The Washington critic., 1888-02-25


hismind 70 let the cotton States 20. was
startled by his remark, when he offered
to read the letter to me. listened, almost
breathlessly 10 its close, when, naturally
relieved, | said that saw nothing what
ever in IL to Justify any construction I'M
favorable to Mr.. Buchanan. IL showed
his great anxiety TO have the loan Just
advertised taken at a reasonable rate OF
interest" and argued that such invest
should the cotton States Withdraw from
the Union" Said he: "Trade cannot
easily be drawn from its accustomed
channels ] would sacrifice my life at any
moment to save the Union, if such were
the will of Cod but this great and enter
prising and brave nation Is not TO be de-
stroyed by losing the cotton States, even
II this loss were irTeparable, which | do
not believe unless from some unhappy
accident"
THE EXPLANATION
appeared to satisfy my distinguished
friend, and he alterwafd gave me a copy
Of Mr.. Buchanans letter, leaving mo
free to publish IL, but on my own respon.
sibility-which ] did not hesitate to
assume accompanying the letter with an
explanatory key.
To the contemporaries, certainly of
Messrs. Coe and Spauldng, 1t must seem
n little funny to hear Mr.. s. say that
'"three of his (Buchanans) Cabinet, viz:
jeremiah Black, Edwin NJ. Stanton and
Joseph Holt, were known to MIR. Seward
and others TO be loyal TO the Union" We
can afford to'pass by the oft-repeated re-
mark of President Buchanan's "vacilla-
ting" and indecision No doubt he "was
generally believed 10 be loyal to the
Union"
AS regards those three members of his
cabinet, two were from Pennsylvania
and the third, although from Kentucky,
needed no stronger proof of his loyalty
than was demonstrated when his nomina-
ton for Secretary of War came up for con-
iirmation and the following Senators
voted against IL, viz: Bayard, (now Sec
retary of Statel, Benjamin. Bragg, Cling
man, Green, Hemphill, Hunter, lgersOn,
Lane, Mason, Polk, Sidcll and Wigfall.
"Mnny of the oonspirators had previ-
ously withdrawn from the Senate" else
this proof had been still stronger.
Yes, well remember that Philip Clay
ton was one of the most rabid and out
spoken disunionists in Washington, and
at the period referred TO by Mr.. Spauldng,
the city was full Of them. All that ap-
peared to be necessary for their triumph
ant success in the last days of 1850, pro-
vided they could have controlled Vice.
President Breckenridge, which is doubtful,
was that
THE HELLIsH PLOT
to poison President Buchanan at the Ma
tional Hotel, in the spring of 1857 prior
to his inauguration, had succeeded, in
which event the Vice-President wonld
have been in the Presidential chair. or
course neither Mr.. Breckenridge nor any
but base wretches like the assassins of
Lincoln, knew of or would have coun-
tenanced such an infamous proceeding,
but with Southern man, not opposed To
secession, in the Chair of State, who
knows that he might not have deemed
IL wise, as well as merciful, to have fa-
vored a coup Petat, a Ia Napoleon III. and
withheld the reins from Lincoln, with a
view TO the preservation of peace2 They
(the disunionists), had Congress and the
Supreme Court almost in their power,
and, with all branches of the Executive
Government also in their hands-thus
controlling the Treasury the army and
the navy, what could the people have
| dope but to submit 10 iate2
| WAS THE THOUGHT OF SUCH Plot CHINERI-
CAL2
II may be, but since i first ventured to
express it in a letter published in the
Providence journal Of December 3, 1868,
have met many well-iiiformed persons
who have said they fully believe it, but
the only public confirmation of IL have
seen is the following extract from the
private journal of the late ii. j. Ray
mond, editor Of the New York Times,
| published in "Scribner's Monthly Maga-
| Anen for March, 1880, as follows
| Thursday, March 5, CsG3. AT lunch
to-day had a talk with Mr.. Forbes. WAS
this the celebrated war correspondent
who married General NJ C. Meigsf daugh
ter2] He said he had very good reasons
for saying that the famous disease
at the National Hotel in Wasl@ngton IN
1867, from which so many persons suf'
fered, was the result of an attempt on the
part Of the Southern disunionists to
| poison Buchanan, in order TO bring in
breckenridge as President, who was in
their councils, and would throw the
power of the Government into their scale
He said that soon after he visited d
prominent Southern politician, living al
Culpeper Court House, in Virginia, and
that from what there transpired lac was
convinced he was in the plot. He did
not mention his name and did not think
it proper to ask IT," HoRATIo KINo.
Washington, Feb. q, 1883.
|