Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-02-01


nesses would make him -"the most
mareious impcster that erer hired or
died." AIRY F. = i.N i-' 'n
But We do not propose TO rcyicw
this famous controversy. Ii needs no
review; the truth Is as manifest as
the sunlight, and honceforth no man,
not even the most mendacious and
"loyal" will ever deny It. We pro.
pose merely TO offer a few hints That
may be improved upon at another
time
Who in Mr.. Buchanan's cabinet
were loyal in the just and honest sense
OF that abused word-that is, who
were for yielding to sustain the gov.
ernment against their designs? Sure
y M. Stanton, for he told the scces.
sio.se:s that he was with them, and
the abolitionists that he was with
them, at the very moment that he
was in Democratic cabinet and pro
Tossing TO be devoted union man
He could be loyal to nobody and moth
ing. With the proof lying in over.
whelming abundance on the table be-
fore us, we aver that Judge Black
the maligned, prescribed, long-silent
Judge Black-was the ever faithful
and vigilant leader of the union squad
in that Cabinet at the beginning of.the
troubles, and the leader of the whole
Cabinet, as he was its official head,
through the last weeks of that gloomy
period. And this man, ho to whom
belongs of right all the glory of that
memorable strugglc-ho who drove
Floyd out Of the Cabinet, and dragged
Stanton by the ears into it TO give his
patron "two votes instead Of ono !" he
who refused TO 60 out with Cass,
when Cass asked him TO go, because
he thought his duty required him to
retfIain at bis post, and save what he
could he who suggested Holt for the
War Department and got him there
with great difficulty he who stood
by Major Anderson as the last hope of
the cause he who strove day by day
TO kindle spark of fire in the dry
brain and the drer heart of old Scott;
be who modified the Presidents mes.
sage of the Sth of January, and saved
him from fatal error in the answer
TO the South Carolina commissioners (;
he who was instant in season and out
of season, while Congress stood mute
and stolid, while old Scott talked about
letting the "wayward sisters depart
in peace" while Stanton foregathercd
with unionists in the morning, the
seccssionists at noon, ard the aboli.
tionists at night-this man, this singu-
lar man. has, through ten years of
dreary personal defamation, chosen TO
employ all his splendid talents as q
writer and an orator in doing justice
to everybody else but himself Whyi
Was it from sense Of fidelity 10 Mr.
Buchanan, whom he always honored
as pure and upright statesmanl 1t
may have been so, although here is a
letter from Mr.. Buchanan, of March
4, 1862, in which the old differences Of
opinion are fully recognized, and he
ais not at all astonished to learn" that
Judge Black is still of the same mind.
But what are these proofs, which
shows unmistakably Judge Blacks
leadership in the Union in The councils
Of 1860 and 81, when the Abolitionists
we're ready to "let the Union sldc,'
when Congress would do nothing to
save it either by force or Cancellation,
and the President could look for no
support for his efforts to sustain the
Constitution but in the Northern Dc.
mocraoy? They consist of numerous
letters from Mr.. Buchanan and va
rious members of his cabinet; and Of
many original manuscripts, some of
them in the handwriting of Judge
Black, some in the handwriting of
Edwin NJ. Stanton, and some in the
handwriting of a clerk. To our loyal
(ncw school friends that one in the
handwriting Of Mr., Stanton would
probaly be the most convincing. II
bears no date, but is headed "Memo-
randum for the President on the sub
ject of the paper drawn up by him
in reply to the commissioners Of South
Carolina" 1t is written on eight pages
foolscap, and is strong, nervous and
somewhat passionate review Of all the
points in issue between South Carolina
and the government, and on each one
Judge Blacks advice is of such
sort that every sentence would be an
everlasting fortune TO Radical poll
tician if he could show such thing
in bis record. IL concludes: "These
are points on which | would advise
that the paper DO amended am
aware that they are too radical 10
permit much hope of their adoption.
II they are adopted the whole paper
will need to be rccast. But there is
one thing not to be overlooked In this
terrible crisis. entreat the Prcsi-
dent to order the Brooklyn and Ma
ccdonia to Charleston without the
least delay, and, in tho meantime,
send n trus,y messenger TO Major
Anderson TO let him know that his
government will not desert him Tho
rcinforcements Of troops from New
York or Old Point Comfort should
follow Immediately. If this be done
at once, all may yet be--not we'll
buicomparatively safo. If not | can see
nothing before us but disaster and
ruin TO the country AS said before
this paper is entirely in tho hand wri-
ting of Edwin NJ. Stnnton 1t is caro-.
fully folded and endorsed on the out.
side, in the same handwriting: cob
scrvations and corrospondencc-Pres.
idcnt with South Carolina commits
sioners--by j. s. b."
That was before Mr. Stanton was
the ''great secretary" and when he
was content TO be the amanuensis of
another secretary.
But Judge Black, while Attorney
General, advised the President that
he had mo right TO make war on a
State y So be did, but he never said
that the President had no right to
suppress insurrection and break up
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