The Placer herald., 1862-12-20
THE PLACER HERALD
AUBURN, DECEMBER 20, 1862.
BUCHANAN AND HIS rRADUCERs.

ton to the Republican and Know Nothing
or American party. The Kansas troubles
were upon the country and the members of
the Democratic party of that day, were by
no means-a unit on the questions connected
Herewith. Party spirit ran high and from
the very first day of his term all the fureS
Of anti'slavery Violence were let loose upon
bis administration So insdiuous and per-
sistent was The work of the abolition crusade
carried on, that it had already divided
churches, broken the Wing party into frag
ments, and in 1853 it showed itself seri
Gus clement of discor,! in The Democratic
party last stronghold c, constitutional
union.
Men claiming 10 he Democrats and who
were leaders among the frea State Democrat
cy, began to give way before the hue and
cry, and became quitbIers and hair spitters
about we'll defined legal and constitutional
rights, possessed by the States and the peo-
Die of the slave States. Mr.. Buchanan set
his face against these men, and they became
his enemies. Fourteen of the Southern
States gave him their votes as President,
which was reason enough for Republicans
TO denounce upon. During the four years
of his administration, economy, energy and
fair dealing marked The course Of the gov
eminent at home and abroa). The world
respected us and we respected ourselves, and
nothing occurred TO mark it as an epoch in
our history until the losing months. Tween
" years of education from the pulpit, the
press, and the political forum, had produced
a new generation, and Il President elected
by the free States exclusively. upon doctrines
inmical to the interests Of the South, was
the result and these closing days were de
voted by the people of the South in taking
such steps as they deemed right and expedi
ent TO protect themselves against the threat
ened danger His detractor>, from the most
insignificant piemy, to the Lieutenant'Gener
traitorous. because he did not then and there,
take those steps, which would have amount
ed to making war upon the Southern States.
Lei it be remembered that his detractors hare
tried this insane idea of restoring the Union
by force of arms, and no man nor bel'eves IN
his heart 1t can be done The first hostile
gun aroused the two sections in q warIike
attitude, one against the other. 1t really
made but lille difference which SIDE fired
that gun,--lnen had decided upon which
side they would stand, and the sequel has
proven it. The supporters of Mr.. Lincoln
had their theories to work out, and the South
had their defense to make
Mr.. Buchanan W 3 conscious Of the state of
facts surrounding him; he saw the storm
and sought to avert it,-ho"! why by the
only practical means that could effect it In
his last annual message, he says: II cordi
ally congratulate you upon the final settle
ment, by the Supreme Court of the United
States, of the question OF slavery III the
Territories. which had presented an aspect
truly formidable at the commencement of
my administration. The right has been es
tablished of every one to take his property Of
any kind, including slaves, into the common
territories belonging equally TO all States of
the confederacy and to have it protected
there under the Federal Constitution" This
was the effect of the ruling in the bred
Scott case, but we know that the RepubIi
cans never acknowledged themselves bound
in principle by the judgment in that case.
1t was a ruling that might he changed by
change of Judges, and this change might be
effected by the legislation of the Republic
cans,-in fact, they threatened so to legis'
late.
1t was clearly the right Of the South, to
have that principle carried into practice, and
thew would not and indeed ought not to be
satisfied with less than their clearly defined
rights. 1t was the work of the Peace Com
ven,on to incorporate this right into amend
ments to the Constitution, which they did
in substance and presented them to Con
gress. Mr.. Buchanan supported and en-
couraced bv all his influence, that conven
ton, and it was upon the adoption of thei'
work, that.he based his hopes of the Union
Messrs. Davis, Toombs and other Southern
leaders, had declared that if that was ii
good faith adopted as part of the Cons'i
tuition that the South would be satisfied
There are but few who now doubt that
would have saved rupture.
The "Crittenden Compromise" as 1t wa
called, has its place in history, and the PEG
pie of America believe, and history will pro
nounce the verdict, that if this measure hat
received the sanction of the then dominan
party no rebellion, and no war would hav
taken place; and the acorld knows that not
single Republican IN Congress 'could cote 10
1t, and that enough States were Republican t
prevent its becoming part of the Constitu
ton. Whilst Mr.. Seward was assuring tn
people Of the United States, that danger wa
far distant, that no serious apprehensions nee
be entertained of disunion, Mr.. Buchanan wa
urging with all the means of bis command
the adoption of this measure and demonstra
HE roo.h tho M a.i