The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-10-03

THE IMPORTANT PART HEPLAY-
ED In BUCHANAN'S CABINET.
More Unvritsn History-xr. Flower Writes
tie Bostoa Post Of Whist the Ex-ssersta-
~ Of State Told Hin Of the Tines
Before the Rebellion

7 published IN last sundays PoST, were
read with great interest But they were
defective in emitting any reference 10
the position of one member Of Mr.
Buehanan's cabinet, the Hon. Jere-
nniah : Black, hailing from Mr. Buch-
anan's own state, and all his life his
Z political and personal friend The
part which Judge Black took in hold
I ing President Buchanan from the traps
into which Floyd, Cobb and other
Z secession leaders in his cabinet tried 10
draw him was extremely important
+ Ii L piece Of the heretofore unwTiiten
7 history OF those times, which, a. / had
II from Judge Blacks own lips, year
and a half before his death, il i only
Z justice 10 his memory TO give TO The
public
The crisis in President Buehanan's
administration which broke up his
original cabinet occurred before Mr..
King became po=tma>teT-general. He
was, indeed, advanced 20 a cabinet
portfolio ~ a result Of the breakup Of
the cabinet, and while be was a men,
ber Of Mr.. Buchanan's household Mr..
Black had taken the place Of Gen Cas-
a. secretary OF state This Wa nomin-
ally higher position, but was really
less important al that time than that
Of encouragement, who was tine con-
stitutional law adviser Of the executive
Ny personal association with Jere-
miah :. Black was limited 10 one or
two days in New YORK city in Februa-
", ISL, when Judge Black and the
Hon john II. Reagan Of Texas deliy-
cred anti-monoPoly Address before a
public meeting in Cooper union The
next night after the meeting Francis B.
Thurber invited Judge Black, Senator
Reagan and about dozen others 70 a
public dinner at his residence. The
ErcHilig Pos in noting Judges Blacks
argument on the powers Of the federal
government over interstate commerce,
charged him with being inconsistent
with his position while aItorney-gen-
eral under Mr. Mr. Buchanan, when n
the EocgsiJsg Post remarked, he WAS
disbeliever in the power Of the govern
ment 10 project it, existence After
the dinner Mr.. Thurher called upon
Mr. Black for such comments on the
newspaper paragraphs - he deemed
fitting.
Then followed an extremely inter-
esting statement by Judge Black Of his
personal and political relations with
Mr.. Buchanan's administration. Both
were Penn-ylvanian>, and both had
bSen Democrats from the era q An
drew jackson Democracy II was
against Judge Blacks personal prefer
enee that he resigned his position to
accept the cabinet portfolio that had
been assigned him Mr.. Buchanan
had greater confidence in Judge Blacks
legal ability = regards constitutional
questions than he had for that Of any
other Democratic statesman and u
oblige his old friend he became one %
his political advisers
But there soon developed widely an
taconistie elements in the cabinet and
these divergei until it, disruption b.
came inevitable.
The crisis came after the election Of
ls60, when Brcckinridge and Lane We're
run y the representatives Of the ex-
treme southern idea. with the hardly
concealed purpose Of elecIing Mr.. Lin
coln and making this fact pretext for
dis~olving the union. John Il. Floyd,
secretary of war; Howell Cobb, ~ecreta-
" of the treasury; AND Isaac Toucey,
secretary of the navy, We're foremost in
this attempt to disrupt the union
While Mr.. Buchanan prOfes-.e,l defer
ence 10 Judge Blacks opinions the lat
ter could see that the executive was
being gradually misled by the tad adj
vice which was constantly poured into
his ears. In his last annual message,
a. Mr.. Buchanan had prepared il, Wa
a sentence declaring that the govern
mint ''had no power 20 coerce a state
30 soon A. Judge Black saw this lac de-
termined TO resign unle-s- Mr.. Buchan-
an would leave the sentence out of the
message
The implication was that the federal
government had no power and no
rights a. against the states. Judge
Black argued the point with President
Buchanan on constitutional grounds,
and showed that If was Necessary TO
the existence of the government that il
should defend United States property
within state lines, maintain the mail
service and the federal courts which
the constitution provides for. There i
no question involved in this power TO
coerce states 30 long o. the state dOeS
not make war on the United States 10y
attempts to seize it, properly or 10 pre-
vent il from executing it, constitutional
functions, there l. no occasion for the
United States 10 make war. But when
attacked il i the constitutional power
and duty Of the government TO defend
itself
1t i matter of history that just ON
the points which Judge Black outlined
To Mr.. Buchanan the issue was made
waich began the civil war few months
later. Ii was the attack OF South Caro-
lima on Fort Sumter that called the
people Of the whole country 10 arms.
Judge Black made this point - clearly
that he won his case. Tine part of the
Message that had bsen inspired 10y
FIoyd and Cobb was left out, and Judge |
Black remained with the administra-
ton till it, Close. That incident, how
ever. broke up the cabinet. Mr.. Cass |
hsd resigned late in IS59 be<,suse he |
disapproved the pernieious eOuRsels
which the secession members of the |
cabinet were giving the President |
Judge Black became secretary OF state |
in his stead, while Edwin VI. Stanton
succeeded a. law adviser Of Mr.. Buchan- |
an. Horatio King and John A. Dix
re-enforsszi the loyal element in the
cabinet in the closing days Of Mr..
Baciailan's administration But after
they came in the contest had been
fought and Won