The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-04-04
Lieutenant Governor Ohaunoey F. Black on
m Blaine's Book
PARTISAN PREJUDICE CREEPING INTO
HISTORICAL RECORDS.

a. Blaines Book.
PARTISAN PREJUDICE CREEPING INTO
HISTORICAL RECORDS.
The opinions as TO the merits and
accuracy of the published tenth chap
ter of Blaine's forthcoming book with
respect to the late Judge Black as
member of the Buchanan administra-
tion have differed so widely that the
Patriot concluded to get an express
sion from Lieutenant Governor Black
on the subject. The correspondent
found Governor Black in his delightful
retreat at the foot of the famous Brock
lie, in what he calls his workshop. He
is about to publish two volumes enti-
tied the Essays and Speeches of Jere.
miah s. Black" which will be repro
duction of the most important address
es of the late distinguished jurist and
statesman, literary, political and foren-
sic, together with his most interesting
magazine articles and the whole series
of brilliant controversial letters. The
volume will not include any of the au-
thors opionions as judge or attorney
general, will be in no sense a record of
official work, but book which cannot
fail to interest all classes of intelligent
readers. The frontispiece will be an
engraving of Judge Black from pho
tograph by Bradley &c Rulofson, of
San Francisco. The lieutenant Cover.
nor has begun to gather materials for
the biography of his father, but has no
hope of having it ready for the press
before the end of two or three years.
Meantime, he said, if the correspond
ent referred to the matter it would be
doing him great favor to publish his
respectful but earnest appeal to all per-
sons having letters over Judge Blacks
hand, of any date, to send copies or the
originals, if not especially valued, to
his address at York, Pennsylvania.
GOV. BLACK ON BLAINE.
When asked whether he had read
the tenth chapter of Mr.. Blaine's book,
recently published in the newspapers,
and whether he regarded the statement
as to his fathers course during the last
months of Mr.. Buchanan's term as be-
ing just and true, Governor Black
said:
"Certainly l have read it. Indepen-
dent of the fact that everybody reads
what Mr.. Blaine has to say, whether
they like it or not, was in this in
stance, for reasons quite obvious, lit
tie more curious than most men. You
wished me to speak only of that which
relates to Judge Black, and do not
want to be understood as speaking of
any other. Mr.. Buchanan's fame is
under the care of his own family, and
they will doubtless look after it in good
season. At all events they would prob
ably not thank me for interfering.
"Judge Black was democrat. Mr..
Blaine is a federalist, and if he had
been wholly and perfectly fair in deal
ing with the records of democratic
statesman, he would have been the first
federalist writer from John Marshall
down, who ever accomplished such
feat of honor and decency. AS it is,
he has come very near to it, and it is
a pity he did not entirely succeed.
With his portrayal of Judge Blacks
moral and intellectual character, and
his ascription to him of signal and
patriotic service at the most critical
period in the country's history, every
one interested in the memory of Judge
Black must be greatly gratified-and |
would not, if | could, suppress an ac,
acknowledgements of the intense pleasure
which it has given me. He means, |
doubt not, TO do him political as well
as personal justice. But it would have
been marvel, indeed, if the great par
tisan leader-suddenly turned histori-
an-had failed to color his narrative of
those important facts with some of the
errors his party has habitually propo-
gated and the prejudices with which it
has been saturated for quarter of a
century. when he processes to state his
torical facts, and Judge Blacks relation
to them, he does so with reasonable ac-
curacy when he draws inferences he
draws them after his own kind. And
in one of these gratuitous inferences
derived from no premise, except that
Judge Black had always been an hon
est democrat, he does him grievous in
justice, unintentionally, of course
While he comedies that after the re-
moval of Anderson from Moultrie to
Sumter, Judge Blacks influence was
powerfully exerted for the most vigor'
GUS measures against the secession
movement, he makes the impression
that at an earlier period his attitude
like many others, in both parties, was
different. And this is mistake which
Mr. Blaine had no right to make in 8
work supposed to have been writer
with the deliberation of history, wher
the evidences of the truth were 81
abundant and so accessible.
JUDGE BLACK AND BUCHANAN.
"The differences between Judg
Black and the president which came t.
head when the answer to the Soutl
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