The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-01-13
JAS. BUCmANAN's R0OE

tue OhiO CrfS1S, mas written history OF
his important Administration, which was
to have been issued from the Appleton
press on the frst of this month"; We
have not yet seen copy of the book, but
find in Philadelphia paper the preface
to the work, which we give below. The
viru Ient and malignant Abolition papers
have already reviewed the book in
theft usual billingsgate style, although
they have never seen it or read it; but
It's merits or dement's, whatever they may
be, will find better Judge in the mind of
the people and posterity, than the fopl.and
foolish political hacks who have de- - 80
! ed Ii the fact of Mr.. Buchanan fssiish-
ing history of his times, an opportunity
to revive their stupid slanders and ventil-
ate their senseless nialignity. The fact
that the venerable ex-President has re-
manned quiet four years under an unpar-
alleled storm of abuse, misrepresentation
and ignorant prejudice, calmly waiting
his time to defend himself. imparts an
interest to his work which it would not
otherwise possess. The preface which
we reprint below unites that tone of dig
nifty which belongs to historian of the
scholarly polish of the genuine statesman:
The following historical narrative of
/ the events preceding the late rebellion.
was prepared soon after its outbreak, sub
sstantially in Its present form. 1t may be
asked why, then. was it not published at
an earlier period? The answer is. that
the publication was delayed TO avoid the
possible imputation, unjust as this would
have been, that any portion of 1t was
intended to embarrass Mr.. Lincoln's ad-
ministration In the vigorous prosecution
of pending hostilities. The author
deemed it far better to suffer temporary
| injustice than to expose himself to such
charge. He never doubted the sue
eessful event of the war, even during its
most gloomy periods. Having drawn his
first breath soon after the adoption of the
Federal Constitution and the Union which
it established, and having been an eve
witness of the blessed effects of these. in
securing liberty and prosperity at home,
and in presenting an example to the op-
pressed of other lands, he felta abiding
conviction that the American people
would never suffer the great charter of
their rights. to be destroyed To the
Constitution, as interpreted BY its trainers.
he has ever been devoted, believing that
the specific powers, which it confers on
the Federal Government, Notwithstanding
the experience of the last dreary years.
are sufficient for almost every possible
emergency, whether in peace or In war.
He, therefore, claims the merritt merit
it be simply to do ones duty-that while
in the exercise of executive functions, he
never violated any of its provisions.
Tt may be observed that no extensive
and formidable rebellion of an intelligent
people, against an established government.
has ever arisen without long train of
previous and subsidiary causes. A prih-
eipal object of the author, therefore. is to
present to the reader historical sketch
of the antecedents ending in the late re-
bellion. In performing this task, the eve
naturally fixes itself, as the starting point.
upon the existence of domestic slavery in
the South, recognized and protected as
this was, by the Constitution of the United
States. We shall not inquire whether its
patriotic and enlightened trainers acted
with wise foresight in yielding their sane
ton to an institution which is in itself a
great social evil, though they considered
this was necessary to avoid the greater
calamity Of dissolying the convention
without the formation of our Federal
Union.
The narrative will prove that the orig
inal and eonspiring causes Of all our
future troubles are to be found in the
long, active and persistent hostility of the
Northern AbohtioRists, both in and out of
Congress, against Southern slayery, until
the final triumph Of their cause in the
election of President Lincoln; and. on
the other hand, the corresponding antag-
onism and violence with which the adyo-
Gates of slavery resisted these efforts, and
yindicated its preservation aud extension
up to the period Of secession. So ex-
cited were the parties, that had they in
tended to furnish material to inflame the
passions of the one against the other.
they could not have more effectually sue
ceeded than they did by their mutual
examinations and reeTiminations The
struggle continued without intermission
for more than the quarter ola century,
except within the brief interval between
the passage Of the compromise measure
of 1850 and the repeal Of the Missouri
ICompromise il 1854, during which the
hostile feelings Of the parties were greatly
lallayed, and hopes were entertained that
the strife might finally subside. These
peaceful prospects, it viii appear, were
soon blasted. by the.repeal of this COM
promise, and the struggle was then re-
newed with more bitterness than ever.
until the final catastrophe Many griev-
Gus errors were committed by both parties
from the beginning, but the most fatal of
them all was the secession Of the cotton
States.
The authorities cited IN the work will
show that Dir. Buchanan never failed,
upon all suitable occasions, to warn his
countrymep of the approaching danger,
and to advise them Of the proper means
to avert It. Both before and after he
became President, he was an earnest ad-
vocate of compromise between the parties
to save the Union, but Congress disre-
gardea his recommendations. Even after
be had, in his message, exposed the dan
gerous condition of public affairs, and
when it had become morally certain that
all his efforts to avoid the civil war would
be frustrated By agencies far beyond his
control, they persistently refused to pass