Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-12-08
yINDluATIHG BUCHANAN.
A f,ay OF Light from sns workshop
Biographer Curtis.

A K.y of Light from ne workshop OF
BioGrapher Curtis.
The New York Sun contains the follow.
ing letter:
In the correspondence published by
Mr.. Horatio King in the December num-
Der of the Century. it appears that in No.
vember, 1860, he called the attention Of
President Buchanan to the secession ten
dencies of the Constitution. paper pub.
lished at that time in Washington and
popularly supposed to he Mr.. Buchanan's
organ. For this supposition do not
know that there was any foundation, ex-
cepting that the paper enjoyed some Of
the advertising patronage OF the govern
ment. 1t might be inferred from Mr..
Kings letters to his correspondent that be
spoke to the president repeatedly about
this paper and that the president did no.
thing. Mr.. King does not appear to have
known that the president rebuked this
editor for his course in regard to seces
sion. l have in my possession, on Presi-
dent Buchanan's files, q copy Of his letter
to the editor of the Constitution, written
after that paper had taken ground against
the president on the subject of secession
WASHINGTON, Dec. 25, 1860.-My
Dear Sir I: I have read with deep mortiti-
cation your editorial this morning, in
which you take open ground against my
message on the right OF secession. Ihave
defended you as long as l can against
numerous complaints. You have per-
feet right to be in favor of secession, and
for this have no just reason to complain.
The difficulty is that the Const,tution is
considered my organ, and its articles sui
iect me to the charge of insincerisy and
double-dealing. am deeply sorry to say
that must in some authentic form declare
that the Constitution is not the organ of
the administration. Your friend, very
respe ctfully,
".JAMEs BUCHANAN.
civilian M. Browne, Esq"
In the multiplicity of matters of the
gravcst concern which, in the month of
November, 1860, demanded the presidents s
attention-of which, as well as of all his
conduct down to the 4th of March, 1861.
1 expect ere long to give to tho public a
full account-he may have not done every
thing that his anxious friends desired, be-
fore his annual message of December 3,
1860, to relieve their minds of the apprc
hension that his administration was suffer.
ing injury from this newspaper and other
similar signs that it harbored secessionists
among its officers or tho objects of its
patronage. But take it upon me to affirm,
after the most thorough study of Mr..
Buchanan's course and q full examination
of the very abundant materials contained
in his private papers, that from the time
of Mr.. Lincoln's Inauguration, Mr.. Buch-
anan never did an important ac. which
any patriot or any friend of his would
now wish that he had not done, or re-
Trained from doing an important act that
any patriot or friend of his would, upon
close consideration of the facts, say that
he ought to have performed.
There Is not more remarkable TO-
stance in all history of the misconception
and misrepresentation with which great
public man may be pursued than this case
of Mr.. Buchanan. 1t is somewhat cncour-
aging that the revelations recently made
by the surviving members OF his cabiner,
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 him. But it must
be remembered that General Dix and Mr..
Stanton are no longer living. From them,
and from Mr.. Holt, will come in due
time the most indubitable pools, put on
record Immediately after the c'ose of his
administration and when facts were recent
that their authority is not to be used tt
disparage any part Of his conduct, his
firmness, his fidelity to tho constitution
and Union, the wisdom of his measures
and the propricty of his acts. Tho time
has come when Mr.. Buchanan himself
when the truth as it is, should have :
hearing !; a ard d.; although l DO not mean, il il
the ursatisfied."
GEORGE TICKNOR CURTIS.
NEW YORK, Nov. 22, 1881.