Idaho semi-weekly world. (Idaho City, Boise County, Idaho Territory) 1867-1868, 1868-06-17
WRONGFUL CENsURE.

IL viii ever b6 Historical net that prompt and en-.
reeliion ia is earliest stages, but his political
friends were among its leaders, and he proved him.
lsef unequal to the situaton Privately. his oharac.
ter yras without marked reproach, and as q public
nan he was distinguished for more than ordinary
ability In the United States Senate he always took an
active part In the debates, and that too, when such
statesmen Clay Webster Benton and Calhoun
were members Of that body.
The Union could with truth have stated that
President Buchanan used every means at his
command to prevent the secession Of the South
crn States, but that he was INSTRUCTED in all
Of his earnest endeavors to that end by the
Radical Congress. The Executive was pow
erless without the action and support of Con.
gress, aud sit will ever be u historical fact"
that the Abolitionists voted down the Critten-
deu Compromise of that session-which was
nhe sovereign remedy against secession and
Rebellion" cit will ever be historical fact"
that Chase, Chandler, Wade. Sumner, End all
the then acknowledged leading Radicals, en-
couraged the secession of the Southern States,
and accorded with the New York Tribune in
its cry of "Let the Southern States 60; We
want no Union pinned together with bayonets!'
at will ever be historical fact" that to Con-
gress alone is given the authority TO declare or
provide for war, and TO vote to raise men aud
money to conduct war. President Buchanan
did nil he could constitutionaly do-he com
municated to Congress everything pertaining
to the situation and it then devoved upon
that body to pass Acts TO meet the exigency.
But Congress, under Radical sway, declined or
failed to take any preventive or remedial
measures, and their apathy or intentional fail
ure to provide for the emergency LEFT the Pres
ident utterly powerless in the matter.
The Union is equally wrongful and intellect
ous in saying President Buchanan's political
friends were among lis the rrbellion's lead
ers. Ii is we'll known that there Was nothing
like concord of political sentiment upon the
greatest living issues of that day between Pres
ident Buchanan and the leaders who then took
part in the Confederate States Organization
Messrs DAVIS, Slidell. Toanbs Floyd and 9th
ers Stanton aud Holt, Dix. and even Seward
AS the facts have since appeared). were chief
among the confidential advisers the conscience
during the months of January aud February.
and up To the last hour of Mr. Buchanan's Adj
ministration. in l-6i. But we freely admit
that proof is easy To show that STATION aud
Holt did absolutely counsel aud urge upon
Southern leaders the secession of the Southern
States, even before South Carolina passed her
early ordinance of secession, aud 80 did they
both applaud the secrssion of that State. aud
of the other six Southern States which with.
drew during Mr.. Buchanan's term, and which.
by their delegates, participated In the inltiatory
Convention for organizing the Coniederacy,
which sat in Montgomery. Alabama. February
22d. 1861. This historical fact" however.
may not be exactly TO the Unions fancy in
these days. rs Stanton and Holt are now. If
not High Priests. ct least among the most con.
spicuous of the leaders of the ttion's branch
OF the Radical party.
We may as well add that il i'll becomes the
Union or other Radical organs to dcuounce
the doctrine Of secession. That doctrine bad
It's origin among the opponents of Democracy,
as early as the frat Congress under the Fed.
eral system in 1879, when all the Senators
aud Representatives from the then four New
England States. aided by only one Representa-
tive from any Of the other States (Suuth of
South Carolina). threatened to secede frum
the barely formed Union unless Congress
should pass the bill to have the debts cont ract-
ed by the various States, during the Revou-
tionary War, assumed aud guaranteed By the
Federal Government Again did the oppo.
nents Of the Democratic party in all the New
England States threaten secession and disanioa
in 1877, on account OF the embargo Act 10
Mr.. Jencrson's second term. In ISL, Josiah
Quincy, the leader OF the Massachusetts, and
New England Federalists in Congress. declared
that II Louisiana were admitted into the
Union rs State, with slavery recognized in
her Constitution, that sole act would justify
his State in Withdrawing from the Union, and
he asserted she would withdraw. And. IA
late as 1899, the greatest leader Of the New
England opponents to Democracy, ex-Presi-
dent John Quincy Adams, in an Address dc
livered before the Historical Society of New
York, e,nphatically declared that any State of
the Federal Union had clear and absolute
right to secpde from that TInipn ,vhenavar ia