The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-20
AN ECHO FROM WAR TIMES.
Letters from James Buchanan and p. G..
Il. Beauregard to jeff Davis.

A feature Of the Philadelphia Inquirer
for the past year two has been a reprint
OF war news from its files of 1862 1863 and
1864. Many facts and incidents are thus re-
called which are not found in the
histories compiled later. Among other mat
ters of interest are the two following let
tiers addressed to JEFF Davis. and which, an
stated by the Inquirer of Aug. II. 1863,
originally appeared in the Journal:
Below will be found two private letters
one from ex-President Buchanan 10 Jeffer-
son Davis which was found by troops
among the private papers of Davis at Jack
SON, Miss They were placed in the hands
| of the editor of the Indianapolis Journal
| by an officer Of the army of General Grant
| 1t will be seen that the Old Pub. Func-
| tionary was willing in 1850 to go even fur
| Their than the South asked the North in
streng thening the peculiar institution. but
| was afraid he would not be sustained. and
| therefore took his stand in public on what
| was considered extreme Southern ground.
Beauregard, who writes eight years later,
| disikes disunion, but he viii do anything
rather than yield TO what he is pleased 10
| call the unjust demands of the North. He
had a high opinion OF the good qualities or
| the Yankees, but loved slavery more.
private and contidentiall
| WHEATLAND. 18th March. lsSo-My
| Dear Sir: l was in town this afternoon,
| and. receiving your letter there l gave il
| hasty answer, provoked thereto by the
conduct OF Cameron.
| from the Missouri Compromise have pre-
pared a letter 10 sustain it. written with
| all the ability of which L am master. You
| may ask why ii has not been published?
| The answer is very easy. From a careful
| examination of the proceedings of Congress
/ it is clear that nonintervention is all that
will be required by the South. Websters
speech is to be the base of the compro-
| mise-it is lauded to the echo by distln.
| gulshed Southern men-and what is itf
| Nonintervention, and nonintervention sim
ply because the Wilmot Proviso is not re.
quired to prevent the curse of slavery from
| being inflicted the Territories. Under
| these circumstances IL would be madness
| in me to publish my letter. and take higher
ground for the South than they have tax
| en- themselves. This would be TO out-herod
| Herod, and TO be more Southern than the
! South 1t could do no good. but might do
much mischief.
The truth is. the South have got them
| selves into condition on this question
from which IL appears they cannot extri-
| cate themselves My proIGsiton OF the
Missouri Compromise was at once albany
| doned by them, and the cry was noninter.
vention They fought the battle at the last
| presidential election with this device upon
| their banners. The Democracy of Pennsyl-
vania are now everywhere rallying j. nom
| they are standing by the South in the man
ner most acceptable TO their Southern
| brethren. Our Democratic journals are
| praising the speech of Webster, because
| all the utterances in Il are satisfactory to
| the South 1t is now too late to change
| front with any hope of success. You may
| retreat with honor upon the principle that
| you car carry your slaves to California
/ and hold them there under the Constitu-
| ton, and refer the question to the Supreme
| Court OF the United States. l am sorry
| both for your sake and for my own thar
| such is the condition in which you are
| placed.
| 1 say for my own sake, because I can
| never yield the position which / have de-
| ibeTately taken in favor Of the Missouri
| Compromise. and / snail be assaled by
! fanatics and Freesoilers as long as j live
4 for having gone further in support OF the
| rights of the South than Southern Senator'S
| and Representatives. l am committed for
| the Missouri Compromise. and that COM
| initial shall stand.
| Should there be any unexpected change
| in the aspect of affairs at Washington
| which would hold out the hope that the
| publication of my Missouri Compromise
letter would do any good. it shall be pub
| lished.
| / was about to write more. but this let
| ter is long enough
| 1t may be, and doubtless was the fact.
| that in 1919 or 1920 my name was placed
| on a committee which reported the reso-
| luton 70 which that scamp General Cam
a great veneration for the Chairman OF the
committee as my legal preceptor and prob
ap.y WAS , pnoer the nnp +, OF vre
| / first went TO Congress in December.
1921. and throughout my whole public
| the just constitutional rights in the South.
have made more speeches on the subject.
| home than probably any other man liv-
ing. One Of them l now inclose to you.
evening whilst 1 was looking for other
| matters.
| / wish you would read my speech
! through on the veto power. IL was the
| only one L ever made which fully pleaseS
myself. From your friend, very. respect
| fully JAMES BUCHANAN
| To Hon Jefferson Davis:
=. S-Why did not the Southern gentle-
men agree upon common basis OF settle
! ment? Please let me hear from YOU very
| soon. I am invited very specially 10 a we'd
| ding in Washington and possibly | may
| be there for one day, on the 9th Of April.
misht come out in favor of the Missouri
Compromise. should glory Ia sustaining
New ORLEANS. Feb. Is, 1S5s.-Am no
disunion man. ] have lived long enough
| fully the good qualities. energy. commercial
| aptitude and shrewdness OF its inhabi-
tants But / for one will never submit
| tamely In any community, whatever may
| be its advantages. TO be snubbed or
robbed OF my Just rights. even at the risk
| of losing in the contest all that / may be
| possessed of. We have. in my humble
| opinion. no concessions to make 10 them,
| for 10 us the question OF slavery is one or
life or death; to them il is one OF fancy
and OF political capital.
The more we Weld TO their unjust de-
mands the more exacting they will be-
| core. for as their DerDOnderance I'm our
national council increases ours dimnishes
| until at last they shall have become so
| strong that they viii not even degn 10
| asl-. but will order forthwith the execu-
| lion Of measure which viii bring death
| a question familiar 10 your high In
| telhgence and patriotism thar j snail pur-
sue il no further. Hooing that all viii
| end well thct is we'll" | remain. dear sir.
| very respectfully your Obedient servant.
| p G.. T. BEAUREGARD
| Gen JEFF Davis. United States Senator,