The Portland daily press., 1870-04-26
ANOTHER INVESTIGATION.
The 0stend nl.nifes,a.


One of the best things in Harper for May Is
Dom Piatt's racy history Of the once famous
"Ostend Manifesto" As he was Secretary
of the Legation in Paris while John Y. Ma
son, one OF the trainers of this manifesto, was
our Minister to the French Court, he speaks
from the card and gives probably the first cor
rect version of the affair. We give the con-
cludiDg paragraph:
The Convention assembled. was to have
been its Secretary, but declined in favor Of
Mr.. d. K M'Rea, American Consul at Paris.
Mr.. Soule came prepared with an elaborate
document, but with the tact and penetration
peculiar to him, he submitted it to Mr.. Bucha-
nan with an earnest request that he would
adopt it, and consider it merely few thoughts
hastily thrown together, and from them, as
from the rough ore, produce tue finished coin
Of bis own creation. The ponderous Penn
syvanian, completely carried away by the
fatteryy worked out the Manifesto. 1t is
singular fact that this document, as it origin
ally stood in the hand writing of Mr.. Bucha-
nan, did not exhibit one redeeming feature.
The most abandoned criminal could not have
thrown out more bare-faced plea in behalf
of villainy than did this so-called states
man of Pennsylvania. Born and raised in
free State, where all his early and better asso-
Citations ought surely to have endeared free
dom to him, he yet sold himself to Southern
masters-and for what?-and placed on rec
ording this notorious Manifesto his convic-
ton that our possession of Cuba was
necessity, in order to perpetuate slavery
there; for its seizure by any other power
would NEST likely result in the emancipation
of its slaves; and such a menace to our pecu-
liar institution threatened injury and danger
to our government, and hence there was no
remedy foa the evil but forced purchase or
seizure of the island.
The original draft, In the handwriting of Mr..
Buchanan, was corrected here and there by
Mr.. Soule, who endeavored to soften it some
what by few moral paragraphs and rather
pious reflections; while traces might be seen
of Judge Mason's pen correcting few verbal
inaccuracies. The naked deformity Of the
thing seems to have shocked even the French
man. Judge Mason can scarcely be held &C
countable. 1t depended very much whether
it was before or after dinner that he signed
the paper. But Mr.. Buchanan offered him
self unhestatingly and shamelessly for sale.
The Presidency was his object; that secured,
he cared little for the disasters he brought up
on the republic, even should the qualification
OF his vanity and ambition involve the very
destruction of the republic ITSELF :,
The Ostend Manifesto was received with
grins by the diplomatic circles OF europe, and
ridiculed and abused at home. Inc Trap IN
tended for Mr.. Marcy caught those who made
it.
"I have read your paper, gotten up at Os-
tend. with great interest,"" said DrOuyn de
L'Huys, gravely, to Mr.. Mason, "and must
saw it is able and clear. l never before un-
derstood your American policy"
This was too much even for the simple
mind of the Virginan diplomatic; but re-
straining his wrath until he reached his car
riage, he turned to me and said, emphatically;
"D- his impudencew lf ~
One Of the Commission, however, was en-
inen:ly successful. At the National Demo-
cratic Convention following its publication,
Mr.. Buchanan, its reputed author, received
the nomination as the Democratic candidate
for the Presidency. Young America was true
to its pledge; and the Southern politicians
saw in this man a creature they could mould
to their own traitorous purpose-even then
clearly defined. They were not mistaken.
The minister who had unhesitatingly append
ed his signature to his own degradation, in
the hope Of such reward as was eventually
given him, occupied the Presidential chair In
stolid indifference for four years; while, to his
knowledge, the most active preparations were
being made for the destruction of the govern
ment that had so honored him.
am the last President of the Unllea
States!' he said, in tone indicative oil "f
umph rather than that of sorrow.
Hahneman, the founder Of the Homeopsim p's.h,,
ic school, was one day consuIead cond ~ yat;entiv ~