The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-02-04
NUMBER ..


! lISS. and principles of action But your nrooc-
/ show that IN the kindness of our copstrnc,io,
we dld not give heed enough to the naxir-,
y tAo ktPENTE FUIT TUEPIss Nus. Such dcDih
CouIa not be reached by single plunge Th,
| integrity OF his moral nature must have pr.
riou-iy Undergone that gradual process of s..
composition which coBld result ONLY from long
aud sympathetic association with the enemies
Of the constitution
On the hole, it must be admitted that vou
/ nave made out this part of your case With
I democrats lie was democrat euio,jrU Thor
confidence and taking their f.vors. Willie h.
I caused 10 be we'll understood among 'men OF
your school IN morals and politics." that hi.
devotion to the democracy was entirely sin7t:-
iattd- II is now almost clear bevoud doubt
{ t17t 10 southern men lie avowed himself = full
| D h.ooced sccesSIoaist. The testimony of Cos
Brown TO that effect is a good rs anv that vou
nave produced 10 prove him an aboitionist
and you have made the fact so probable in IL
self that very slight proof would be sufficient
to establish it,
Is not my conclusion a fair one from, the
premises, that this is the most marvellous
/ lihpoSture uTon rec0rd2 Does the history Of
the world bold on a.. It's pages of wonders an
/ other case IN which a man has raised himself
/ % the highest public employ ments under two
different puties of diame.ricaIly opuosits and
! hostile principles, by mixing simultaneous
professions Of fidelity 10 both OF tLemg u,
not mention SUI derlaHd, for his hypocrisy
gained him nothing: nor 1alleyraud Tor he
Was merely trimmer; nor eueiict Arnold
for he acted his double part only during few
i months. and closed il with nomilious Ia fIure
TO find parallel, YOU must 20 10 another
scene Of action, and far lower line of life
jonathan Nlid for ,weriy years imposed him
, self oH the London police as an honest mar
aud most zea'ous friend OF Justice pretended
ta assist the officers in their business, and
shared richly IN their -ewa!Gs; bat during ali
ir-a In s}y-. r..
losopber and friend" OF the PRINCIPAL tI,ieyes
Of the city. and to them lie constantly BETRAYED
! the measures taken by tile public authorities
FOR the observation OF order and law.
Nv q are directly at Issue upon tho dues
ton whether or not Mr.. Stanton advised Pres
iIeut buchanan. before his appointment as at
tOvucy general, that war might be legally made
against the states, and the people thereof in
which ordinances Of secession had been passed
by way of CnCEcHg them to remain in the
Union Aou say lie Was sent for by tie Pres
iGert and gave him that advice acco Iiaiii5i
. hv an argument in writing, which was so con
viucing that il was -Sested in the first draft OF
lie message, but afterwards stricken out No
such paper being in existence, and Mr.. Buchau-
. an well as Nr. Stanton being dead, your al
legation Is easily made; II it be true it Is hard
20 prove, ana though false, it i harder Ftiu to
disrroyo J he evidence YOU produce Is Mr..
DawCs's statement that Mr. Stanton told him
so. ] say nothing about the danger OF relyiag
ON tie accuracy of a conversation REPRODUCED
/ from mere recollection, after 50 long time
but I answer that 1t is Lot true for the follove-
/ ing reasons:
/ ! Er. Buchanan made t & rule never 10
/ seek advice from outsiders on legal oueslions
When he was in Coubt, he took The opinions
of those who we're officially responsible for
/ iLeir correctness, &c had no kitchen cabinet.
=. II lie bad made this an exceptional case
and takei. M. Stanton into his couHsels by the
back stairs. aud if Nr Stanton had furnished
( him With q paper which Produced conviction
on his m.nt that all his constitruoraI advisers
were wrong, he would most certainly have
shown il TO them, told tFem OF it.
Mr.. Stanton was ii lawyer of uudeubtei
ability, and the absurd opinion which yoz at
uioute to him could not have found a Iodgmeut
( in his mind, even Tor one momeEt.
1.-The really had entertained such notiau
and desired IN good faith {" impress IL upon the
administration, lie would not 4 think he could
uo') have concealed it from me 1t would
/ have been contrary to the whole Tenor OF his
behavior in those days, and what Is more, very
much against his own interests.
>. He did express views exactly the opposi. e
/ Of those which yCu saw he urged upuu the
/ President. He endorsed the opinion which I
! gave on the 2'th of November 1866 in ex-
/ trayagaut terms of APPROPRIATION, adhered stead g.
/ liz 10 the doctrines Of the annual message and
/ when required officially to pronounce upon the
:
/ concurrence heartily. strongly and ,ueauivo-
/ ca3y. !! n all the discussions upon the suuiect,
! he dii not once intimate that there was or eyer
/ had beer. the slightest difference between him
/ and the other members Of the administration
! Do Won mean TO saw that this was mere shan,F
/ Was be 50 utterly devoid OF all sinec,ity. hon
I or aua trurh that be gave the whole weight
| Of his influence and power to the support of a
/ doctrine which he believed 70 be not only false
( but perucious? If he was such knave as
! that then tell me what reliance can be placed
/ on any statement he may have made to Mr
/ Dawes
! IU.-Did lie betrav the Buchasan adr7ipis-
/ tTatiOn while lie was member Ofit7 Was hs
/ false to the principles that be pretended to be-
lieve iu1 Was he treacherousiy engaged with
/ ven in trying to defeat the !neasuIes he was
/ trusted to supuort7 Did lie aid and strengthen
and assist il Your Efforts to blacken the repl-
/ tation of his associates and hiends2 Belosa
these questions are ansN cred, let Us look for a
( moment Al the situation We ere II.
Mr Buchanan was compasSed round on s5s
( sides with more difIculIics and dangers than
any Other public man in this country ever en-
countered. The party which elected him was
utterly routed: lis force was wasted by Giri.
sion, its heart bTok en- by defeat Every north
ern State was III the hands of political enemies.
( flushed with the insolenCe of newly acquired
( power: and after his official condemnation of
secession she south fell aWaV from his side in
. a body. With bitter, reulOTseess, unreientinS
foes in front, ana ESuk. aIsd rear, be was liter
/ ally unsupported by any political organic ltioR
/ capable OF making itself felt. But he was
''shiejel. and he'meS, and weGponsi with the
! truth, and he went right onward N the path
1 made sacred by the footsteps of mis- great pre-
/ decessors. y e declared the secession ordinsn-
3 Ces mere nuiiiies5 the Union WAS not for DAY.
bat for all time: n State could not interposs
/ itself between the federal government and in
/ divi6aal citizens who violated fedora! laws
/ The coercir e'Power did not apply to State. and
/ could rot be used fog purposes oF indiscrim;-
/ nate caruage IN which the innocent and the
guilty would he mingled together: but the law
must be executed, and the just rights of the
/ federal government maintained in eYeTy part
/ ofthe country Eaiust all opposers. The whole
[ theory o. the constitution as exponnded by the
men who made it, and ali their successors DO WI
/ 70 that time. Justice, humanity, patriotism,
! honor, and conscience, required him To an