The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-01-05
President Buchanan and Secession.
now HE REBUKED THE Editor OF HIS
SUPPOSED ORGAN.


SUPPOSED ORGAN.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuS-Sr: In
the correspondence published by Mr..
lloratio King in the December number
of The Century, it appears that in No
vember, 1860, he called the attention of
President Buchanan to the secession
tendencies Of THE Constitution, a paper
published at that time in Washington,
a1t popularly supposed to be Mr.. Bi-
chanans organ. For this supposition |
do not know that there was any founda-
ton, except that the paper enjoyed some
OF the advertising patronage of the Gov
ernment. 1t might be inferred from Mr..
Kings letters to his correspondent that
he spoke to the President repeatedly
about this paper, and that the President
did nothing. Mr.. King does not appear
to have known that the President re-
buked the editor for his course in regard
to secession. | have in my possession,
on President Buchanan's files, copy of
his letter to the editor of Ihe ConStitu
ton, written after that paper had taken
ground against the President on the sub
ject OF secession:
Private.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2j, 1860
My DEAR SIR: | have read with deep
modification your editorial this morning,
in which you take open ground against
my message on the right cf secession. l
have defended you as long as can
against numerous complaints. You have
perfect right to be in favor of seces-
sion, and for this have no Just reason
to complain. The difficulty is that the
Constitution is considered my organ,
and its articles subject me to the charge
of insincerity and doable dealing. am
deeply SORRY to say that must in so ne
authentic form declare that the ConSti-
tuition is not the organ of the Admins
tratlon. Your friend, very respectfully,
JAMES Buchanan.
WILLIAM NJ. BRowNE, ESQ.
In the multiplicity of matters Of the
gravest concern which, in this month of
November 1860, demanded the Presi
dents attention-of which, as well as of
all his conduct down to the 4th of March,
1861, | expect ere long to give the pub
lie full account-he may have not doue
everything that his anxious friends de-
sired, before his annual message of De
celhber 3, 1860, to relieve their minds of
the apprehension that his Administration
was suffering injury from this newspa-
per and other similar signs that it har-
| bored sccessionSts among its officers or
the objects of its patronage. But | take
it upon me to affirm, after the most thor
ough study of Mr.. Buchanan's course
| and n full examination of the very abund-
ant materials contained in his private
| papers, that from the time of Mr.. Lin
coins election, when the secession Oh
South Carolina was first threatened
down to the day of Mr.. Lincoln's inau
guration, Mr.. Buchanan neverdid an i'm
portant act which any patriot or any
friend of his would now wish that he
hal not done, or refrained from doing
an important act that any patriot OF
friend of his would, upon close consider
alton OF the facts, say that he ought tc
have performed.
| lueFe IL not more renlarkaDIe Ill
stance in all history of the misconcep
ton and Misrepresentation with which
a great public man may be pursued thar
this case of Mr.. buchanan. 1t is some
what encouraging that the revelation
recently made by the surviving member
of his Cabinet, Messrs. Black, Holt
Thompson and King, have tended t.
show the people of this country how mis-
taken many of them have been in rcgarC
to him. But it must be remembered
that Gen, Dix and Mr.. Stanton are NJ
loager living, From them aud from
Mr.. Holt, will come in due time the mos
in lubitable proofs, pat on record i'm
mcdiately after the close of his admins
tration and when facts were recent, tina
their authority is not to be used to dis
para . any plrt of his conduct, his con
ss,ency, his frmness, his fidelity to tn
Constitution and the Union, the wisdor
Of his measures, and the propriety Of hi
acts The time has come with NJ
Buchanan himself, when the truth as
is should have hearing; and although
do not mean, in writing his life an
times, to constitute myself his speci
eulogist. | intend that he aud his cau'
shall b. real Alright to th3 uaSatilised,
Gro. TicKNER CURTIS
New YORK, Nov. %, 1881.