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

AE4E4e4tA
that weuld haye akakened tllens % 4
periis Of the hour. aad strengthened Il
= arm Of the government in its pendiE
( struggle with both the Abolitionists an
e the Seecssionists. But then,
!, The scales are rArrly safe adjusted
: When self shs zxering bzlzneS shakes
r THE Nosr IaPUnEST PgoPosITIoS 1
ei HISTORY.
Perhaps most men would l1ax
5 5 done just what was done in thi
!. Instance, for the SecessionistS ha
i not then shown their hands and b,
! gan hedging the President about Wit
: their insidious plettings. When the
began, what they could not do by direS
! ton they were willing TO do by indireS
: ton, and Mr. Davis was leading acto
In this game. He even assumed t
I speak for South Carolina in her attemp
TO negotiate with the President aboI
her forts in Charleston harbor. b
his own admission he tried to Undue
the President 10 hand over the govern
ment property in the South to the mel
who had then stolen the best part of it
and were conspiring TO destroy the gov
eminent and even then were openly ans
shamelessly defying its authority Thi
patriot pledged his life rs ransom fol
the care and Preservation Of the port;i
bic properly IN the forts OF Charkstot
harbor provided the President wouIt
yield to the demand of the Secessienist.
and turn over this property TO them
IL was the most impudent proposition
ever made by mortal man, to ask the
executive of nation to WELD up a posi-
capable of defense to the enemies of
the government he represented. Once
IN Cabinet meeting | said that there had
never been a period in the history
OF the English nation when any minister
could propose to give to an enemy of
his government military post which
was capable of being defended without
being brought to the block. This was
exactly what Mr. Davis solicited the
President to do while he was a Senator
OF the United States. Yet he now, as
then, pleads his cunning words in stay
of Judgment and to prove his peaceful
Intentions They will not stand TO his
credit when contrasted with his acts.
BUCHAEAE's TIMIDITY.
After | found that the President was
convinced that it was his duty to argue
these questions in the message I tried to
recover lost ground. So, when he called
upon me for my legal opinion upon this
subject, | tried to prepare such paper
as should have been issued at the pro
clamation. When the President saw it
he found that the terms were entirely
too strong for him. He did not dissent
from my conclusions, but he said if he
followed them it would increase the bit
terness between the factions. | recall
an expression he made while discussing
1t, and it illustrates his position exactly.
i desire, said he to stand between
the factions like daysman, with nv
hand on the head of each, counseling
peace. We had our first real difference
over this paper. He took it and insisted
upon formal legal opinion upon the
right of secession. Thus failed TO inn
press upon his State paper of that year.
the strong views / knew he entertained
on the subject of secession, but hesi-
tated to express for fear of further
srousing the temper of both factions.
who sat growing and ready to spring at
each others throats."
THE ADoLITIoNIsTs AND sECEssIoNIsTs
JUDGE BLACK ON SLAVERY.
'You speak of the Abolitionists and
Secessionists in one breath?'
Yes, they were both alike. Neither
had any respect for the constitution
when it stood in the way of their
schemes. One proclaimed it a league
with death aud a covenant with hell,
and the other as grossly insulted the
fundamental law of the land by assert
ing the right. of secession. l revere,
and always did, the constitution, and a
profound respect for the law possesses
my whole being. | have no patience
with any man. North or South, who
proclaims his disregard of the law.
always abhorred slavery, but the law
sanctioned 1t, and it was my duty to sus-
tain the legal right
81 would not have slave to till NV ground
To carry me, to fan me while asleep
And tremble when wake, for all the
wealth
That sinews bought and so d have ever
No, dear as freedom is, and in nv hearts
Just es' innate priced above all price,
had much rather be myself the slave
"These lines ever represented my feel
ings upon this institution. The consti-
tuition recognized it, and | recognized
its legal right. None of my family or
relatives had any interest in slaves, ex-
cept Mcdonald, of New Orleans, and
he owned them only to preach to them"
You surprise me, because | had al
ways understood that you were pro-
slavery"
"Neyer. | only tolerated the idea
because the law recognized it. 1t should
have been cotton rid of without yio
lence and blOodshed, as was done in
Pennsylvania and other Northern
States. / was always in favor CT its
abolition, but could never bring myself
to look upon the Abolitionists in any
other light than as enemies of the gov
ernment, because | knew and saw in
their acts and utterances pending revo-
| luton. Time and the mad occurrences
OF the past twenty years have confirmed
my judgment"
Judge Black discussed at some length
this question, and reverted to the John
| Brown raid, TO relate 10 me an interest
ing conversation he had with Gen. Lee
when that officer was returning to Wash
ington after the military operations at
Harper.s Ferry in 1859. 1t is so long
that shall leave it, and some time write
of it in another article.
JACOB THOMPSON, COBB. FLOYD AND
DAVIS.
After he had finished speaking upon
these points, Judge Blacs continued:
at viii not do at this day for MrI
Davis to write about the peaceful in
tentions' of himself and his feliow-Se-
eessionists. Their assault upon the gov
eminent was deliberate and pre-deter-
mined, and their cries Of peace, while
they we're for war, unless they could
have their owa way, were only the vapor
with which they hoped to envelop their
real purposes Mr.. Davis began early
after Mr. Lincoln's election to urge his
views upon the President. and he was
recognized among the Secessiouists as
their most important agent. Cobb Wa
one OF the worst Secessionists / eyer
knew, and oneof the ablest men Thonp-
son, a S0utherner, was also in the Cab
met, man of integrity and superior
powers Floyd had little influence
Mr. Davis was called to Washington
from Mississippi by his Southern friends
in the Cabinet, that they might have
their most potent advocate near the ex-
ecutiye while the message was being
prepared. He did the work of his clan
most faithfully, and because he did not
succeed he assaulted the President after
the message was read, and never until
now, that | ever heard OF, appear as his
defender. That Mr.. Buchanan was
strong enough to resist the appeals OF
Davis and his fellows, brave enough to
defy their arrogance, and elear-headed
enough to escape the traps with which
surrounded him is to his lasting credit
They did him great injustice then, and
they have never repented that know
of. They enreIoped him in an atmos-
phnre and gave q coloring 70 some Of his
acts that the facts did not justify. They
furnished the ammunition bv which he
hms been successfully slandered from
that day to this. Mr. Davis calls him
self an old friend of Mr. Buchanan.
This. indeed, Is the acme Of sarcasm
BLACKS RECORD CLEAR.
Judge Black spoke deliberately but
WITH great emphasis, while relatinesthese
TaNn -