Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-18
WHITE HOUSE WORRY.
How Polk Was Annoyed by the
Ambition of Buchanan.
STOLEN TREATY SCANDAL
President Abused by Associate of
His Secretary of State.
EXPERIENCE OF WASHINGTON
Freneau's Attacks Inspired by JEFF
ferson-Lincoln Also Assaulted by
Member of His Cabinet.
EXPERIENCE OF WASHINGTON
BY WILLIAM f. CIRTIS.

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
President Polk in his diary. the original
of which belongs to the Chicago His
torical Society, relates to an incident in his
administration which created great
deal of excitement at the time, but was
soon forgotten. as such incidents usually
are. He says that on the morning of
March %, 1S4S, he was much astonished
at having the fact called to my attention
by my private secretary that a New York
paper contained the full text of my con-
fidential message to the Senate transmit
ting the treaty of peace with Mexico, and
that a portion of the confidential CORE
spondence which accompanied the treaty
had also been published in another pa
per-"
IAN communications relating to, trea-
ties President Polk Is careful to explain
in his diary ARE made to the Senate in
confidence. The senators are in the habit
of ordering such executive .communica-
tons printed in confidence for their own
use, and some senator has probably fur
nished a printed copy for publication
either to the editors or to some of the
unprincipled letter writer's who are sta
toned at Washington to collect news for
them Later in the day the President
learned that the Senate had appointed
committee to investigate how these con-
f1dential communications found their way
into the New York papers. and says: Il
am glad of 1t and hope they will ascer-
tain the guilty person and punish him.
The committee Of Investigation, he tells in
his diary the next day, was appointed and
called before 1t the correspondent, Mr..
Nugent. who refused to answer any of
the interrcgatories propounded to him
and was committed to the custody of the
sergeant
suspicion Points to Buchanan.
Nugent asserted that he had not pro-
cured the copy from any senator. but re-
fused to say whether he had obtained 1t
from any member of the cabinet. Pres
dent Polk ccnfides to his diary that Mr..
flanagan, senator from Indiana, stated
that there was no doubt that the copy
had been obtained from James Buchanan.
Secretary Of State. and added that such
was the belief of the Senate. The Presi-
dent records that Mr.. flanagan said 1t
was notorious that this fellow Nugent
was in habits of intimacy with Mr.. Blu
chanan that he has for weeks been writ
ing letters to the newspapers praising
Mr.. Buchanan and abusing me. He said
that senators had called at the state
Department and could not gain admit
lance to the Secretary because this fell
low Nugent was cloSeted With him.
President Polk then proceeds: This
fellow Nugent is unknown to me. never
saw him. or If did l did not know who
he was 1 have heard often of him as
one Of the unprincipled letter writer's sta
toned at Washington who work for who
ever will pay them best. l have often
within the last few months been told
that he was constantly about the State
Department and at Mr.. Buchanan's
house. and that he is in his employ to
puff him as a candidate for the presi-
dency. fear this is true. Mr.. Buchanan.
though undoubtedly a man of talents, is
In some respects very weak man. and in
not thing has he shown himself more mis-
taken, so far as his true interests are
concerned. than in permitting unprin-
cipled q man as this letter writer to en-
Joy his confidence. There is no reliance
to be placed in Nugent. I would not be-
lieve him on his oath. and l fear Mr..
Buchanan has placed himself in. his
power.