Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1877-12-22

ment and removal of Custom House Of
ficers at New Orleans, as we'll as else
where. Wells is Surveyor of the port and |
Anderson is Deputy Collector. Are these
offices the consideration, in whole or in
part, of their corrupt service in the Re-
turning Board' What other claims to
those lucrative and highly responsible
Offices could be preferred by this brace of
detected criminals?
Though these facts make an impress
sion very unfavorable to the committee,
they are but moral circumstances. The
public is not yet in possession Of any di-
rect evidence which shows either Of them
to have actually participated in concoc-
ting perjured affidavits, bargained for
falsified records CT made special promises
-of reward for. corrupt services All OF
them are men of good general reputation;
most of them stand so high that Il charge
against them of willfnl dishonesty unless,
supported by overwhelming proof, must
be teiected as Incredible. Some, perhaps
We're tied to the tail of tho committee
who had not knowledge enough of the
subject to make them fairly responsible
for what they said or did. You yourself
are in no danger if you get proper credit
for your mental imbecility; at least
think it can hc easily shown that great
allowance ought to be made for you on
that score.
THE BUCHANAN ADMINISTRATION.
come now to your abuse of the Bnch-
anan Administration. 1t is as difficult
to analytic as the .scolding of a fish wo-
man But out of your reckless and half
crazy circum1ocution am able to extract
the following charges:
1. That the President and other mem
bers of the Administration were in favor
of the secession movement, and desired
it's success.
! 2. That to make it successful they.
and particularly the President himself,
behaved treacherously and unfaithfully
to the Federal Government.
| 3. That the President combined wi tn
sccessionists in the reasonable plot to
break un the Union, establish an indie
pendent Southern Confcderacy. and
cause III TO DC IeCoSiliIt'l Stl'tit''s
ination hy foreign governments.
4. That in pursuance of this plot, and
to ca ry it ont, the President not only
abandoned but denied the right of the
government to preserve itself OF to main
tain it's authority. or to execute its laws
or to put down resistance b. force.
5. That as IL consequences of these an'
| 81, Il -
tration became acc,,rsr'!, as the cause q
the civil war, nth ali its loss of BLOOD
and treasure.
I will not now write an essay on tin
history of That period, or go into gen
: eral explanation of the events which tool
place on the eve OF the war l am who'll,
on the defensive, and my present duty !
merely to state certain facts already wei
known, and which show that your char
yes are false and groundeHs.
Mr.. Bl1chm mans regular message or )e
cember, 1860. addressed toa Congress l
which all the Northern and s,outllcr
Ststcs were represented, isan nnansWci
able argument against the right OF scpal
ation and the most powerful appeal to
t union and harmonious obedience to la'
, that ever Was made to the American pee
: pie, excepting, perhaps, Washington
; Farewell Address and Jackson's T. ocl;
l nation. No one can read it now withor
# feeling that if his wise counscls had bee
|. needed, the unity of the Republic woul
L have been preserved in the bonds OF
t lasting peace.
y Only those who know, of their ow
Q knowledge, what relations actually eNl
y ted between the Administration and tt
g leading advocates of separation, can 81
l. how preposterous is the charge OF Co
II spirac1 between them. For many Sout
T. crn gentlemen the President, no doul
d had a warm affection which 1T was H.
ii easy to tear from his heart; and their 4
Of tachment to him had been long and falt
1T ful But the moment he assumed Il
E. public attitude of opposition to the
II movement, they fell away from him III
lie body, and became his unanimous enem
H. as far as they could be so cOnsistcnI
G. with their respect for his acknowledg g
c. personal virtues. Even the Southc
lis members of his Cabinet could not recc
OH cile 1t with their principles to hold OH
under him. The great gulf, soon to
at filled with blood and fire, was alrea
so opened. The Administration was on
IL side of it and ali secessionists cn the o
~ eli. Does that look like Il cOmbinati
he to effect a common purpose by concert
lily action
nd A SLANDER HEFUTED.
lid Not less absurdly false is the cha
mo that the Administration denied the pov
By of the Federal government to maint
he its just supremacy by force.