Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-08-31
Union State Ticket.
JAMES BUCHANAN AND HIS THEORY OF OUR
GOVERNMENT.

in press a work written in defense of his
administration 1t will be remembered that
in the beginning of the rebellion, this old
Public Functionary assumed, that while
State on the one hand had no right to Sc
cede from the Union, the federal government
on the other hand, has no right to hinder Sc
cession and that upon this policy he inau-
gurated the rebellion. The object of this
feud this doctrine, and his measures under
it A; and he will come out of the contest
about as Don Quixotte did in his onslaught
on the Windmill For, to undertake to
prove that our government has not power to
defend itself. after its late demonstrations to
this end, is like attempting to disproyea self
evident truth and in laboring for such
purpose, the old Fnctonary will give as
clear proof that he is a lunatic as he has
already that he is an enemy of the country.
Two-thirds Of the people of this country be-
lieve that JAMES BUCHANAN deserves hang
ing as much as does JEFFERSON DAVIS, and
there is much to confirm this public convic-
ton. For had he arrested the conspirators
when they commenced their overt acts Of
treason, there would have been no rebellion,
and all the subsequent losses, sacrifices,
sulferings and horrors would have been
avoided, so that upon him rests the blood
which has been spill. and the agonies which
have been endured, in defense Of our ma
tionality.
This is the position which Mr. B. occupies
in the public estimation, and to attempt
now to Justify his conduct, will rather aggra-
vate, than mollify the public feeling toward
him. BENEDICT ARNOLD might as well assay
to prove that he did right in betraying his
trust; but his infdelity was as nothing
compared with that of BUCHANAN's, and yet
if the former were to set foot on this land
in the present day he would hardly escape
hanging on the nearest tree or lamp-post
by Lynch-law and the day is not far dis
tant when it will be matter of amazement
that the latter was not so served. But be-
sides leading us into a fearful war with the
Southern States by his culpable ineficiency,
he nearly ruined our cause at home and
abroad by his abominably suicidal doctrine
proclaimed in his Message to Congress at
the beginning of the rebellion For the
head Of the nation to declare at such
time that the federal government has no
power to cocrce State. was to disarm the
whole nation and how readily the theory
that our republic was federation of scpa-
rate States, and each able to assert its SOW
out any hindrancc from the central author
ity, would convince the outside world that
we must at once go to pieces. Hence in
the beginning Of the war, England and
France especially, assumed our national
destruction as foregone conclusion. Thus,
not only leading US into a horrid war, but
absolutely nearly destroying our means of
defense This is what JAMES BUCHANAN did
for the country, and now the old scape-
grace writes a book in defense of his con-
duct The politician who must laud his
OWL wares, is like the shad in the tan-vat
he has got into bad water.
Our purpose, however, in noticing Mr.
BUCHANAN's book, was not so much to refer
to the base criminaity of its author, as to
endeavor to awaken attention to the dan
gerous doctrines of his school Of politicians,
on the score of State sovereignty, and which
he and his party are still striving to popu-
larise. Under this theory it was held that
the general government could do nothing in
self-defense until actual war was made up
ON her Hence the rebels of South Carolina
were permitted unmolested, to build re-
doubts in Charleston harbor, until Fort
Sumter was completely surrounded by
works. whose erection the little garrison
might easily have prevented at any time
They were careful not to commit what Mr.
BUCHANAN considered an overt act of war
until the fortress was beleagured on every
side, and reinfOrcements and relief were
impossible, Of course, when the time for
overt action came, it fell and easy prey in
to the rebel hands Until their tolls were
fully laid, they kept within what was then
deemed law, and when all was ready, they
struck tie blow that secured to them an
important point, and the advantages of the
first victory, This happened because the
government, as then administered, failed
to arrest the ncipient proceeding, which
could have no end but rebellion and war.
1t is not, however, from force alone that
the government is called upon to protect
the country. 4 contemporary justly remarks !
on this head, that "The agencies that pre-
cede force, and that render it necessary, are
as carefully to be provided against as is
force itself The State Conventions that |
voted for secession-the revolutionary as
semblies that formed the Confederacy-theI |
local elections at which its officers were
chosen, and every session of the Confeder-
ate Con9ress-all were so many embodi-
ments OF treason, that led directly to the
wag Without them, indeed the war could
not have bporun oDl bol +bo,- Ioo, ,+,,,