The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-09-26

his memory little, he will be able .,
recollect easily enough that his objec
In trying to influence Dir. Buchanan I,
that direction was to remove an obstael
from a path on which he and his con
stitueBts had made up their minds {.
I travel. south Carolina tried to bulll
the President; others, including Mr.
Davis, tried to coax him. 1t Is no evi
dence Of timidity that be resisted then
both.
Il find nothing ia his reply, con
tinued Judge Black, ito justify me il
retraeting word Of what | said two
years ago when reviewing with you ni,
book. II | did / would take it bacl
now. Time has only strengthened m,
n the conviction that was not tor
hard on Mr. Davis in what then said.
soUrHERSERs UNTRUE TO PARTY Al
LEGTANcE AND CSFAIrHPUL TO
POLITICAL FRIENDS.
Mr.. Davis and those who acted with
him were engaged in the worst conspir.
acy ever organized for the destruction
Of government. Their methods and
acts cannot be too severely criticised. ]
will admit and say that time has proven
that Mr.. Davis was fit head for such a
revolution As the SecessiOnists began
while Mr.. Buchanan was in the Presi-
Dental chair. found no excuse for their
conduct then, and find less now. They
deserted us ia a time of great peril.
The southern political leaders we're
antrne II theit I,arty oblizutions, and
untrue 70 their political friends Of the
North. BY standing true they could
have defeated the schemes of the Abo-
htionists and prevented bloOdshed; but
because they could not have everything
their own way they deserted the North
ern Democracy at time when the party
ccming into power hated Northern
Democrat worse than Southern Seces-
sionist. If in the end they were true to
each other, have been at loss to dis
cover the web of their fidelity. Men
who willfully break the law usually quar-
rel with each other in the end.
Il would not do Mr.. Davis an inias.
tee. He has had enough of that from
his own people. But what said in the
original article, ! say now-that he and
the other Sccessionists were always ply
ing Mr.. Buchanan with their arguments.
entreatles, or threats, as the case might
be. That he was able to resist them all
and stand true 10 his constitutional
obligation in the most trying ordeal
ever forced upon a man, is lasting
tribute to his honor and manhood"
Isn't there fair chance for argu-
ment as to whether he did or not"
No, sir. Mr.. Buchanan has been
more grievously misrepresented, and
with greater success. than any other man
Of whom ever heard or read. Mr.. Davis
Is AS much responsible for this as any
one know of, living or dead. He was
king bee in the Secession movement. In
all the intrigues with which they hedged
the President about while they were
planning the rebellion, he was chief.
lie enjoyed the Presidents friendship.
and had considerable influence with
hin, and he never hesitated to use this
power to warp the Presidents acts and
utterances to suit the schemes of those
with whom and for whom he acted. He
slgnally failed, but he is entitled 10 no
credit tor Mr.. Buchanan's fidelity. The
plottings with which the Southern lead
ers surrounded the executive gave al
once the pretext for and the power to
ms enemies to successfully assail him.
THE IMPUDENT SOUTH CARoLINIAYs.
'Mr. Davis seems to put great stress
upon the peaceful intentions of South
Carolina and upon his own pacific atti-
tude at that time"
"Yes; Mr.. Davis and South Carolina
we're both willing to keep the peace if
they could have it upon their own terms. |
The fact is Mr.. Davis and the other Sc /
would have peace only with 4
iismemberment. Those opposed to them 7
would have peace only with union. The I
lifferent elements then playing at each
,thcr were as far apart as the poles
they were all shouting for peace, but 4
itching to get into each others hair. 1t /
$ too late for Mr.. Davis to write about 4
The peaceful intentions of the Secession /
sts of that time. He knows better than |
any man living of the impudence and |
arrogance of the Southern leaders. He
,an recall, if he pleases, the threatening
attitude of South Carolina and her in j
sulting proposals to the President, at the .
very time when he speaks of her having
these peaceful Intentions The con
spicuous acts of concession which were
desired of the President, of which Mr.. /
Davis has spoken so much, would not
have prevented war, but would have /
given the South an advantage she never 4
could have except the President could /
be Influenced. All of Mr.. Davis's soph- I
stry, eloquence, arguments and hard I
words will not change the judgment of +
men upon his acts at that time. No /
rnte-mortem epitaph he can now pen will
supply the virtues which even his fol- !
lowers could never find. | do not say.
nor do | believe, that Mr.. Davis did a
thing or took an unfair ad- !
vantage then, as he apprehended it; but
| do insist that his counsels and his CON
duct were steadily against the Union.
His present article furnishes evidence
enough to justify every expression con.
tanned in my interview with YOU two
years ago, to which he takes exception"
MIR. DAvIs's ABSURD POSITION IN REIA-
TIoN TO THE FORTS.
Judge Black, at this point, again
picked up Mr.. Dayis's letter and read
that portion of it referring to the right
OF eminent domain and asserting the
right of South Carolina to the forts in
Charleston hrbor. He read it carefully
a broad smile broke over his counte-
nance, and he said pleasantly:
MIR. Davis again makes sinner of
his judgment in this part of his article.
His position as to these forts is absurd.
lie claims that because the government
held and guarded its own property in
the harbor of Charleston it was 4
menace to the people of South Carolina.
confess they should have been a
menace to those people who were defying
the law and trampling upon the authori-
y OF the government, if reinforcements
could have made them so: but these
forts, though they had been garrisoned
10 their fullest complement, were in no
sense menace to the people of South
Carolina. As well might he claim that
because the Federal government held
the capitol at Washington and its other
public buildings, and had the means for
their defense, that this was an insult to
the whole South. This proposition does
little credit to Mr.. Dayisps large ex-
Perience and superior gifts. If he had
learned wisdom from his experience of
the last twenty years, he would not now
advance such an argument to justify the
proposition he and other lead
ers made to the President about the
Southern defenses-a proposition, I am
glad to say, the President never enter
tanned or mentioned to me as a thing to
be seriously considered. As anxious as
hr. Buchanan always was to prevent an
open rupture during his term of Office
he never for a moment thought of Weld
ing to the demands, entreaties or threats
Of the Secessionists. I admit that he
was far more lenient with them than
would have been, OF advised him to be.
lie hesitated about reinforcing the forts
when he should have acted promptly.
Mr.. BUcHASAS's CONSCIENTIOUS coS-
DUCT.
But you must understand that he
was peculiarly surrounded. The South
had helped make him President. He
bad lifelong friendships there, and il was
no easy matter to act harshly toward
people at whose hands he had received
10 much, He often thought / was un-
even severe, toward bath the
SessiODists and AbOlitionists. Ipresume
was, for meant to be- Mr.. BUCHANAN
and were trying to reach the same end
~ n ss..aH Il. l.