The New York herald., 1869-04-18
An Interesting Bit Of History-Cass and
Buchanan.


10y example. Let US try case. The
resignation of General Cass as Buchanan's
Secretary Of State in December, 1860,
was known at the time to be in conse-
quence of some disagreement between Pre-
mier and President in reference to the belli-
gerent attitude Of South Carolina; but the
exact reasons for the retirement of Cass,
under his own hand, were, for the first time,
recently laid before the public, the letters
having been sent to the Senate on Q call
from that body. We knew in 1860 that on
the 18th December Of that year, in Cabinet
council, 1t was decided not to strengthen Major
Anderson at Fort Sumter, and that on the
14th, In consequence Of this decision, General
Cass resigned. No doubt the vote In that
Cabinet council was as follows:-For strength
.ening Fort Sumter, Cass, Dix (of the Treasury,
In the place Of Cobb, just retired, to join the
secessionists in Georgia. and Holt of Ken
lucky, Postmaster General; against any rein
2oroement to Fort Sumter, Jacob Thompson,
OF the Interior Department; Toucey, Of the
Navy; Floyd, Of the War Office, and Black,
of Pennsylvania, Attorney General. The
secession conspirators ruled the Cabinet,
and poor old Buchanan, in fear Of his life.
was as clay in the hands of the potter.
From the letter Of resignation Of Cass we
see that he had urged, at various meetings of
the Cabinet, the sending Of more troops to
Charleston and an armed vessel, and at
once, and that the books and business of the
Custom House be removed to one of the harbor
FORTS to make sure Of the collection Of the du-
ties on imports, whatever might happen in
Charleston. In q word, the policy urged by
Cass was that of sustaining the sovereign au-
thority of the United States in South Carolina
at all hazards; but Floyd and Toucey, in the
interests of rebeldom, had gained the mastery
over the trembling President, as in his letter
Of reply TO Cass he plainly intimates. He
saws, s'The Secretaries Of War and of the
Navy, through whom the orders must have
issued to reinforce the forts, did not concur in
your views; and while the whole responsibility
for the refusal rested upon myself, they were
the members of the Cabinet more directly in
terested." Moreover, Mr.. Buchanan did not
believe that force was necessary for the protec-
tion of the public property, and 80 he went on,
not only until every United States fort, arsenal,
navy yard or depot, custom house, mint, post
Office, &c., from Norfolk to Matamoros, had
been seized, but until Southern confederacy
was established aud in full blast at Mont
Qomory, Ala. So It was that under Buchanan s
submissive policy, when the government wal
handed over to Lincoln, all the United
States property, arsenals, forts, mints, &C.,
from North Carolina to Texas, hat
been seized, and while the United States army
was scattered about in distant Territories the
available ships of the navy were in the Pacific
or the Indian Ocean, or in the Mediterranean
Sea, or shut up in Norfolk harbor, convenien
for rebclraid This was Buchanan 81 legacy to
Lincoln. after Lincoln had run the gauntlet o
aband Of assassins lying in wait to slay him,
preparatory to rebel seizure Of Washington
Had Buchanan followed the advice Of Cas'
che rebellion, like fire just kindling and be
ginning to crackle, might have been extln-
gushed at Charleston, and Southern slavery
might have been saved for, perhaps, q quarter
Of century longer; had Lincoln followed th
submissive policy Of Buchanan we might hav,
had to-day JEFF Davis, King Cotton and th
''peculiar institution" reigning in imperia
state at Washington, and some Of the mos
prosperous merchants of New York and Bo,
ton, as in ''the good old tines" engaged
the African slave trade. AS IL is, looking .
causes and effects for our present splendi
position as great power among the nations
we are indebted, perhaps, as much to the stu
pidity, tmidity and imbecility Of Buchana
as to the tact, sagacity, faith and patience
Lincoln or the military geni us, activity an
tenacity of General Grant. SO, then, we ar
inclined to accept It, after all, as o mo,
lucky chance rather than a misfortune that in
stcad Of having In 1860 President OF th
indomltable pluck and iron will Of Andre
jackson vs had the trembling. helpless sn