Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-12-15
yIndIcatlng Buchanan.
RAY OF LIonT FRos THE WORKSHOP or
BIooRAPugR CURTIS.

Il
The New York Sun contains the fol
loving letter;
In the correspondence published by
Mr.. Iioratio KING in the December
number of Century. IL appears that IN
| November. 1860, he called the atten-
ton OF President Buchanan to the se'
cession tendencies of the Cbnstitution.
paper published at that time in Wash.
lngton and popularly supposed TO be
Mr.. Buchanan's organ. For this sup
position | do not know that there was
any foundation, excepting that the pa
per enjoyed some of the advertising
patronage OF the government. IL might
he inferred from Mr. Kings letter TO
his correspondence that he spoke to
the President repeatedly about this pa
per and that the President did nothing.
Mr.. King does not appear 10 have
known that the President rebuked this
editor for his course in regard TO seces.
sion. ! have in my possession, on Presi-
dent Buchanan's flies, a copy oi bis let.
ter to the editor of the Constellation, writ.
ten after that paper had taken ground
against the President on the subject OF
secession
lPRIvATE.
"wAsHIxeroS, Dec. 25. iSG0.-M
Dear Sir. have read with deep NOR.
titication your editorial this morning.
IN which you take open ground against
my message on the right of secession.
have defended you as | can Against
numerous complaints. You have per.
feet right to be in favor ofsecession and
for this | have no Just reason TO com.
plain. The difficulty is that the CoHsi
tuaoH is considered my organ, and its ar.
ticles subject me 10 the charge OF insin.
cerity and double. dealing. | am deeply
sorry to say that must in some authen.
tic form declare that the Constellation is
not the organ of the administration.
Your friend. very respectfully,
JAMES BUCHANAN.
"WrLLIAN NJ. BRowSE, Esq"
In the multiplicity Of matters of the
gravest concern which, in the month of
November, 1860, demanded the Presi.
dents attention--of which, as well rs OF
all his conduct down TO The 4,h OF March
1861. expect ere long to give to the
public full account--hc may have not
done everything that his an xious friends
desired. before his annual message Of
December 3. 1860. to relieve their minds
of the apprehension that his admins
tration was suffering injury from this
newspaper and on other similar signs
that il harbored secessionists among its
officers or the objects Of its patronage.
But take II upon me to affirm, after
the most thorough study Of Mr.. Buch.
anan's course and full examination Of
the very abundant materials contained
in his private papers, thatirom the time
of Mr. Lincoln's Inauguration, Mr. Bd.
chansn never did any important act
which any patriot or any friend OF his
would now wish that he had not done,
or refrained from doing an important
act that any patriot or friend OF his
would, upon close consideration Of the
facts. say he ought TO have performed.
There il not more remarkable in.
stance ia all history Of the misconcep-
tiou and misrepresentation with which
great public man may be pursued
than this case Of Mr.. Buchanan. It Is
somewhat encouraging that the revela
tious recently made by the surviving
members of his Cabinet. Messrs. Black,
Holt, Thompson and King, have tended
to show the people Of this country how
mistaken many of them have been in
regard TO them. But il must be remem.
bered that General Dix and Mr. Stan.
ton are no longer living. From them,
and from Mr. Holt will come in due
time the most indubitable proof, put on
record Immediately after the close Of
his administration and when fasrs were
recent, that their authority is II to be
used to disparage any part Of 81. con.
duct. his ffmness, his fidelity " the
constitution and the Union, the wisdom
of his measures. and the proprieiy Of bis
acts. The time has come when Mr..
Buchanan himself, when the truth a. IL
i, should have hearing; and although
do not mean, in writing his life and
times. to constitute myself his special
eulogist. I intend that be snd his cause
shall be 'read Alright to the unsatisRed.n
GEeRcg TIcKNoR CrRTIs.
NEW YoRK, Nov, -. 1851.