Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1865-12-15
A Voice from the Tombs.

n
Mr.. Buchanan has at last broken his long
silence by an apology for bis trailorous mac
tivity during the last few months Of his admin
istration. He makes two points in self.defense,
apparently contradictory to each other; first,
the South had cause to be enroged with the
NORTH which he supports with copious drafts
upon history; and second, that while Congress
was in session, he would have made himself
liable to impeachment if he had assumed TO
exercise repressive powers. Either the rebels
were justified in their rebellion or they were
not. II they were, there was no cause to eXer-
else repressve powers. II they were not, then
the only repressiye powers to he thought OF
were those which were ultimately adopted, and
which saved the country. The arguments, how
ever, on these two points are elaborated at great
length, especially wherein he attempts to throw
the responsibility of the finaluppeOll 10 armsupon
the republican members Of congress. The old
public mneionary has not forgotten in his re-
tirement his old trick OF ialsiiying history both
by mistatement and eoneealment OF important
facts. Fortunately the events of the whole pc
riod of which he writes are matter of record,
ana he is too far gone in his sins to make any
apology effective. After the plan of secession
had been fully matured, under the very eyes OF
the President, he proclaimed to the world, in his
mes sage of Dec 3, 1850, that
"lhe long continued and Incorporate inter-
ference of the northern people with the question
of slavery has at length produced its natural
effects. Se.preservatior is the
first law of nature. and has been implanted
in the heart of man by his Creator for the
wisest purposes; and no political union, howev-
er raught with blessings aud benefits in other
respects, can long continue ii the necessary con
sequences be to render the homes and hresides
OF nearly half the parties to it habtually and
heplessy insecure. Sooner or later the bonds
of such Union must be severed"
And as il this were not adding fuel enough TO
the already blazing fires of treason, he continued
to say that if certain laws OF the northern states
were not at once repealed, "lheE the injured
states, after having FIRST used all peaceful and
constitutional means to obtain redress, 1COutd
be jpStiGed IN REVOLUTIONARY RESISTANCE TO
THE GOVERNMENT OF TIE UNION" The most
violent rebel in the land asked no further con-
ccssion. Howell Cobb wrote home to his
friends: "The administration of Mr. Buchan-
nan is most thoroughly identified with our prin-
ciplcs and our rights, OF any that has ever pre-
cedod it, and am willing to stand or fall upon
the issue" The President not only did not de-
sire that the rebellion should be suppressed, but
he boldly informed congress that there was no
authority under the constitution for suppressing
it.
alas the constitution" he asked delegated
10 congress the right to coerce a state into sub
mission which is attempting to withdraw or
has actually Withdrawn from the confederacy ?
After much serious reflection have arrived at
the conclusion that no such power has been
delegated TO congress or to any other depart
mcnt OF the federal government. Without de-
scendng TO particulars, ii may safely he assert.
ed that the power to max war against state