The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-01-24
"reminiscences Of BuchanRn'S
Administration. !.


judicial authorities TO execute the laws in
collecting the revenues, in defending or
rctaking the public property, but not IN
acts Ofinliscriminate hostility against all
tho people In the State. This Is tho "opln-
ion" which has since been so often, 50
much and 40 well abused, denounced and
yilitlcd, A[r. Stanton did not stultify him.
seIrby denying the plain obvious and
simple truths which It expressed. Tho
mfer was shown him before It went 10
Inc President, and after slight alteration
suggested by himself, he not only approV-
Cd hut applaudetl Il enthusiastically.
II disappointed the President. lie had
hastily taken it for granted that Congress
might make secession cause for war;
and in tic draft Of his message already
prepared he Ind submitted the question
orwar or peace totheir decision. But the
advice Of the Law Department, supported
hy u powerful argument from General
Cuss, convinced him Of his error, and thAt
part of Ills message was rewritten: inc
substance Of the message so m0tlltled re-
Ceivctl Mr. Stanton's hearty endorsement
in everything tlnt regarded secession and
the treatment 1t ought To receive. .
Soon after this General CasS retired. l
was requested to take the State Depart
ment and Mr.. Stanton was appointed At.
tOrney General upon my declaring that l
was unwilling To leave the care Of certain
causes pending In tho Supreme Court u
any hands but lis. This appointment
alone, without any other proof, ought 10
satisfy any reasoning mind that all have
said about Mr.. StAnton's sentiments must
be true. No man in his sober senses can
believe that / would have urged, or that
Mr., Buchanan would hive male the ap'
nointment II we Ind not both known with
nrfcct. certainty that he agreed with Us
entirely on those fundamental doctrines oil
constitutional lawtO which we were cnn'
mittcd- The funniest suspicion of the con-
trary would have put tho Attorney Zen
erals office rs fur beyond his reach rs tue
throne of France. We took lin for what
he prOtesscl to bc-a true friend OF the
| Union: Il devOut believer in the c0nstttu'
ton: a faithful man, who would not VIC.
late his oall Of office by wiltul disoIIe:
licncG to the laws. | am still convinced
TINT no did not deceive lls. If h0 alan'
doned those principles in 1853 the change,
however sudden ind unuccounlahIe' Is not
satisfactory evidence that he was IN ill'
postor and u lypOcritc in 1860.
lilo did moi find Mr.. Holt and General
Dix conteuding alone Tor cOntending ut
ally aCainst tho President and tho rest Of
lie Administration. Mr.. Holt on tho 3l
If Mnrcn. 1861. amended 10 his letter Of
resignation strong expression Of his
gratitude for the "tirn and generous sup
mort" which NTr. Buchanan hAd constant
" extended to him, and pays a warm
tribute to tho "cnlightened craftsmanship
md unsullietl patriotism Of the outgoing
President. General Dix was not there Of
all when Mr.. Stanton came In. lie was
amounted n month afterwards, when there
was no disagreement in tho Cabinet lie
took IN his residence ut the Presidents
house Ms a member of his family, and re-
manned there during the Whole time Of his
service MS the head Of the Treasury Do
p0rtment lie performed his duties filth.
July, firmly, and in n way which met
with universal appreciation. DO not re-
collect that he Ind one word OF serious
controversy either with the President or
with anybody else. If, therefore, Mr..
Stanton was ut any time engaged In drll'
gOoning the President and hectOring his
Colleagues, ho could not have Ind MIR.
Holt and General DlX lcr ,, ii .n "cMo ,,;sr
Inerc WSrG u " us TaS , Jp;~" Il'o
cnces Of opinion IN tue S"nlnes Hu[tns w !
period Of Mr. oIahlohs seEEicc, out ''t =
share IN them mas mol oeell tEUiy sut IN
nm not writing tlle history u tHuSc tL a.;s
md therefore say mourning oI WN1 y o' II.
eS uld or IOrn0re 10 10 uASSP' 8, mI ~
mhy he necessary 70 SHOW NtE' H 9T1''o" D
acts and omissions IN ulelr tfle ngnL !,
Before the eleCIl0n II was 9olCtIIIu II !
that tho forts IN charleston narO H1 sNo.IIN
be strengthened 81 ~ 10 lll"ko t''GIl M
pregnable. Inc Orler was gwen, Dut tIe
execution OF 1t was un"ccounH1IV put o.
When General CasS ascGFla'ncu SlNt INT
delay was 9cg1leSCeu " W tne LIeS SIV
he resigned Two weeks SlterwattIs MAJOR
Anderson, commanding Fort hloa!Fc anu
experimenting IN alMcK' tlrcW nus SArIl-
son into Fort sumner. olnHIu1hGMIslyy
came certain commissioners from s0nth
Carolina demanding The surrender OF inc
latter fort to tho STATE Inc character OF
the answer that SHOULD Oe gwen 70 LlO
commissioners and the question Wiener
Fort Sumpter should be furnished win
men end provisions were discussed tor
three days, each uay running iaT INTO Tue
night. a.
I'm tho one side Il WAS insisted that the