The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-05-11
Blaine's Injustice to Buchanan.


The attempt OF Mr.. BLAINE In the published
chapter Of his book to revive the old charges
against President BUCHANAN has naturally
provoked the censure Of those who think the
lapse Of quarter OF q century should have
extinguished prejudice, and should permit
tho exercise of sober and impartial judgment.
Among those who have been moved to cor
rect Mr.. BLAINE's mistaken view Of Mr.. b.
UHANAN's conduct In the crisis Of 1861, Mr..
CHRISTOPHER 8. PATTERSON Of Philadelphia
merits particular attention by the clear, tenn
perate. and conclusive survey OF the facts In
his recently published pamphlet.
Ostensibly Mr.. BLAINE rejects as unbound.
ed the virulent accusation that President
BUCHANAN sympathised with the aims Of the
6ecessionists and betrayed his Official trust.
He is too adroit to place himself avowedly
on extreme ground, but the pretended mod
Grafton and discrimination Of his structures
really leave the object Of attack exposed to
the very imputations which are pro-
fessedly disclaimed. For Mr.. BLAINE
admits the purity but insists upon the
weakness Of Mr.. BUCHANAN's character; CON-
codes the integrity but rebukes tho inflrmity
Of his purpose; praises, In short, his good
Intentions at the expense OF his courage and
his intellect. Now, such . combination OF
insight and trresolution, OF sa2acity and
impotence, L. inconoeivable on the part of q
man who had, under the severest tests, and
In the fierce light Of publicity, commanded
The respect OF his fellow citizens for half
. century, and who had been NOM
mated for the Presidency because his
party knew him to be one Of It's strongest
men. 1t Is impossible for any reader to ap-
prove Mr. BLAINE's indictment Of tho course
actually pursued by Mr.. BUCHANAN in the
last four months OF his administration, and
not discard with impatlonoe the charitable
gloss which the assembling author
has astutely put upon 1t. Either
JAMES BUCHANAN did his duty In
iasl or he Yves . scoundrel. There Is no
room for any middle view, for any compro-
missing judgment. No man sees this more
plainly than Mr.. BLAINE. and when he A.
nrms that there was fragrant miscarriage
Of duty, he Is well aware that, despite his own
smooth exhibition Of charity and pity, the
reader will draw but ono conclusion.
They who believe with Mr.. PATTERSON
that the truth OF history Is OF more moment
than the transient interests Of party, and
that the fair fame Of q statesman is the pre-
cious inheritance OF all his countrymen, do
not ask for mercy aud forbearance for JAMES
BUCHANAN. They ask justice. They main
tain that under tho terrific strain Of the
srisis Of 1861 his intellect and his energy
we're as Enthusiastically demonstrated as his
integrity; that from the outbreak Of seces-
sion to the expiration Of his term he did
everything to sustain the Union and to
avert war which II would have been
possible for any man In his situation
10 perform. They show that Mr.. BLAINR's
assumption that Mr.. BUCHANAN, by any &C.
ton upon his part, could have suppressed
the rebellion Involves gross misappRehen-
sion OF the relative powers OF the legislative
and executive departments OF our Govern
mont strange misunderstanding Of the
actual condition Of public affairs at the given
iuncture, and Interpretation or misrep-
resentation Of what Mr.. BUCHANAN actually
did or tried to do.
II, as Mr.. BLAINE processes to think, It
was only through mental feebleness and in
hrmity OF character that President b.
gHANAN failed to crush rebellion In the germ,
b surely who has never been taxed with
such weaknesses should have been able to
name the measures which would have proved
sfYsotual. But, as Mr.. PATTERSON points out,
bis criticism 10 purely dogmatic and aggres-
stve. He neither does nor con suggest any
course Of action which would have averted
war. That. up to the date whom Sum.
tor was fred upon, and all the
questions In dispute were referred ire
vocably to the assize OF battle, the policy fol-
lowed by Mr.. BUCHANAN was the sole prsoti-
cable policy u oonclusively attested by the
faHt that II was adopted and continued by the
Republican President and his Secretary Of
efAfe upon their entrance into ONCE which
- u then, thst NJ. BLAUgR. under cover ol