The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-31
BLACK AND BUCHANAN.
The Cabinet Crisis on the Eve of the Re
beliiOn.


bellion.
George Ticknor Curtis, in Philadelphia Times.
In a critique of my life of President
Buchanan, printed in your paper shortly
after the publication OF the work, 1 read the
following observation:
THE one chapter of Mr.. Curtis's other
wise singularly fair work, so far as the pre-
sentation of historical facts is concerned,
that we regard as positively unjust to both
the living and the dead, is his plausible, but
unsuccessful, effort to vindcate the record
of Buchanan in dealing with the South Caro-
lima commissioners, at the expense of Judge
Black, his most devoted personal and politi-
cal friend'
l desire to say that my account of the So
called cabinet crisis of Dec 30 1860. was
written after full conference with Judge
Black at his own house of "Brockie," where
l was more than once his guest while l was
writing the life of Buchanan. We spent
| days. together in discussing the incidents of
the administration, and 1 repeatedly told the
Judge that l was convinced he had been
mistaken in supposing that the Presidents
first draft of answer to the South Caro-
lima commissioners contained or necessarily
implied, an admission of the right of seces-
sion, l have no right to say that he ac-
knowledged himself mistaken, but have
right to say that he knew, before we parted,
what opinion L had formed of the
whole OF that occurrence, and what
should say of it in my work One of his
remarks, uttered in his impressive fashion,
has remained in my recollection in his very
words: You" said he, ''have to make clear
Buohanan's record, whatever may be the
consequences to the members of his cabinet
or anybody ese." On the morning of the
day preceding that on which my last visit
ended, | expressed my intention OF leaving
in the afternoon. With his characteristic
strength and drollery of expression, urging
me to stay another day, he said: 'If you go
away now you will break my heart" Any
one can judge with what surprise and pain l
read the charge that had done him "inius-
tice," and had defended Buchanan at his
expense" 1 enjoyed the honor of mis-
friendship for many years; and with what
anxiety l watched in the newspapers the
course of his fatal Illness and with what
sorrow | heard of his death, all who
know anything of my relations with MIN and
with some of the members of his family will
readily understand. There is no possible
way in which my account of the cabinet
crisis or my comments on it, can be made
to imply any injustice to Judge Black ex-
cepting by the assumption that he was abso-
lutely right in regard to the character and
tenor of the Presidents first draft of an an
swer to the South Carolina commissioners. |
did not believe that the President had any in
tention of admitting the right of secession,
and | did believe, and still believe that the
difference between him and Judge Black was
only difference of opinion respecting the
terms that should be employed to convey
what they both intended. l told the Judge
that this was my conviction, in the frankest
and most direct manner. And here
l will add to what have said in a general
way in my preface, and will add it in the
most explicit terms, that while was indebt-
ed to Judge Black for a great amount of in
formation, he never in any particular en-
deavored to influence my views of Mr..
BlIclaQap'S a IN
have me adopt a single opinion which he
himself entertained on any part of that
eventful history. He knew we'll in what
spirit and with what purpose l had under
taken the work, and ne was a man of too
lofty a sense of right to seek to do anything
but to furnish me with such facts as were
within his knowledge.
Your reviewer darkly intimated that Mr..
Buchanan's draft of an answer to the
commissioners may yet be produced
1 can only say that if Judge Black had
a copy OF it he never so intimated to
me. He would naturally have given me
the copy If he had one, for told him that
had not found the original among Mr..
Buchanan's papers The reviewers sugges-
ton that Mr. Buchanan destroyed the
original because it would have been "a
frightful tell-tale of a frightful
blunder," is, to say the least, very
harsh one. 1t was simply draft of State
paper that had been superseded before it was
signed and sent as the official answer by
another draft, made by one of the Presidents
constitutional advisers, at his request and
adopted as the official document There was
no reason for preserving the first draft, and
no suspicion can justly and reasonably arise
from the fact that it was not kept. 1t could
not have occurred to Mr. Blu
chanan that after his death this
occurrence in his cabinet would be-
come public fact l had written thus far
when received, through your pOliteness,
copy of Judge Blacks letter to you, dated on
the 7th OF this month. Although he had not
read my work. his letter shows that we I'M
derstood each other perfectly, and it ought
to convince every one that if he had lived
and had read the book he never would have
had the smallest inclination to complain of
anything that have said of him in any part
of it. Before | saw this letter had the most
perfect confidence that he would not be per-
sonally disturbed by anything that the book
contains. Now know that he would not
have been.