Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-09-23
A Rcnninisecnce.

Forney, IN one ofhis late letters To the Phil
adelpha Press, gives some "reminiscences con-
nected with Mr.. Buchanans letter of accept
anee Il letter which the country to its sorrow re-
members, paltered in double sense and kept
the word of promise TO the ear, but broke it To
our hope. 1t is well 10 take counsel of exper-
ence and see to it that such lessons of political
treachery be not lost
The Cincinnati Platform. as our readers will
remember, was not strong enough for the South,
upon the Kansas matter, but in that case they
were willing to trust the candidate. They knew
him better than he knew himself The cases of
Cincinnati and Chicago were reversed. AT Gin
cinnati the rebels were not satisfied with the
Platform, but were willing to adopt it with Bu-
chanan to ride it. At Chicago the rebels were
satisfied with the Platform, but feared the nom
-inee. ..af
Among the Committee who waited upon Old
Buck to tender the Cincinnati nomination were
several SOutherners. A sumptuous dinner was
given them by Mr.. Buchanan, and the nOInina-
tion rendered and the acceptance read. 1t
pledged justice and fair play and humane treat
ment to The people of Kansas. He did that know
ing that otherwise ne would surely be defeated.
Some of the Southern members on the commit
tee protested against Buchanans letter of ac-
ceptauce and regarded it as showing evidence
Of his feelings against slavery. But they knew
their man, and Howell Cobb and others even
stumped the Free States for Buchanan. For
ney adds: ei
iNow mark the damuing sequel: When the
hour for organizing the Buchanan Admnistra-
ton came, and, indeed, several months before
that that time, it was apparent to all the earn
est Democratic advocates Of lair play IN Kansas
that James Buchanan had surrendered his con-
vctions, aud would conduct his Administration
in the interest of the enemies of that COW
enant. Ii is unnecessary To refer to the inaugu-
raj address, nor to the dark and shameless in
trigue with the Supreme Court Of the United
States, which seemed 10 prepare the way for
Buchanan's subsequent treaehery, IN the au-
tumn Of 1851 No regard was paid 10 the let
ter Of acceptance-none even to the promises of
the inaugural itself; but the whole federal pow
er was turned against the men in the democrat
ic party who protested against his treachery
and against the people of Kansas, who had be-
gun to look upon him as their guardian and
their friend. No honest man can now doubt
that we should have had no rebellion and civil
war il the same feeling that inspired Buchanan
when he was seeking the nomination and cleo
tion had governed him when he was seated in
the Presidential chair"
We need not to an intelligent reader point
the moral, and we will close by one short ex-
tract, further, from the letter:
"The immediate friends and organs of the
present Opposition candidate for the Presiden-
cy are men who have done nothing since the be-
ginning of the rebellion (Which, in fact, they
assisted TO precipitate) but oppose the war, sym
pathize with the traitors in arms, and denounce
the Administration of the Federal Government
to whom the conduct of the war was constitIi-
tiOnally entrusted. IfJames Buchanan yielded
to the South and defied the true Democrats of
the North during his Administration, how
long could George b. Mcclellan resist pressure
when all or nearly all his friendsare such as we
have described, and I1heR there is not a rebel
newspaper nor rebel politician That does not, IN
spite Of his prOteStOtolrs iJs fdu0r Of the Union
look upon h ts an Instrument 20 be used TO con-
Ssn,nlGte their dis,uaiOn parpOseS2