one OF them
and We were pnwcrlcSS TO manage tho bna;.
We succeeded once in reaching the wheel,
but quickly dritted away, and was thrown upon
the beach 3: Wipetka. Two boats were left
on the steamer. Ore Of them contained II
persons. al! OF whom were saved. The other
bore eight persons, but only four Of them
reached The shore alive. Tie other four were
drowned near thc beach.
Belo-e We lei; the steamer, the cn.iic tni
ceased 20 work, the fires having been cxtinsuiSh.
ed. The fire and the direction o! the wiGd
were such, tha; the boats and fragments of the
wreck were driven up the Lake and would
reach the shore in The vicinity of Winetka.
AS l stood upon the beach, inprlesSly looking.
back upon the route we had driilrd, | could
see in the gray morning objects boating nrou
beings struggling with the waves.
II. C.. CLAWS.
,rhe Vermont State Election.
MoSrPELIER, VI, Sept. 6.-lhe returns from
nearly one half the State show 4 large majority
for Fairbank. Rep, for Governor. All the Re
publican candidates for Congress are elected BY