Year: 1859

Of the JOURNAL VIC knew we had a diff
ticult path before US, and that the exer-
ton of all our abilities would be neces-
sary to successfully defend the course
of Mr.. Buchanan's Administration, and
to convince the people that his policy
was right. We gloried, however, in the
opportunity of entering into a contest
which promised to call forth all our la
tent energies, and we resolved to de-
vote all our mental vigor to the defense
of whatever the leaders of our party had
done or might do. This "h'gh purpose
and firm resolve" still moves us. AS
yet we waver not. We have "placed
our feet upon the plough shares, and we
will pass the fiery ordeal"


BIT, at the same time. we must con.
fess that serious troubles have beset our
new vocation much sooner than we ex-
pected, and We most respectfully and
earnestly call upon those who are older
and more experienced workers in the
glorious cause for a little timely advice.
The thing that bothers us is this Cass-
Leclerc- French -Prussian naturalization
prot business. There are a great
many other alleged inconsistencies of
Mr.. Buchanan and. our party of longer
standing about which We have thought,
and reasoned, and speculated, until we
hatter ourselves that we can explain
and reconcile them in tolerably salts
factory manner. Give us little time
to prepare ourselves. and to set our in.
ventive faculties at work, and trust us
for getting up aningenious and plausible
representation ofanything that our VEN
erable President may do; but this last
turn about ofthe Administration on the
naturalization question has come upon
US so soon after our entry upon our new
duties, thai we confess we are a good
deal futtered and confused.


AT the time of our last issue the Cabi.
net at Washington had announced that
a naturalized citizen would not be pro-
tected by our Government if he returned
on visit to his native land. This an
nouncement had been made for a long
time our Lecompton brothers of the
press had advocated the doctrine, day
after day, in unanswerab!e leaders, and
our orators had proclaimed it in sonor-
Gus defamation. They had shown, by
indisputable authorities and unanswer-
able reasoning, that the principle was
founded in natural justice, and prescrib-
ed in international law. With the inno-
cent confidence of youth we, at once,
adopted the common sentiment of our
party, and committed ourselves unre-
servedly to the doctrine


One short week has passed, and we
are startled and confoupded by the news
that Mr.. Buchanan, with an utter indif-
ference to the delicate po osition he would
leave as in, has suddenly and completes
ly changed front ON this question, and
has demanded naturalzed American
citizen from the Prussian Government.
In an agony of doubt and indecision,
we ask the serious question, what is to
be done in this emergency? Can the
STANDARD tell what to do ? Shall we
denounce this news as false, and con-
tinue our former course or shall we at
once retract all our brilliant reasoning
and eloquence and go it backward 1t
don't matter much to us which course we
are to take. for we are satisfied that we
can adduce unanswerable arguments on
either side :; the important question with
us is which side of the case are we to
advocate : We say to the Standard
and the National, and the rest marshal
you the way we are to 60 and we will
follow you with lusty tread" You need
not fear that any notions of consistency
will prevent us from being faithful fol-
lowers to any point of the compass you
may march to. There acas time when
such considerations would have embar-
raised us.-but it is past "we are not
now that which we have BEEN" We
do as we are told.


At present, we take no position what
ever on this question. Next week We
hope to know exactly what doctrine the
President now lays down and, whatever
it is, we will advocate it ably and
fully


The ELEPHANTS were in town on
Tuesday, with the trained ponies, and
bor n L