Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-08-18
MIR. BUCHANAN's CABINET.
Ex.Secretary Of the Treasury
Thomas Recollection OF the
Fort Sumter Reinforcement


Thomas Recollection OF the
Fort Sumter Reinforcement
Discussion.
The Philadelphia Press supplements
its interview with Judge Black with one
with Hon. Philip Francis Thomas, Of
Maryland, who was Secretary OF the
Treasury during the last few months ol
Mr.. Buchanan's administration. The
following, from the interview with Mr.
Thomas, is of interest;
any service in the cabinet was any.
thing but an agreeable part OF my pub
lie life. We were almost continually
in session during the time that was al
the head of the treasury, ready to meet
any emergency that might arise, and
there were grave responsibilities coming
upon us every day. While / held that
this government was compact between
the States, and that each was sovereign,
and therefore having the right OF seces'
sion, / was and still am a believer IN
the doctrine OF nullification as expound-
ed by Mr.. Calhoun. also believed that
an officer of the government had no
right TO hold his position and do any act
calculated to bring discredit upon its
authority, and Judge Blacks criticism
of jeff. Davis proposition TO surrender
the forts in Charleston HORROR 10 South
Carolina meets my entire appreciation.
My position upon the duty OF an officer
can be found in the records OF the de-
partment, where an officer OF a revenue
cutter ran his vessel into Charleston
harbor and turned her over to the
South Carolina authorities and then
sent in his resignation. l ordered that
it should not be accepted, and that dds
pensed with" be written over his record
in the department and that he be dis
honorably dismissed the service"
"Can you call to mind the position
you took in relation to MIR. Buchanan's
reply to the South Carolina Commits
sioners?"
81 cannot very distinctly. / doubt.
less made the point that the paper de-
MED the right of a State having griev.
ance against the government to be heard
by the Executive OF the nation. l never
for a moment held that State could be
treated with in the same manner as
foreign power. As near as can remem-
Der there was very little said about the
paper at the time, as Mr.. Buchanan was
a very positive man and bv no means
easy to influence or get along with. 1t
was no unusual thing fer him to get in.
to a pet upon the slightest provocation.
"Were the cabinet meetings OF those
days harmonious"
Naturally there was more or less
feeling displayed in the discussion OF the
Southern question. Floyd at times got
boisterous. / call to mind one occasion
especially when the President chided
both Black and Stanton for some re
marks calculated to provoke heated dis
cussion. Judge Black had said that
there never was time IN the history oil
the English nation when cabinet
officer could propose to give up tort
capable of being defended without be-
ing brought to the block. Floyd got
very much excited at III: and Buchanan
thought the expression an exceedingly
harsh one, and rather took the Judge to
task for making such positive express
sions, likely to stir up dissensions. Then
turning to Mr.. Stanton he called his at
tention to some vigorous remarks made
some days before in relation to Southern
affairs, and proceeded to express his
emphatic disapprobation OF such harsh
expressions. Indeed he spoke very
sharply to Stanton, but he took it with
out reply. Mr.. Stanton had very little
TO say during those days, rather seem
ing to stand behind Judge Black. who
was his friend. 1t is a usual thing 10
talk about Mr.. Buchanan's weakness.
When he made up his mind he was a
very stubborn man, and at no time was
he very easy one to get along with. de
had a good opinion Of his own abilities
and judgement, and prided himself up,
on his statecraft. Judge Black could
come near managing him than any man
ever knew, but he could not always
do it by any means Neither did he
take his advice at all times. OF all the
men in the cabinet in those days Judge
Black was the one who never lost his
head. he was the one positive and
conservative force in that cabinet" MIR.
Thomas added that Judge Blacks recoI-
lection about the circumstances sur
rounding the cabinet discussion about
the reinforcement OF Fort Sumter en-
3;rnl, ayraaj NTH biS OwD