National Republican., 1883-10-12

l. them. MY leading purpose has boen to vindi-
cate myself from 70 charge as wicked and un.
provoked as over fell from human lips Some
seventeen years GgU, in an elaborate publiea-
ton, defended myself triumphantly from
the rebel examinations of my official conduct
in connection with COuovcr and his witnesses,
which were then heating as storm upon mo.
These conflicts, with their issues, have passed
into history, aud Mr.. Thompson greatly mis-
tnkes II he supposes the .iudgeAent of that
history is to Be reversed or modified by the
invectiycs Of today, however audacious and
yiHdictivc they may br.
But IL is proper shat ! should give tho
origin of the hatred which Mr.. Thompson has
so long borne me, and which has just found
so unworthy an expression After 10 had
been determined and announced in tho
Cabinet that Fort Sumpter should DC yoin-
forced, it was arranged by Gou. Scott and
myself that this should he attempted by The
Star of tho West, which, with all the procau-
tions possible, was dispatched from New
York for this purpose. Mr.. Thompson, being
still member Of thc Cabinet with all tho
obligations OF horror aud OF loyalty impoapd
by his position resting upon him, tclo-
graphed to Charleston that this vessel was
coming and its object In consequence,
when IL arrived in Charleston harbOr tho
rebel batteries opened on it. and il was driven
back. Up to this time our relations had hcen
friendly certainly So on my paTt-but this
act separated me from him at once and forever.
Having resigned his seat in tho Cabinet and
returned to Mississippi, he addressed to the
people of that state the following language
rs ros ,crtiag iay resignation sent dispatch
to Judge Longstrcc that the star OF the West was
coming with rc-GniOrcCments The troops FoTc HiUs
PIT on their guard, ANA when the Star of the West
arrived she received q oafHt troic8Ric from Loomng
cdlHoH and soon beat retreat. | was rCiuicod tile
vessel was not sunk. bat was the more reloicod
that the conceded tricE, first conceived by Cen.
Scott and adopted by secretary Holt. but cOnnter
manGod By the President when too late, proved
failure.
This was his cxultant cry over n stab given
to his country at tho vefy moment no was
enjoying its confidence, and was clothed with
its honors. in his late Interview " he again
frankly avows this criminal act, but thinks
he should bc excused from blame because
others had the same information, and might
hare communicated 10 to he oaemy-but did not,
doubtless from u sense OF duty--a specimen of
logic so unique as to be worth remembering.
The term concealed trick" imported and
was intended to import all possible unfair
ness and dishOnor on the part of Gen. Scott
and myself Although that grand old soldier
certainly needed no defense at my hands, yet
it was due TO the responsible action which we
had jointly taken that it should be rescued
from the obloquy sought to be heaped upon
it. 70 this end | addressed letter to the
editors of the National fRicWgeRcer, which
appeared in that Journal on the fifth OF March,
1861 setting forth the circumstances under
which the Star of the West had been dis
patched and, in doing so, utterly dmolshed
Mr. ThOmpsou's calumnious accusation, and
50 set his disloyal conduct in its true light be-
fore the country. This was the beginning of
q relentless hostility on hispart, which-iudg-
ing from its present vgor-has been carefully
nursed through the long years which have
followed. Mr.. Buchanan, after reading this
1.NN 81
Your letter is severe, but just" This was
the Judgment of one who had complete per-
sonal knowledge Of all the facts on which
my defense and the arraignment of Mr..
Thompson's action were based. subsequently
| addressed an other letter us the former
and which was q rejOinder to MIR. Tompson's
reply TO my flrst--in which the position he
occupied was characterized in these words
1t remains therefore, undeniod and undeniable
MS part of the history of the times that the late
Secretary of the interior, while yet n member of
the Cabinet dispatched intelligence which
reached, and must have been Intended to REACH
those in open arms against the government OF the
United States, and th1J upon this information the
Star of the West was fired upon and expelled hun
Charleston harbor, thus defeating the eXpeduion
for the relief OF Fort Sumter, and jeopartlizing
the lives of all engaged i'll it. 1t Is further partot
the record thus made by the Secretary himshlf
that in this result, secured BY his own att, ho tS
jolced." t..I
These words were true then, and they are
true now, and history will not fail to mako o
like record of Mr.. Thompson in book of re-
membrance which will not perish, and TO this
will be surely added branding Condemna-
tion SO long as the sentiment of loyalty to
our cOuntry--whioh, next TO tho worship of
the living God, is the noblest spring of human
action--is respected among mon. 1t gave me
no pleasure to write these letters On the
contrary it was painful to be Obliged tospeak
in appropriate terms of an act of official
treachery unparalleled in our history, and
which felt to be humiliation for our conn
try and times, and if these letters pierced the
Joints of Mr.. ThOmpsOn's armor, as doubtless
they did, he should remember always, amid
the rankings Of his resentment, that they
were but the rebound from shaft which had
come from his own culver.
Mr. Thompson speaks bitterly of me rs his
"enemy," and possibly has been led to be-
leve that |, in common with the loyal people
of tine North, have boon led into uniriendli-
ness toward him because OF his distinguished
military services during the rebellion. This
is delusiOn OH his part which | hasten to
correct. The only history of those services
which has reached the North is that given by
Gen. Grant in his testimony before the Mill
tary Commission which tried the assassins Of
the President. | copy it from the record of
the trial as follows;
met Jacob Thompson. formerly Secretary of
the Interior under President Buchanhi's admin
isratiOn, when the army was lying opposite Vlcks,
burg, at what Is called Millikeli's Bend and
YOung's Point. little boat was discovered com
Ing up near the opposite shore, apparently sur
reptitiously, aud trying to avoid detection. lit
tie lug was sent out from the navy to pick II up.
When they got TO IL they found little white llag
sticking out OF the stern Of the row boat, and Jacob
Thompson IN 1t. They brought him to Admiral
/ do not recolect the ostehsble business he had.
There seemed to be nothlnga all important III the
visit but he pretended to be under flag of truce
and he had, therefore, to be allowed 70 go back
ngain. That was i'll January or February of 63,
and 1t was the first flag of truce we had through,
He proiessCd to be in the military service OF tic
rebels, aud said that he had been offered IL COM
mission-Gnythin0 that he tUdRted! but, knowing
that he was not military man. he prefer red hay
ing something more like civil appointment and
he had, therefore, taken the place of Inspector
General, with the rank of lieutenant colonel, in
the rebel service
The heart of the country has been found
large enough and magnanimOus enough to
forgive these services against its flag, but OF
course, they were too brilliant to be forgotten,
cannot close this communication without
bearing emphatic testimony to the loyalty of
President Buchanan throughout the troubled
and trying scenes which marked the last
months of his administration. With meas
ureloss responsibilities expressing him bad
gered by traitors and by the department of
| the government which owed him sympathy
and n loyal supports and standing, as he did
on the brink Of u great national calamity, the
imminence of which was awing all hearts,
| he was often cast down, but never unfaith-
| full to his duties Amid the binding rancor
of party strife ho was constantly misundor'
stood and constantly misrepresented. lie
| was not an aggressive man, nor at al gwen